John 4:1–42
The Jews usually avoided Samaria and always her people when traveling. However, Jesus purposely traveled there. Jesus loves ALL people on earth as the sons and daughters of God. Today's “Samaritans” are people or groups considered inferior. Taking our cue from Jesus, we should love and serve all people as the sons and daughters of God.
Because the Samaritan woman was humble, desired knowledge, and she believed His words, she made it easier for Jesus to teach her. To become more receptive to the Savior’s teachings, we should take on her attitudes: humble, teachable, and believing.
As Jesus spoke to her, the Samaritan woman changed. Jesus brought about this change, because He taught her at her level of understanding; He also testified of himself, used object lessons, and he showed compassion. Following His example, we can be better teachers to our family and friends.
Jesus told the Samaritan woman that he could give her “living water," which are the doctrines of the gospel, the love of God, and the Atonement. Jesus wants to give All God's children living water. Although I'm far from perfect, I can see how this living water has changed my life. Many of my cousins and siblings have had trouble with drugs and alcohol, which I've avoided. I want to be clean like Him, so I do my best to keep my earthly temple clean.
Another example...As a child, I was taught I had a bad temper and no control over such. It took much heart ache and many years to dig out of that incorrect teaching. Temper tantrums in children or adults are NOT a character flaw at least in the beginning. They are an inability to express and control emotion correctly. Without proper, gentle, charitable teaching, children with this trouble grow into adults with this trouble. Jesus living water taught me that I have free agency and can control, guard, and express my emotions in healthy ways. I was not born to tantrums any more than a person is born to murder. Even now the 'science' of neuroplasticity recognizes that the mind can subject even a diseased brain to behave according to desire instead of some inborn preclivity to misbehaving.
I could go on and on with examples of the change Jesus' living water has made in me, but I'll leave it here. Gratitude for His grace and word fill my soul to brimming, which is difficult to express adequately.
