May 27, 2018
19 1–3 In the city of Jericho there lived a very wealthy man named Zacchaeus,[a]who was the supervisor over all the tax collectors. As Jesus made his way through the city, Zacchaeus was eager to see Jesus. He kept trying to get a look at him, but the crowd around Jesus was massive. Zacchaeus was a very short man and couldn’t see over the heads of the people. 4 So he ran on ahead of everyone and climbed up a blossoming fig tree[b] so he could get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed by.
5 When Jesus got to that place, he looked up into the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry on down, for I am appointed to stay[c] at your house today!”
6 So he scurried down the tree and came face-to-face with Jesus.
7 As Jesus left to go with Zacchaeus, many in the crowd complained, “Look at this! Of all the people to have dinner[d] with, he’s going to eat in the house of a crook.”
8 Zacchaeus joyously welcomed Jesus[e] and was amazed over his gracious visit to his home. Zacchaeus stood in front of the Lord and said, “Half of all that I own I will give to the poor. And Lord, if I have cheated anyone, I promise to pay back four times as much as I stole.”
9–10 Jesus said to him, “This shows that today life[f] has come to you and your household, for you are a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek out and to give life to those who are lost.”[g]
4 Soon the news reached the Jewish religious leaders known as the Pharisees that Jesus was drawing greater crowds of followers coming to be baptized than John. 2 (Although Jesus didn’t baptize, but had his disciples baptize the people.) 3 Jesus[a] heard what was being said and abruptly left Judea and returned to the province of Galilee, 4 and he had to pass through Samaritan territory.
5 Jesus arrived at the Samaritan village of Sychar,[b] near the field that Jacob had given to his son, Joseph, long ago. 6–8 Wearied by his long journey, he sat on the edge of Jacob’s well.[c] He sent his disciples into the village to buy food, for it was already afternoon.
Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.”[d]
9 Surprised, she said, “Why would a Jewish man ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water?”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew who I am and the gift that God wants to give you—you’d ask me for a drink, and I would give to you living water.”
11 The woman replied, “But sir,[e] you don’t even have a bucket and this well is very deep. So where do you find this ‘living water’? 12 Do you really think that you are greater than our ancestor Jacob who dug this well and drank from it himself, along with his children and livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “If you drink from Jacob’s well you’ll be thirsty again and again, 14 but if anyone drinks the living water I give them, they will never thirst again and will be forever satisfied! For when you drink the water I give you it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, springing up and flooding you with endless life!”[f]
15 The woman replied, “Let me drink that water so I’ll never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to draw water.”
16 Jesus said, “Go get your husband and bring him back here.”
17 “But I’m not married,” the woman answered.
“That’s true,” Jesus said, 18 “for you’ve been married five times[g] and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”[h]
19 The woman said, “You must be a prophet! 20 So tell me this: Why do our fathers worship God here on this nearby mountain,[i] but your people teach that Jerusalem is the place where we must worship. Which is right?”
Jesus responded, 21 “Believe me, dear woman, the time has come when you won’t worship[j] the Father on a mountain nor in Jerusalem, but in your heart.22 Your people don’t really know the One they worship. We Jews worship out of our experience, for it’s from the Jews that salvation is made available.[k] 23–24 From here on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with the right heart. For God is a Spirit,[l] and he longs to have sincere worshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “This is all so confusing, but I do know that the Anointed One is coming—the true Messiah. And when he comes, he will tell us everything we need to know.”
26 Jesus said to her, “You don’t have to wait any longer, the Anointed One is here speaking with you—I am the One you’re looking for.”[m]