It was hot that day and I had to go and get water from Jacob's well outside of town. The other women went when it was cooler. I could not go with them because I had slept with some of their husbands. I was married five times and now I was living with a sixth man. When I came to the well, there was a stranger waiting for me. He looked tired and dusty from his journey. Immediately, He asked me for a drink. His apparel indicated that He was a Jew and that surprised me because we Samaritans did not get along with Jews. I tried to tell the stranger that it was not proper for me to give Him a drink. Then He surprised me even more by telling me that if I would ask Him, He would give me a drink and I would no longer have to draw water from the well. I was puzzled and reminded Him how He could draw such water without anything to draw with. He was empty handed. His answer was even more mysterious. The water would not come from the well but from Him. After I would receive it from Him, I too would be a well for others. And I would no longer be thirsty.

I was a Roman officer in charge of one hundred soldiers. I led a life of obedience to my superiors and expected no less from my subordinates. I cared for my soldiers and servants and for those over whom I had military jurisdiction. I preferred to be good to others rather than demand it of them. I preferred to be liked rather than be disliked as a foreigner. And I did not interfere in my subjects' religious practices. I even encouraged them by helping them build places of worship. Especially, my Jewish friends valued my assistance and attitude towards them. And I did not mind that religious outcasts took shelter in my town. Jesus was one of them that had taken up residence in my jurisdiction. His own town had intended to kill Him. His coming had an enormous impact on my area and it was beneficial. He was spoken of as a man who was in touch with the God that lived in heaven. I had the impression that He was a very holy man and could not be approached by someone like me. I was good but not that good. I did not regard myself worthy being in the company of Israel's holy men.

I sat by the side of the road and held out my hands for alms whenever I could. I heard that Jesus was passing and He had stopped in front of me. Then, one of his followers, asked Him, "Who had sinned, my parents or I?" Jesus stunned them by saying that I was born to demonstrate that God was still at work and that this work was to bring light into a blind world. While Jesus was speaking, He spat on the ground, made some mud with the help of His saliva, smeared it on my eyes and ordered me to go and wash in the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. I obeyed without questioning and returned seeing the light for the first time in my life. I felt I was flying on a cloud in a wonderful world and tried to share my feelings with others. But my fellowmen were not as delighted as I was. Somehow, I had received my sight contrary to their belief. In their minds, my folks and I had sinned and that was why I was born blind. It was inconceivable that a sinner, like me, could receive sight.

Paul, the Apostle began his ministry persecuting the followers of Jesus. While on the road to Damascus, he heard an inaudible voice asking, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks" (Ac.26: 14). When I was about six or seven, my father received a horse in payment for work he had done. I was instructed to keep it out of the grain. Instead of going for help, I approached the horse from behind and it knocked the wind out of me. From then on, I faced things head on rather than from behind and most of all when things were larger than I was. How is it that we as adults do not realize that what we are facing is far beyond our ability to resolve? It is quite apparent that the systems of this world are pushing against the Hebrew-Christian God with all their might. These forces are in a hurry to usher in a messiah or world leader and Christians hope to be taken away before all this occurs. What does the Bible tell us about this assault on God and His people?

I am Zacchaeus with two a's and two c's. I lived in Jericho. Yes, the Jericho where the walls came tumbling down during the days of Joshua. The walls were rebuilt and the town was still on the map. Today was a special day. Rumors were circulating that Jesus would come through our town. And today He was really coming. Only I had a problem. I was very short in stature. But I was also very capable of improvising. I found myself a good seat in a sycamore tree by the main road where Jesus had to pass. From here I could see Him as clearly as it was humanly possible for me. There I was hidden by the branches and peaking through them at Jesus.

I admit. It was painful to be confused. And I was confused as confused a man can get. To add insult to injury, I was a teacher of Israel and sat on the highest council in the land. I felt like a blind man leading other blind. We were going down into a pit and refused to admit it. Our Law had been aborted in favor of some fathers' teaching. We even condemned innocent people. Our religious practices were in shambles. We had moneychangers and merchants use the "Temple's Court" for business; rather, than for prayer. We made people take our worthless currency for good Roman money. We got richer and the people poorer. We devoured widow's houses and orphan's heritages. We let God's House fall in disrepair. I just could not take it any more. I had no stomach for how we were running God's country. To top it off, we assisted our false king and the Romans in putting away people that were trying to bring us back to God, His Law and His Word. We did nothing to stop John the Baptist from being beheaded by King Herod and we signed the arrest and death warrants for any one that disagreed with our politics. I, and two other men on the Council, had come to the conclusion that we were even fighting God (Acts 5:33-40). Every time I opened my mouth in the defense of our Law and I was jumped on like a hawk on its prey (Jn.7: 50-52). I am Nicodemus, a champion of the people; in reality, I was a mouse.

I was at the end of my wits, my means and my hope. I had turned for help to everyone that showed some glimmer of skill to help me. For twelve years, I had been bleeding constantly. Can you imagine what it meant to be a bleeding woman? No one wanted to be near me. It was as if I had been cursed. I was looked upon as someone that was being punished for some sin I was not aware of. Now that my money and material means were gone even physicians kept their distance. And when they treated me with their remedies and physical methods, I felt more discomfort from their treatments than from my disease. Day and night, I was a burden to myself and to those that loved me.

It was prayer time. Only, I was not headed for prayer but being dragged to a place where I would be stoned. And of all places they dragged me to the Temple. The house of God had become a common place. It was no longer used for prayer. These people were taking me to a man that had driven some of them out of the Temple with a whip. He had overturned their tables and scattered their precious money. Now they were all back and doing what they always did, cheat the people. I had heard that a man by the name of Jesus was interrupting their business. Of all things, He was disobeying their laws and traditions. I was being brought before him while He was teaching a large group of people. Those that brought me were teachers of the Law and religious leaders. They spoke to him harshly and in anger. They had something against this man that upset them. I was brought before him to prove one of their legal arguments. I was used to trap or corner him. "Teacher," they demanded, "this woman was apprehended while committing adultery. Moses in the Law ordered us to stone such a woman! What do you say we should do?"