At the Well At Noon

In the story of Jesus with the woman at the well, we read this introduction by John, “Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour” (John 4:5-6).  I’ve come to believe that John gave very few details, if any, that were not important and filled with meaning, and so I wondered today as I listened to this story why he gave us the time of day.  The “sixth hour” meant that it was six hours from 6:00 am, or, in other words, it was noon.  Is there anything significant about it being noon that adds to this story?  

               Of course I can’t say what John intended, but here are a few thoughts as to what this detail could signify.  The first is that it contrasts with the story that John told in the previous chapter; there we read of Nicodemus who “came to Jesus by night” and in the cover of darkness spoke to the Savior and learned from Him (John 3:2).  Perhaps John wanted us to see that we don’t have to come by night or in secret or in fear to the Lord; He is not a keeper of secrets that are only to be shared in darkness (as the adversary) but His message can be learned and taught openly in plain daylight because there is nothing to hide.  As Nephi put it, “The Lord God worketh not in darkness” (2 Nephi 26:33).  Another interpretation of the detail could be that the Lord was meeting this woman and offering her water just when the sun was at its zenith, the day was hot, and she needed water most.  She was clearly thirsty for physical water for she jumped at the thought that He had and endless supply: “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw” (John 4:15).  He came to her at a moment of great thirst to help her desire what she truly needed.  In that same manner, He can come to us when we realize how much we need Him.  As President Benson said, “Just as a man does not really desire food until he is hungry, so he does not desire the salvation of Christ until he knows why he needs Christ.”  Another possible way to think about the detail of the time being noon is that Christ had no fear about being out in the open in mid-day with this Samaritan.  The Samaritans were generally hated by the Jews—as the woman herself put it, “The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9).  And yet Christ had no shame or trepidation to be out in the open at the most conspicuous time of day with this Samaritan.  If the Pharisees back home had found out they would have had a hay day trying to mock Him for such an encounter (and they did once call Him “a Samaritan” as a way of trying to mock Him) with their enemy (John 8:48).  But Christ clearly didn’t care about what other Jews thought—He was willing and ready to teach this woman who thirsted for truth out in the middle of the day for all to see.  So too should we not fear to come to Him and be seen of men as we do so—we must be willing, so to speak, to come Him at noon in broad daylight even if the world watches and taunts us.