John 4:6b-7

...It was about the sixth hour.  When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"

Those who understand the culture of the day point out that there's significance to the fact that the Samaritan woman went to the well at the 6th hour.  In today's terms, that would have been about noon.  Noon in Samaria was hot - definitely not the best time to be lugging heavy jars of water.  In fact, most women chose to go early in the morning or in the cool of the evening.  This woman, however, went in the heat of the day.

Why?  Most likely the answer is found in verse 18.  Jesus tells the woman, "You have had five husbans, and the man you now have is not your husband."  The Samaritan woman had a past.  She was living a lifestyle that made her the target of gossip, shunning, and cruel whispers.  Chances are she purposely went to the well when she did in order to avoid the wagging tongues of the other women.

Gossip is cruel, and yet we women fall prey to it so often.  We love to talk, and the juicier the subject matter, the better.  I'm sure some of the women in this Samaritan town justified their words by saying "well, it's true."  True or not, gossip, slander, and rumors have no place among God's people.  Proverbs 20:19 says, "A gossip betrays a confidence, so avoid anyone who talks too much."

Some 15 years ago or so, I realized that I had a serious problem with gossip.  I asked God for help, and what followed were several of the loneliest years of my life.  I intentionally chose to step away from conversations that turned to gossip.  If I heard something about someone, I didn't run to find another person with whom to share the news.  Extreme?  Yes, but for me, that was what I needed to do to avoid the sin.  It's still an area I struggle with from time to time, but I'm doing much better at thinking before I speak.