Skip to main content

54. HER?


Isaiah 55:1-5, John 4:1-30
Key verse: "Come see a man who told me everything I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"
John 4:29

He knew it all, and yet He talked with her.  He knew of her reputation, yet He asked her to serve Him.  He knew of her marriages, the adultery.  He knew that her, being seen with yet another man, and that one a Jew, might start the tongues of gossip wagging anew with fresh tidbits of delight.  Isn't that why she was at the well in the middle of the day in the first place, instead the usual morning time, to avoid such chatter?  Yet, He pursued her, the half breed Samaritan woman, because He knew that she needed what He had to offer and He loved her and had come for even the likes of "HER!". 

He was not concerned about His reputation if He were seen with her.  He wasn't impressed with the foolish divisions that humanity is so good at creating.  He had created her and He loved her, and now He was calling out to her soul. 

"Indeed, the water I give will become, in you, a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (4:14B)
At first, the woman was practical.  Could it be true that she might never have to come to this well again and face the people of the village?  Then, Jesus addresses the source of her shame, not to condemn her, but to let her know that He knows and He understands. 

Next, this woman is concerned about barriers.  Jews considered Samaritans to be only half Jewish and the other half was Gentile.  This came from the fall of the ten northern tribes of Israel seven centuries earlier, into Assyrian hands, because these tribes had wandered away from worship of the one true God. 

Jesus assures her, however, that the time has come for barriers to be removed.  The barriers will come down as people learn to worship God the way He was meant to be worshiped.  "God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (4:24) There are no divisions in the Holy Spirit.  As we will see in later events, Jesus believed that the Jews had much to learn about worship as well.  They weren't right either. 

"Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.  Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live." (Isaiah 55:2B-3A) As we worship, and our souls are nourished by Him, our petty differences fall away, and, like the woman at the well, we can be satisfied.  For He knows us all, for He has created us, yet He loves us and cares for our souls.  This woman found an openness and acceptance from Jesus that she may have never known before, not even from her own towns people.  He was not put off by her sin.  That doesn't mean that He approved of her lifestyle or ignored it.  He demonstrated to her that He was very aware of who she was and how she was living, but just by acknowledging her, talking with her and even requesting some water from her, He also demonstrated that she had worth in His eyes.  By doing so, she was ready and willing to listen to Him. 

Prayer: Lord, may I be of Your Mind toward the outcasts in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Hymn: "Fill My Cup Lord"
& "All Who Are Thirsty" by Kutless

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

211. The Sons of Thunder's Request

Matthew 20:20-28 , Mark 10:35-45 , Key verse: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43B-44 In our readings for yesterday, in which Jesus outlined what was about to happen to Him, for His disciples, the passage in Luke ends: "The disciples did not understand any of this. It's meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about." ( Luke 18:34 ) Now, we see just how truly clueless they were. Jesus had laid out a plan before them of pain and suffering and death and now James and John are focused on a promotion. The disconnect is so obvious. It's really not important to know whether James and john came up with this request on their own or if their mother put them up to it. The request was made and James and John thought that they could handle the responsibility that would come with it. What is that saying, "Fools rush in where angels fe...
Post a Comment
Read more

204. Come Like a Child

Psalm 127 , Matthew 19:13-15 , Luke 18:15-17 , Mark 10:13-16 Key Verse: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 The attitude of the disciples isn't much different than the attitude of many people, even Christians, today. Instead of seeing children as a blessing from the Lord, too many regard them as a burden to bear that gets in the way of our own selfish happiness. Family size is determined by what we think we can afford rather than openness to God's blessing, trusting God to provide. Satan hates children. Children represent innocence. The sooner he can corrupt and or damage a child, the happier he is. This is why Jesus warned in Matthew 18:6: "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drown in the depths of the sea." To corrupt or damage ...
Post a Comment
Read more

174. Pleading for the Fig Tree

Proverbs 27:18 , Luke 13:6-9 Key Verse: He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored. Proverbs 27:18 We have here three main characters: a master, who acquired the tree in hopes of eventually enjoying its fruit, a servant, who looks to the tree to reflect his care and attention, and lastly, the tree itself. The master has the right to expect his investment to pay off. The servant, who has obviously put much effort into the tree, would also like to see fruit. The servant's interest is not only to show his own talent in gardening, but because he wants to please his master. Both the servant and the master are dependent upon the tree to do what it was designed to do. Their little parable is an interesting way for Jesus to finish off His exhortation to, "repent or perish."  God is the Master. He had a purpose for you before you were even born. ( Jeremiah 1:5 & Psalm 139:16 ) He planted you on this earth to ful...
Post a Comment
Read more