Jesus has been talking in general (whoever drinks of this water), but now he gets personal. “Go and get your husband.” She is quick to respond, “I have no husband.” Now Jesus lays open her heart. “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly”(John 4:17-18)
In this one conversation we see reflected Hebrews 4:13. “And there is no creature hidden from his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
God already knows our heart, our motives, and our intentions. He makes it clear there is no need to try to hide from him. It would be a waste of valuable time. Better to be honest with ourselves and quickly confess our need for a savior.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
No Bucket
No one likes arrogance. We are not naturally drawn to those who make themselves out to be something they are not. We avoid them and may be guilty of making fun of them behind their backs. So it is no wonder the woman at the well was skeptical. She saw a man with no bucket offering to give her water from a deep well (John 4:11). “Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well…?” (John 4:12). In our language, “Do you plan to make water out of thin air?”
Jesus doesn’t bat an eye. “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting” (John 4:13-14).
We can almost hear the sarcasm in her voice. “O.k.” Give me this water so that I may not thirst nor come here to draw.” She doesn’t understand him, but he has her attention.
Has God said something to you that you can’t make heads or tails of yet? Hold steady. Wait until he speaks again. He will eventually make it clear.
Jesus doesn’t bat an eye. “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting” (John 4:13-14).
We can almost hear the sarcasm in her voice. “O.k.” Give me this water so that I may not thirst nor come here to draw.” She doesn’t understand him, but he has her attention.
Has God said something to you that you can’t make heads or tails of yet? Hold steady. Wait until he speaks again. He will eventually make it clear.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Get Out of Jail Free
Jesus began his conversation with the woman at the well by asking her for a drink of water. He has her attention because he is breaking all the social rules by talking to a Samaritan, much less a woman (John 4:9 ,27). When she asks him why he is speaking to her, he does not answer her question, but brings up an entirely different topic.
“If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).
Many people in America ask the same question the woman did. They put it this way. “Why do you Christians push your religion on other nations? Christianity is a European religion.” Not only does their question show their ignorance that Christianity is Jewish, but if they truly understood the gift Christ offers, culture and ethnicity would mean nothing to them.
If I was in prison and someone offered to set me free, I would not care where they came from.
“If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).
Many people in America ask the same question the woman did. They put it this way. “Why do you Christians push your religion on other nations? Christianity is a European religion.” Not only does their question show their ignorance that Christianity is Jewish, but if they truly understood the gift Christ offers, culture and ethnicity would mean nothing to them.
If I was in prison and someone offered to set me free, I would not care where they came from.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Queen of England
Every chicken coop has its pecking order. The rooster is at the top. Then the hens come in order from the strongest to the weakest. This chain of command is observed from kindergarten through high school students; from local office politics to Corporate America, and extends from nation against nation.
In Jesus’ time the order began with the high priests, then the Jewish male, followed by the Jewish female, then somewhere near the bottom were the Samaritan males. The Samaritan women fell somewhere near or beneath male slaves
So the woman at the well in the Hebrew culture was among the most despised of human beings. Not only was she a Samaritan woman, she was a woman of poor reputation, demonstrated by the odd hour she came to the well and the number of men in her life. Yet Jesus went out of his way to bring her the gift of life (John 4).
God does not pay attention to human hierarchy. You are as important to him as the Queen of England or the President of the United States.
In Jesus’ time the order began with the high priests, then the Jewish male, followed by the Jewish female, then somewhere near the bottom were the Samaritan males. The Samaritan women fell somewhere near or beneath male slaves
So the woman at the well in the Hebrew culture was among the most despised of human beings. Not only was she a Samaritan woman, she was a woman of poor reputation, demonstrated by the odd hour she came to the well and the number of men in her life. Yet Jesus went out of his way to bring her the gift of life (John 4).
God does not pay attention to human hierarchy. You are as important to him as the Queen of England or the President of the United States.
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