Working on:
I. The Walking Minister
The terrain through which Jesus traveled on foot was some of the most difficult on Earth, yet he chose to walk rather than ride an animal. Jesus was in the early part of his ministry. It is recorded that he must go through Samaria.
One can only wonder what might happen if we got out of our car and walked the neighborhood. What kind of people would we meet? Would we have more testimony of God’s grace and guidance. Would we change more lives. Would we in the middle of vulnerability find greater faith in God than we had before? Is it really as dangerous as we imagine to simply trust in God’s protection in the face of the ungodly? We may never know if we don’t go there. By prayer and listening to God’s voice, we can be greater than we are. Remember to save our life is to lose it, but to risk all for Jesus and the gospel is to save it.
Every thing Jesus did was for an example to us, that we might follow Him. Just as God’s word will not return to him void, so the Word of God, Jesus, was sent forth into the world to effect the purpose of God the Father.
We are called from our preconceived notions of right and wrong. Worldly goals will not get us into God’s Heaven. We must walk the Heavenly path the Savior trod. We cannot get here by any design of our own choosing. We must walk the straight and narrow path not the wide and easy way.
Here we are left to wonder why Jesus ’must’ got through Samaria. It could be that Satan presented an obstacle unknown by the disciples or that the road was the only one in that mountainous area. More likely from the narrative, He must go through Samaria for the express purpose of encountering the Samaritan woman. I would like to save the jewel of this encounter for nearer the end of the sermon. It is with real joy that I later share an archeological find of great moment with you to illiuminate this text further.
Jesus left nothing to chance, he was expressing the revealed knowledge of the heavenly Father. There is nothing done by the Father that he does not first show the Son. They are in one accord. Just so, we must be in one accord with God our Father if we hope to ever do His perfect will. The road is not easy that we travel, if it is too easy, we may assume it is not the path God has chosen for us. There were many roads, but some more traveled than others. Some roads are truly dangerous, being populated by bandits, such as fell on the man on the Jericho road. Here it was a Samaritan that saved the day.
Many times I have found myself as have others in locations I felt alone or in potential danger. In the inner city or on a lonely road late at night, loss of life was a real possibility. Events can quickly change as the shipwreck at the end of the book of Acts. The weather changed drastically in a few hours time and resulted in Paul and all on board being at the mercy of God. In these moments we cry out to God and He hears our cry. Circumstances come about and we again and again find that God can handle any need. Our dependence on Him is all we need. Our faith is sure and our spirit renewed with greater faith.
II. A Particular Person
With this Samaritan woman at the well, we begin to truly wonder at the importance of being God’s people. Does He really make a difference between races and nationalities or is Jesus asking to peak the woman’s curiosity. I vote for the latter, for I think Jesus came to reveal the nature of God to mankind in a way heretofore unknown. As God revealed himself to Moses as the great I AM, here the great I AM reveals himself to the Samaritan woman.
He had revealed himself first to the Jew, but Jesus did not belong to the Jew alone. He belonged to the whole world, even you and I. The Samaritans were looked down on by the Jews in Jerusalem as being unworthy of God’s protection. We at times make decisions about other people as to their desirability. But we look at them on the basis of what we see on the outside, where God looks on the heart. Jesus did not see a Samaritan woman he did not know, for as creator, God knows each one of us.
A story is told that Michalangelo painted the Last Supper as a fresco in plaster. To get the model for Jesus he searched many places and finally found the perfect person to be his model. Of course with other paintings it took many months to paint each of the twelve disciples. Finally, the painter came to Judas. He wanted to find the perfect person to depict the wantonness of the traitor who holds the bag of money. He searched the prisons and found the man he thought would be the perfect model. The man he selected said, "Sir, do you not recognize me? I am the same man you painted last year as Christ." Fortune had changed drastically, and the painter failed to recognize the man as the same one he used earlier.
Jesus recognized the woman at the well, for he was her creator. But as often is the case, she did not recognize him and only acknowledged who he was after he told her much that only God could know. We can hide who we are from our friends and family, but not from God himself. She was so overpowered by his knowledge of her degenerate life, that she became a powerful witness to the truth of who Jesus was. She told all who would listen.
III. The Spiritual Drink
Jesus in the absence of his disciples asked the woman for a drink. She countered that was unusual for a Jew to ask a Samaritan for a drink. He said, if you knew the gift of God and who was asking, you would ask me and I would give you living water.
She then entered into discussion that the wonder was he could provide living water without the means to draw from Jacob’s well. He gave her to understand that the living water did not come from Jacob’s well, but an entirely new source. The living water would be so potent and satisfying that she would never thirst again, but be completely satisfied.
Jesus said, call thy husband. She said, I have no husband. Jesus said that is true, for thou hast had five husbands and he whom you live with now is not thy husband. She was immediately aware that he had knwoledge no ordinary man could have, especially since she had never met him before in her life. She recognized nim as a prophet and the discussion changed to spiritual things.
IV. Our Father’s Worship
The ritualistic worship of God is an important part of our life. We like to put God in a box so to speak as if we could understand all there is to know about Him. Our effort is to follow the maxim that if I know where the snake is, I can avoid being bitten. Therefore if I know where God is, I can avoid offending Him. Some seek an understanding of God to please him, while others want to know enough about God to avoid being under his control.
She challenged Jesus with the worship of her people. The interesting thing about her depiction is that there has been found on Mount Gerazim an exact replica of the temple in Jerusalem. The floor plan of the temple in Jerusalem had been lost in antiquity, but it was recorded that a very wealthy Samaritan had made an exact copy of the Jerusalem temple but build it instead in the mountains of Samaria. This is the architectual jewel I told you of earlier. It was not until the twentieth century, that this temple was uncovered and gives extra-biblical evidence of the narrative here in the book of John.
The woman said, "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain. And ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place men ought to worship." Jesus did not here defend the worship of God in Jerusalem, he said, "The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father."
When Jesus went to the cross, the temple worship ceased to be of any importance. The veil was rent from top to bottom, and Jesus himself became our high priest. Jesus said further, "Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in the spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth."
V. Real Worship is From God
We tend to think of worship as something we do for God, but in reality it is something God does for us. Out very nature must be changed to be able to worship God in the way he requires. Only God can change us from being a self-seeker to being a GOD SEEKER. Like King David, our heart must desire God so much that it is our eternal life long quest to know Him better every day.
Daily we must die to the old self and become a new creation in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit must come in and change our every attitude to be like his own. We must put the love of God first and we cannot do that of our own will, but only through letting his will come in and change us completely.
Are you ready to be refreshed each day not with just sunshine, but SON shine? Let Jesus live the resurrected life through you by asking Him to come into your heart and mind daily until there is no room for sin and death in your life. He has the power and the desire if you do.
You may be the same tomorrow as today, but not if God has his way. Won’t you let Him do that for you? The sooner the better.
