40 Days of John
Day 6: John 4:1-42
Jesus as this point in His ministry is making quite the name, not for Himself, but for God, His Father (also our Father) everywhere He goes. The important religious officials seem to be getting more and more uneasy about the attention He is drawing. And so, our story today begins by telling us, Jesus stays on the move. He goes from Judea to Galilee.
And a side note that comes to mind is this...God's love today is like that too. It's on the move in you and me.
But back to the story...It's quite the walk, and so, Jesus goes off the beaten path and makes a purposeful pit stop at Jacob's well in Samaria, where He has a very personal conversation with a Samaritan woman.
As the story goes, this is sketchy scene that unfolds during Jesus' time. You know, it wasn't exactly the cultural norm, conventional wisdom, or proper for Jesus, a respected Jewish man (our Messiah) to be where He was...meeting a Samaritan woman in the middle of the day at the well.
And because of this, I love every bit of this story. I think it says so much about our awesome God. Can you see it?
God comes to us, too, often in the places we'd least expect, in the margins of this world, in the tension, and in the places that are often overlooked.
And as this woman spends time with Jesus, she comes to understand how awesome this is. Even though, at first the woman only sees what's right in front of her, not really understanding fully what Jesus means, Jesus keeps talking to the Samaritan woman, until she realizes who He is.
"Everyone who drinks this water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life...
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth...
I, the one speaking to you--I am he."
Jesus doesn't care who society says we are. He knows who we really are, created by God and loved by Him. I need help remembering that, and I know I need to help others remember that.
As a result of this encounter with Jesus, John tells us the Samaritan woman leaves her water jar behind. She brings others to meet Jesus. What do you think that tells us, as we come to know who Jesus is, as we learn about Him, and make the effort to talk to Him?
A prayer for today-
Dear God,
Thank You for Jesus who helps us to see and know that You love us, that You created us in Your image, and that you meet us wherever we are.
Forgive me for all the ways I forget that I am so loved and that I need to see and talk to others through the lens of Your awesome love. Help me remember that all of us are thirsty for Your love, Lord.
I pray especially today for ________________________, who just needs to know that You care, and that You really are alive and at work, working all things for good.
I love You, Lord, and I praise You.
In Jesus Jesus name I pray,
Amen
Peace of Christ,
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