Emma and I often walk outside. While out there, we run. We jump. We test all sorts of possibilities.
Emma gets really excited. She especially likes me to jump. And it was really cute the other day when she asked me to jump down a couple of stairs (a big deal to her). Actually, she commanded me: "Jump, daddy!" I jumped. And Emma said, "Good job, daddy! Yay!" She clapped for me.
I love her excitement about things that to me are no big deal!
Now that the Samaritan woman has recognized her need for Jesus, or at least for the living water He offers, Jesus begins to lead her toward His living water. He leads her toward living water by telling her to go and return with her husband. And the Samaritan woman responds that she has no husband.
Everything seems normal. Why shouldn't a woman be free to tell someone that she has no husband?
Jesus takes advantage of the occasion to lead her to confession. He firmly agrees with her. But having no husband is not the same thing as being pure. Jesus recounts to the woman her life: "For you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband."
Jesus is the Word, the light of the world. He knows all things, and they will be revealed. We have already seen that men prefer to remain hidden rather than to come into the light (John 3:19-20). This Samaritan woman did not want Jesus to know all that she had sinfully done in her life. But He knew anyways. Her deeds were exposed anyways. Jesus came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). She tried to give Jesus partial truth, but He is full of truth and exposed the shameful sins behind her factual words.
I must remember that Jesus knows me. He knows my thoughts. He knows my past actions. I cannot deceive Him, for He is full of truth. I cannot hide from Him. Even if I fear the exposure of my sins, I can have hope when I confess them to Him. He is the one who brings living water. And the living water He brings is so valuable that confessing my sins and sinfulness in exchange for His living water is a deal! Father, may I walk in the truth. May I not hide my sins from You. Reveal to me repeatedly that You know me intimately, and encourage me repeatedly with the reminder that You chose to associate with me anyways. Thank You. Thank You for reaching out to me. Thank You for exposing my sins, and for sending Jesus Christ to give me life and free me from sin and death. May I remember that I live always and only by Your grace.
So yesterday I forgot to vote for
I wonder how many people forgot to vote yesterday. I wonder whether it would have made a difference... and in what ways.
Yesterday I found that Jesus was humble, willing to associate with a Samaritan woman in normal matters of everyday life. This astonished the woman, who wanted to understand why a Jew would associate with a Samaritan woman.
Jesus' response both does and does not answer her question. He does not come out and say, "This Jew is willing to associate with you because He is the Son of God who has come to offer all men eternal life." But He does say that the problem is her understanding of Him. If she knew the gift of God (Jesus) and who it was that wanted a drink (Jesus), she would have approached Him – even though she was a Samaritan woman and He was a Jew – to ask for living water. The value of Jesus is so great that all nations should pursue Him. Remember, in Jesus is life, the light of men. He is glorious, full of grace and truth, which He is displaying just by approaching this Samaritan woman.
None of us would have known what Jesus meant by "living water," and neither did the Samaritan woman. She shows her ignorance, but also her openness to learning, by her response. Essentially, Jesus has no tools with Him for drawing water from wells, so how can He provide her with water at all, living or otherwise? She goes on to ask more about Jesus Himself: "Are you greater than Jacob?"
Again, Jesus answers her questions in an indirect manner. Yes, He is greater than Jacob. Jacob provided a well of water that leaves one thirsty again, but Jesus provides a water that completely satisfies those who drink it and produces eternal life.
The woman recognizes that she needs this kind of water. She obviously still does not understand completely, based on her response, but who would have a total grasp of what Jesus was saying? She says to Him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
Ironically, the Samaritan woman is still wanting to meet the wrong need. If Jesus had a kind of water that left people without physical thirst, why would He have told her to give Him water in the first place? If He had that kind of water, He wouldn't be physically thristy Himself. Still, Jesus has made it clear to the woman that what He is offering is of great value. She wants it. She needs it.
Isn't that the point? Even though so many of us don't initially understand all that Jesus says to us, don't we have to recognize that we need whatever it is that He has for us? John has made it so clear that we need Jesus. In the first chapter, we found that Jesus brings life, glory, grace and truth. And since then, we continue to see His value. He is the Son of God. The ruler of Creation. The One who brings testimony from above so that we can receive blessings from above. The One who knows that He will die and rise again for us. The One intended to receive glory, the One to whom Heaven is giving a bride. And now again, we find that He offers living, completely satisfying water – eternal life! Even if I didn't believe all this, I would want to! I would want to believe that there actually was such a person who had everything under control, who offered such hope, who offered such goodness and life! We can believe! Jesus has come, and He is the person we wish for! It is not just wishful thinking that leads us to look forward to righteousness, peace, and perfection. It is Jesus, the Son of God, who came to earth as a man. He is the foundation for our hope. It is right to need Him. We would be crazy to deny our need for Him.
I am making a deliberate effort to remember that everything matters. Everything is significant. Perhaps not to whoever reads this. But to God. And therefore, things that I sometimes don't want to post for fear that they would be trivial ought to be things I consider and reflect on. Since considering and reflecting on life is the reason I started this blog, I intend to make a renewed effort at posting things besides my devotions. Devotions are easiest because I am already at the computer, already journaling. And also because they seem more significant sometimes than the rest of life. But God views our lives as a whole. When I get to heaven, my devotional times will not be all that mattered. So I shouldn't act now like they're all that matters. I intend to keep posting devotions. But I hope to post more.
We'll see.
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman – 1
By God's grace, I get to spend time in His Word. You would think that I would get plenty of time in His Word, being a seminary student. But seminary really only provides for plenty of time flipping through God's Word finding texts to prove your arguments. Time actually in God's Word, where I listen to Him, is precious. And by the way that I have to break up the story of the Samaritan woman, it is clear that this time is also limited.
Jesus was heading back to
The first topic in this conversation was simply that the woman was surprised by Jesus' willingness to receive a drink from her. She said, "How are you (a Jew) asking for a drink from me (a Samaritan woman)?" It was the custom for Jews not to associate with Samaritans.
But apparently this was a custom Jesus was willing to circumvent. We can argue that He did so knowing that His conversation would change this woman's life forever, and also the lives of many in her town. But the conversation started simply. Jesus asked her for a drink. He had been traveling. He was tired. He must have been thirsty, and He was sitting right next to a well. She was there to draw water. So He asked for a drink. At face value, Jesus broke a Jewish custom of hatred just for a drink of water. He was not above receiving help from a Samaritan.
How often do I refuse to receive help from others simply because I would rather not associate with them? Probably not that often. But still, I know my heart's inclination to avoid certain types of people. And my reasons are not as theologically grounded as the Jews reasons were for avoiding the Samaritans. In this case, simply being willing to associate with a Samaritan woman led to a meaningful ministry in her community.
Father, continue to break down my resistance to certain kinds of people. I would list them here, but you know who they are and I don't really want to offend anyone. The point is, even if I avoid them because I think of them as sinners, Jesus came to save sinners. And I am a sinner. Jesus has saved me, and I still struggle with my heart's desires to go against His leading. You have had mercy on me, even though You are perfect. Help me to have mercy on others, since I can identify with their imperfections. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for showing me what love looks like through Jesus Christ. Help me to love like You do.
Before Emma's nap, I was reading to her. She chose two books and gave me one, "reading" the other for herself. I still read mine out loud.
The book included the word "hat." When Emma heard me say "hat," she burst out laughing. Don't ask me why. She just did. And she kept going. She would say, "Hat!" and then laugh some more. And she wanted me to say, "Hat!" too. Every time I did she kept laughing hilariously.
Kids are amazing!
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