MUSINGS ON THE BOOK OF JOHN

Who to Love?

BY CONNIE HECKER

Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. (John 4:1-6 NIV)

The first two verses in this passage are loaded. Now Jesus learned…so He left tells why Jesus changed His location. Jesus and his disciples were doing a lot of good; many people were being healed of diseases, and many were being baptized by Jesus’ men. And yet, Jesus understood that it was time to move on.

(As an aside, John wants us to know it was not Jesus who was baptizing with water. This is because Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, which would come after His earthly work was finished. -Matthew 3:11.)

How do we know when it is time to move, relocate, pull up stakes? Maybe even a deeper question: How do we know when we are to move through “enemy” territory? And how was it that John the Baptist was so willing to make such a drastic change in his own ministry— sending his followers to someone else? In modern application, we might ask how we can discern when it is time to close a business, plan for retirement, or insert your current drastic change question here.

Jesus is aware that the authorities—the Pharisees—are closely monitoring all His activities just as He expected they would. He recognizes their heightened response as the ‘season’ or appropriate time to change locations. Jesus knows the hearts of all men, including the hearts of the Pharisees, and where could He go that the Pharisees would not dare to follow Him? Through Samaria, of course!

Jesus chose not to remain where he was under this heightened surveillance of the man-centered authorities. Jesus, Creator of heaven and earth, now steps into the territory of the ‘canceled’ neighbors, those who were despised by the Jews—the half-siblings, distant, disapproved relatives. Jesus recognizes the time for seeking lost sheep is now here. Taking no heed of Pharisitical disdain, Jesus not only goes to Samaria, but He also ministers to a woman whose lifestyle broke all the rules the Pharisees held so dear. Imagine their reactions when they heard about this one! Perhaps it was something like this: “How dare he? He is a problem rabbi!” “How could he go to such a place? What is he thinking?” Or even, “What in the name of all the books of Moses, the Law and the Prophets, Talmud, and Torah, is he doing?”

Jesus ministered to His personal enemies, and at the same time, He ministered to His cultural enemy. He chose to show love, mercy, and grace to the perceived undeserving while allowing the religious authority to watch and learn.

What can I learn from this? If I am to be like Jesus, then one way I can confront a condemning authority is to move away, gain some distance so I can continue my work while my actions are still visible and I still speak or live a truth others need to hear. By this distance I am able to continue to minister examples of love, healing, and grace. By meeting those needs of others and in following Jesus’ method of recognizing the time to move on, I will confront the stuck authorities in my life with a powerful example of truth about God’s love. Jesus did not have to travel the path He chose. Part of His purpose was to teach the Jews, yet His main purpose was to love the whole world, not just His own people.

Sometimes we need to leave town, a job, or our neighborhood or house in order to do the will of God. In that process, as we follow the example of Christ, we can minister truth, love, mercy, and grace to those who are not “our own kind,” which will speak a new truth into the minds and then the hearts of those who are watching.

If this concept is stirring in your soul, perhaps it is time to ask yourself some questions:

• Is God saying it is time for a change?

• Where is God calling me to go? To what new place, to meet what need?

• Who am I to love while I am here?

• Am I just passing through? If so, how shall I pass by? How can I reflect His love and kindness to all as I pass?

• Will I break taboos and expected behaviors in my travels and instead leave behind a new fragrance of peace, joy, goodness, and mercy?

Pay attention to the Holy Spirit, draw close to the Lord, and learn to recognize the times and seasons in your life. Be ready to accept His promptings, even when they seem to come from ‘unfriendly’ sources. Seek His purpose and ask yourself where He might be leading you and how you will know the close of one season and the beginning of another.

Connie Hecker, MFA, is a Scenic Designer currently teaching at Liberty University. She is mom, stepmom, and grandmother to 13. Her “first career” was in interior and industrial design. Her “second” was as Manager of Operations and Maneuvers (note initials) in her extended family. Her ‘third’ is as a professor. And she looks forward to what God has in store as her “fourth” someday.