Musing on the Book of John

by Connie Hecker

Sharing Jesus and How to Do My Part

“I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 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.”

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

JOHN 4:17-30 (NIV)

JESUS MET ONE STRATEGIC GOD-ORDAINED OPPORTUNITY, AND THE TOWN WAS REACHED.

Sharing Jesus

When a Jewish prophet shows up in her small town, the woman recognizes her own deep spiritual need. What is the first question that comes to the mind of this hurting woman, kept oppressed in shame by both her culture and His? She asks about the worship of God! (v 20). Her heart desires to worship God in the right way, to honor Him in the midst of her difficult life. Not only is she an outcast in her little town, but her little town is outcast from their Jewish cousins, who tell them they do not worship in the right place. They do not go to the right church. They live with judgment from other worshipers who say that they are doing it the wrong way. One does not ask this question if it does not burn in their heart to honor God properly. Jesus saw into her heart, and she opened up to Him with this question. “Why? I don’t understand! Why?”

Jesus’ answer reaches across cultures and time and holds us all accountable. Where is the proper place to worship? What is the right church to attend? Wrong question. It’s not where but how! (v.23-24). God the Father is worshipable in two ways together—in spirit and in truth. Worshipers are sought after by the Father. He seeks those who will honor Him in truth and in the spirit.

She jumps to a new question, a truth question, about the coming Messiah. And to a foreign woman, a sinful woman, a town prostitute and kept woman, Jesus speaks truth directly, clearly, with no parables, no shrouding nor softening, but in declaratory language. “I am He.” “I, who speak to you, am He.” “I, the Creator, the Savior of all mankind, the face of God Himself, who forgives sinners and makes all things new, I Am He!” (v26).

Jesus waited for her question to come. He waited for her to speak her heart to Him before He revealed Himself to her. This is the first moment in John’s gospel where Jesus spoke so clearly and directly about who He is. Not in His own hometown, nor in His own capital city, nor to the religious leader, but rather He first shares this with a Samaritan woman. Two loaded adjectives/nouns: “Samaritan” and “woman.” Understand this as the least of the least.

Jesus gives us an example of how we are to walk by revealing Himself first to the Jews, then to the Samaritans, and then to the ends of the earth. By reaching the least of these, Jesus reached a city, a nation, the world. He did not go to the leaders, to the rich, but to those whose hearts were most needy and ready to receive Him.

• Where do I go with the message of the Spirit and of truth?

• Am I walking and living by the Spirit and by truth?

• Am I focused on Jesus, on THE FATHER, and do I worship Him in and with my spirit? Aware of truth?

• Am I focused on my sinfulness contrasted to His holiness, thus humble in my questions to Him with a heart of praise? A heart to obey? A heart to spread joy?

Lord, let me learn the lessons from, to, and for a prostitute, from, to, and for an abused woman, and from, to, and for a sinner.

Am I worshiping in spirit to the Holy Spirit and in truth? Jesus revealed Himself first to the religious leader who sought truth—Nicodemus, and now, for the second time, He reveals Himself, this time to the Samaritan woman. His next reveal is to the ends of the earth, just as we are commissioned at His ascension.

Jesus’ disciples return and “marvel” at seeing Him talking to such a person. Yet they do not question it; they instead accept it as a new lesson, a moment such as we might have when we are confronted with His example and respond with the amazed thought, You mean in this too, Lord? Wow, I never would have guessed!

JESUS GIVES US AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE ARE TO WALK.

What better way did Jesus have to reach the sinners in need in this town than through the woman they all knew so well? What better voice of hope than the one of their mutual abuses? They came, believing something must be true, not sure what, but knowing that if SHE, of all people, had hope, there was hope for them also. It was the authority of Jesus that changed their hearts. Jesus met one strategic God-ordained opportunity, and the town was reached.

How to Do My Part

• Do I seek Jesus as these Samaritans did?

• Do I accept His forgiveness to the depth of sin in the crevasses of my soul and memories?

Let me turn my all to Him, consistently trusting His love and mercy to forgive and set me free for His purpose. Let me do my small part to bring all humanity to the saving knowledge of Jesus. The greatest thing I can do is to bring others into His presence, where He will work in their hearts. Jesus saves. I serve Him. All praise, glory, and honor to my King!

Connie Hecker, MFA, is a Scenic Designer recently retired from teaching at Liberty University. She is mom, stepmom, and grandmother. 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” was as a professor. Now, she is looking forward to what God has in store as her “fourth”.