John 4:1-26 Awkward. Did they really just say that? Is this conversation really happening?
The apostle John is on a mission to show us Jesus. To show us who he is and what he is doing. To show us his strength, wisdom and grace. To show us his beauty; to show us that he is better than anything else we could ever possibly imagine. To show us that we can indeed entrust our lives to him. We can put our lives in his hands.
In this section of his Gospel, John is allowing us to listen in on several of Jesus’ conversations with people just like us. Last week we met Nicodemus, and this week we meet the Samaritan woman at the well. Read John 4:16-18. Put yourself in the place of that woman. Can you believe Jesus just said that? Why would Jesus put his finger on an area so full of shame, disappointment, and failure? Why would he bring up a topic so awkward and painful? Because that is where she needed him the most. That is the barren desert land where she needs living water the most.
The Samaritan woman learned that she could trust Jesus with the most painful and shameful areas of her life. She learned that Jesus rescues her from the inferiority and fear of those areas, and replaces it with joy and abundance. Jesus is that good and we need him that much.
Read John 4:1-26 this weekend. You many not have had five husbands and be currently living with a man who is not your husband, but if you were at the well alone with Jesus what might he say to you? To what dry, dark and dead part of your life is Jesus wanting to bring living water? Jesus stands ready to restore you, to bring you joy and hope and a future.
I cannot wait to worship together. We need it desperately.
Pastor David