John 4:1-26
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that He was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4 Now he had to go through Samaria.5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks the 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.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17 “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.18 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.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.23 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.24 God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am He.”
John 4:1-26 JESUS CARES
Springford Baptist Church: July 23,2023.
A young girl is wanting to offer friendship to someone who is usually not included with the more popular crowd. She knows that if she does this, she too may be excluded. This awareness follows us all through our lives. What will guide the decisions we make about our associations with other people?
I wonder if we realize how influenced we are by the attitudes, expectations, and assumptions of those around us?
As we continue to ask this vital question that directs the living of our faith, “What would Jesus do”? we have another real life example provided in Scripture.
Here in John 4, we can witness how Jesus responded to someone whom others would judge and criticize.
Jesus cared more about this woman whom He met at the well than about long standing human disputes or how other people would view Him for talking with her.
Notice in John 4:4, “Jesus had to go through Samaria”. Jesus chose to travel this way not because of geography, but because He knew this was part of his mission to spend time with this woman.
Jesus cared about this woman and her having opportunity to receive the living water that only Jesus the Messiah could provide.
When Jesus comes to Jacob’s well, He is the one to initiate conversation with this Samaritan woman who comes to the well.
He asks her, “Will you give me a drink”? (John 4:7)
This Samaritan woman is surprised by this. She is well aware of the fact that the Jews and Samaritans do not associate with each other. (John 4:9)
This is clearly an example of racism. The issue of racism is insidious and persists unless challenged.
If people keep holding on to a decision not to have anything to do with people who are not like them, then opportunities to do what Jesus would do are missed.
If we keep holding on to a decision not to have anything to do with people who are not like us, then opportunities to do what Jesus would do are missed.
As the conversation continues, we can recognize that Jesus is doing more than just talking with this Samaritan woman. He genuinely cares about her.
Jesus says, “If you knew the gift of God and Who it is Who asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)
Jesus had come through Samaria just to talk with this woman and for her to receive the gift of God which is eternal life.
He took time with this woman and dismissed human hangups because He cared about this woman receiving the living water that only Jesus can provide.
People can see through motivations.
If a politician only shows interest in someone because of votes in an election, that is a shallow interest.
If we only show interest in someone because we think that is what we should do as Christians, that too is shallow.
If we are going to do what Jesus would do, then our hearts must match our actions. Yes, our hearts must match our actions.
Think about the small boy who has pushed his sister because something she did made him angry. He is told that he must apologize and say that he is sorry. He protests, “But I’m not sorry that I pushed her.”
Unless what we say and do matches what our hearts feel, then we are not acting as Jesus would.
God can change our hearts to be hearts that care as Jesus cared and God can give us hearts that really do have remorse for something that we have done that has hurt another person.
Jesus makes what God has to offer appealing. Hear Him say to this woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks the 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.” (John 4:13,14)
Jesus wants this woman to receive this extraordinary gift of God’s best for her.
This will be an indication of us doing what Jesus would do, if we want people to know God and His everlasting love for them.
This will only happen if we care about people as Jesus cares about them.
Notice also that Jesus is well aware of this woman and her past. He says to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.18 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.” (John 4:17b, 18)
The choices that this woman has made do not affect or diminish Jesus’ caring regard for this woman.
Jesus does not look down on this woman as others around her would have done.
There were several human reasons that would have prevented this conversation between Jesus and this Samaritan woman from even happening.
Jesus’ care and compassion for this woman has greater influence than any human prejudice or judgment.
When we find ourselves reluctant to associate with or build relationships with certain people, we can sincerely ask the question, “What would Jesus do”?
Jesus always chose to walk the path of love.
When Jesus knew that He had to go through Samaria, He did not protest because He also knew that this could be the opportunity for this woman and others in her village to encounter God’s love through Him.
Know that we all live in a world where people are parched with thirst for the living water that only God can provide.
It can be God at work in us when we ask, “What would Jesus do”? that can result in people whom others reject, discovering God’s acceptance and love for them.
When we have known God’s acceptance and love regardless of what we have done, then we can choose to offer that same acceptance and love to anyone.
Jesus was willing to go out of his way to demonstrate that He cared. Are we willing to do this too?