A Look At The Samaritan Woman Religion Essay

A Look At The Samaritan Wo world Religion stressIf I was asked to suggest angiotensin-converting enzyme r in allying cry which sums up Johns gospel, it would be the word encounter. The word became flesh and dwelt among us encounter. Look, the Lamb of paragon encounter. John goes on to record mankindy of the people whom deliverer met in the course of His ministry. He constantly drew these people to Himself. He was the answer to the great sacred ineluctably of their deportment. Regardless of who they were, their basic need was to meet with Him, for an encounter with Jesus. In Ch 3 at that fundament is the encounter between Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, and Jesus, the redeemer of the world. And accordingly in stark contrast here in Ch4, the women of Samaria encounters Jesus of Naz arth.Jesus meeting with this woman was at noon. Jesus was utterly weary, physically exhausted. He sat on the wall around Jacobs well. Note in ephemeral that, though deliveryman is the etern al Son of paragon, He was also unfeignedly human, the Word be derive flesh. He knew weariness, desire, sadness, suffering and ultimately death. Two in all and consummate(a) natures in one person. It is a comfort to us to subsist our Saviour is aware of our earthly lot. He is able to understand our needs as well as having the supply of good will to help us in our time of need. It is the grace of Jesus which is the first thing the woman experiences1. The Grace of Jesus is displayedWe learn a great deal astir(predicate) Jesus from His dealings with this woman. The amazing fact is that He took the first ill-treat the initiative was His. He made a simple request throw me a racket. It appears like a simple gesture, still it explodes the age over-the-hill myth that God is distant and remote. In actual fact God is close and immediate, and this is so because He comes. He takes the initiative. What is even more rare in this first century culture was the fact that He wheel spo ke to a woman, and to compound it all, a Samaritan woman at that. Strict hearty and religious rule held sway among Jewish rabbis forbidding them ever to turn to to a woman in the street not even his feature mother would be ack nowadaysledged some of the Pharisees had utter contempt for women, they would periodic thank God that He had not made them a woman.And in particular, Samaritan women the bitter quarrel had gone on for 400 years, the Jews of pure profligate despised the half-breed Samaritans who were heretics. Orthodox Jews travelling from Judea north to Galilee where Jesus had big(a) up went a round more or less way to avoid going the adopt route by dint of Samaria, even though it doubled their journey from deuce-ace to six days. Even if a shadow of a Samaritan fell on an orthodox Jew, he was considered unclean. If a Jew did take the short cut done Samaria on his way to Jerusalem, the Samaritans would not sell him necessities of bread and weewee. There was common loathing and distrust. that theres more. Not yet was she a woman, not only was she a Samaritan woman, hardly also she was sexually immoral and promiscuous. She had had five husbands, and the man she was brio with now was not even one of them. A bidey in. No wonder she was at the well at noon instead of the unexceptional evening hour for drawing pissing. She wanted to avoid knowing looks and neat tongues of other women who would despise her.Yet despite all that, Jesus shows perfect courtesy and grace in asking her a favour. He knew all about her. If no one else in the world cared for her, He did, and He longed for her to know the peace and manner He alone could give her. And to plant things right up to date, the reality is that He has the same sympathy for us in our sins and weaknesses. He longs to offer us His cacoethes and power.He offers her water system of a very different kind from that which hes just asked her for living water that would satisfy her spiritually. Wa ter elsewhere in Johns Gospel is a symbolic repre moveation of new life through the Holy Spirit into the heart through faith in saviour (e.g. John 737-39). The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 414). This water which Jesus gives is so completely satisfying that whoever drinks of it will never be thirsty again.These are words of Jesus that speak very directly to our deepest needs. How many of us, at one time the masks and disguises we wear contain been taken off, can testify to the deep unsated longing within our souls? How often when people talk about the alter that Jesus has made in their lives do they speak of emptiness and dissatisfaction that was there before? How they tried everything to meet that need, but all in ineffectual till they came to deliverer. Augustine said, Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are wide awake till they find their rest in Thee. There was an old striving which summed up the differen ce that Jesus makesNow none but Christ can satisfy.There is none other name for me.Theres love and life and lasting joy,Lord Jesus, found in TheeThis is what Jesus is trying to get hold of across to her. I can supply you spiritual needs, you spiritual thirst and longing by offering you water which will spring up within you the life that Jesus gives is no tame or dead(a) thing. It is abundant life, life in all its panopticness, that sparkles, thrills and satisfies. This is the wonder of knowing Christ and the great blessings imparted by Him. If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink (John 737), says Jesus on another occasion. In Jesus they will be well supplied by an ever-flowing stream, which never runs dry.YachtingUnlike the world, Christ offers a real and lasting satisfaction. If we drink at the worlds fountains, we are satisfied for an hour. If we drink at Christs fountain, we have perpetual satisfaction. It is not dependent on stroke or prosperity, fear or joy. This well keeps springing up, and it is all a bump fall in.2. The need for Jesus is awakened precisely we notice from Johns account that at first the woman misunderstood Jesus. She took Him literally, and replied that he did not have a bucket. The well was in fact 100 feet deep. Nicodemus had made the same slue in taking Jesus literally (How can a man enter his mothers womb for a second time and be born(p) again?). In both cases, Jesus was speaking of spiritual things.But it begins to awaken a sense of need in the woman. To show her how more than she needed this new spiritual life He was offering He cast offs His finger on the weakness, failures and sin in her life things that deep crush she was aware of, but probably had never openly admitted to anyone before. She admitted to Him her current living arrangements. He knew her private life perfectly. He knew she had broken the seventh commandment. And now she knew it too. He didnt accuse, nor did he wag his finger or confront her with her sin. He simply touches her conscience, and encourages her to name her own sin. And then she reacts. Shes suddenly faced with herself as she is, as God sees her, and she wants to change, she longs for this new life, a better life the full life, the clean life. Shes had enough of the wagging tongues and turned moxies. She longs to belong, to be part of her community once again.We never really see ourselves until we are in Jesus presence. The Christian experience begins with a sense of sin. We are awakened to ourselves, our need of God, of forgiveness and cleansing and life. Not till we see the beauty of Christ do we understand the ugliness of our lives.But now shes feeling uncomfortable. She tries to change the subject, but what a mistake. She enters into theological discussion with the Son of God. If Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel was out of his depth, what go for had she? But it was just a diversion. She entered an argument about the right place of worship. She hoped t o divert from Jesus pointing out of her sin by showing Him she did have enough of religion to get by. Its almost as though shes saying, well, I go to church, and at least I go to the right one we Samaritans worship in the right place. But Jesus reply pulls her back to His point. It does not matter where you worship, as long as you worship in spirit and in truth. Right back to the basic issues, its not about the forms of religious observance, its not about which church you go to or not, its the submit of your heart that matters. Religion is not about outward forms and ceremonies. Jesus looks at the heart, the state of the inner life.Yet still today people love an argument how to interpret the creation stories in Genesis 1, where did Cains wife come from, (literalism,) what hymn book should we use, how should the church be governed, what form of baptism, should we use engraft prayers or free prayer. These are not the real issues. The query in the forefront ought to be what is th e state of my heart? Am I right with God? Do I have new life in Christ Jesus? Ultimately have you accepted the gift that Jesus offers new and abundant life?3. The gift of Jesus is genuineIt gradually dawns on the woman that she was in the presence of no ordinary person. He knew her private life and secrets. He knew all about God and His worship. And then He reveals He is the promised Saviour and Messiah that the Samaritans, like the Jews, were waiting for. He presents Himself directly as the answer to the womans problem. He is the One sent by God to be the Saviour of the world, of Jew, Samaritan and Gentile alike.How ready Christ is to reveal Himself to the soul of sinners. I am the one you are feel for.Paul SwinsonWhat is it you are flavor for? The real question is, Who are you looking for? What is the state of your inner life tonight? Behind the faade, is there loneliness, emptiness, inadequacy, and ache? Are you in search of satisfaction? Have you tried everything but still feel the same? Jesus reaches out in his grace to you tonight. He wants to awaken that need of Him in you tonight, and offers you the gift of life, which will blab up within you like living water. Yes He must put His finger on the sin that has to be forsaken and forgiven. Sin has to be brought to the surface. But his desire is not to condemn you, he doesnt want to reproach you, He simply longs to save you, and satisfy the deepest longing of your heart.Hear His voice and reply to His invitation If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.