John 4:15-26
Hide and go seek is a game that we have all played from long
before we can remember. As babies we
were under the impression that if we but our hands over our eyes that we
somehow became invisible and perfectly hidden from our “seeker.” As we got older our hiding techniques became
more sophisticated and elaborate. The
ironic part about this game is that the best part for both sides is when the
seeker finds the hider. Hiding can be
very boring. Seeking can be frustrating. Finding and being found is the climax of the
game. In many ways life is like hide and
go seek. We are often under the
impression that our sins are hidden from God when, in reality, our lives are
constantly on full display before Him.
As we grow older we try more sophisticated means of hiding from God but
they are never effective. We keep “hiding”
and God keeps “seeking” but the highlight of our lives is when He “finds” us
and we are restored to a right relationship with Him through Jesus. The Samaritan woman was under the impression that
her life was a secret and as long as she held on to that belief she was
miserable. Once she recognized who Jesus
was and what Jesus knew about her; she began to experience the joy of being reconciled
to God. As we continue to look at the narrative
about the woman of Samaria, we get a glimpse of what Jesus came to do in this
world and in our lives.
JESUS CAME TO REVEAL OUR WORKS: The Samaritan woman’s confusion
about “living water” led Jesus to use a completely different strategy. He instructs her to go call her husband and come
back to continue the conversation. She
seems to think that Jesus is putting her off so she comes back with the
response that she doesn’t have a husband.
In reality, Jesus is setting her up so that He can begin to reveal to
her who He is so she can understand exactly what He is offering to her. His response to her cuts to the heart of the
matter and makes her realize that her sins are fully exposed to Jesus. Jesus tells her that she is correct in saying
that she has no husband but then goes on to say that she has had five husbands
in the past but that the man she was now involved with was not her
husband. Suddenly she sees that this
complete stranger knows all about her sinful past and present. This realization is vital to the process of
her salvation. As long as we are under
the false impression that our sins are either non-existent or unknown, we will
continue to “hide” from God. Once we
recognize the fact that our sinfulness is known by God it sets us on a path
that leads to salvation. Some of our
sins are sins of ignorance while others are sins of willful rebellion. No matter what type of sin to which we are
enslaved, the first step to freedom is always recognition. We all naturally think that our actions are
justified. Once Jesus reveals the
sinfulness of our works; there is hope for our salvation.
JESUS CAME TO RESTORE OUR WORSHIP: Once the Samaritan woman
realizes that Jesus knows all about her sin; she tries to start up a theological
debate between the teachings of her people and the teachings of the Jews. She is uncomfortable talking about her sin so
she starts talking about theology because she thinks that will be less
invasive. Once again she is
mistaken. She brings up a debate that
raged between the Samaritan’s and the Jews over where was the proper place to
worship. Jews said that worship was limited to the city of Jerusalem. The Samaritan’s said that people were free to
worship on the sacred mountains that surrounded them in whatever way was
meaningful to them. This debate between
legalism and liberty in worship continues to rage all through the centuries. Jesus came to restore genuine worship in our
relationship with God. Jesus makes it
perfectly clear that true worship is not about a place nor is it about the
freedom to worship in any way we want.
The Jews were all concerned about the physical place of worship when God
is Spirit and not tied to any specific place.
The Samaritans were all about feeling good with very little concern
about what might be right or wrong; but God is truth. Worshiping places or objects and false worship
are both forms of idolatry. Jesus came
to restore our worship of God in Spirit and truth. Worship is not going through the motions of
singing, praying and listing to a preacher at church. Worship is not a special feeling we get when
we are out on a nature walk and observe the beauty of creation. Worship is recognizing the truth about who
God is and falling down before Him because we recognize our own sinfulness in
the light of His holiness. Worship is
rejoicing in the truth of His Word and living in light of that truth. Worship is a constant mindset that we are
always in the presence of God. Worship
is depending on the power of the Spirit to free us from sin and the power of
the Son to forgive us of sin. The
Samaritan woman makes an illusion to Messiah so Jesus cuts to the heart of the
issue and reveals to her that He is the Messiah. The restoration of our worship of God in Spirit
and truth is completely tied up in recognizing that Jesus is the Son of God.
APPLICATION: Don’t try to hide our sins from God. We must confess our sins and by His grace and
strength turn from sin to trust Christ.
Don’t try to avoid the confrontation of our own sin by concentrating on
theological debates. Don’t relegate
worship to a ritual we perform at church or to a feeling in our hearts. Worship God constantly and consciously with a
humble recognition of our sin and His glorious holiness.
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