John 4:1-30, 39-42 – The Woman at the Well: A Community Transformed
/Lectionary Readings for July 25, 2021 9th Sunday After Pentecost, Year B
2 Samuel 11:1-15 David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba
Psalm 14 v2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.
Ephesians 3:14-21 v16 Father, out of Your honorable and glorious riches, strengthen Your people. Fill their souls with the power of Your Spirit
John 6:1-21 Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
But this week we continue our series exploring the book of John, now with Chapter 4.
Peace through Leadership
“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead, you relax, and float.” ~ Alan Watts
“Like water which can clearly mirror the sky and the trees only so long as its surface is undisturbed, the mind can only reflect the true image of the Self when it is tranquil and wholly relaxed.” ~ Indra Devi
Combining these two quotes reminds us that we cannot grab hold of God’s Spirit, but if we allow ourselves to rest in God’s arms, we will float higher than we can possibly imagine. When we are at such peace with ourselves, we are able to reflect God’s peace to others who seek peace. This week try to connect yourself with God’s Spirit through relaxing, then share that peace by helping someone else relax – if only for a moment.
Any time I preach or lead a group, regardless of age, I start the same way. I’m going to say three short sentences. Please repeat each sentence, with enthusiasm.
God made me. God loves me. God has plans for me.
Preface to Today’s Scripture Reading
You may remember us reading this story last year, so I won’t repeat what I said then. But you can read that message “The Holy Spirit and Sparkling Water” from March 22, 2020 here.
Today’s story contains several striking elements that help us better appreciate the significance of what happens.
First, long story short, the Jews and Samaritans – who were part Jewish in both faith and genetics – did NOT like each other.
Second, Jesus went out of His way to go through Samaria. It was not part of the route Jews would normally take when traveling from Jerusalem north to the Sea of Galilee. Was Jesus hoping to have such an encounter? Was He trying to get his disciples “off the beaten path” to share the Good News with people they would have normally avoided?
Third, unless you’re looking for a spouse, single men NEVER talk with single women at a well. (Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis 24, Jacob and Rachel in Genesis 29, and Moses and Zipporah in Exodus 2:15-21.) Let the snickering and gossiping begin!
Fourth, notice this smart woman understands her faith, understands why Jews would avoid her, and understands her hope for a Messiah, an Appointed One who was to come. She and Jesus share a conversation that is theologically on par with any conversation Jesus had with the well-educated Jewish Pharisees.
Finally, this is a multi-dimensional story of evangelism and transformation – at both the individual and community levels.
As we’ve done before, I encourage you to use the woman’s anonymity as an invitation to put yourself in her shoes. How would you think or feel if you were her? How might you respond to a stranger that seems to know so much about you?
Let’s open our ears, minds, and hearts as we dig into today’s reading.
Read John 4:1-30, 39-42 now and the rest of chapter 4 when you can!
In Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, the second habit he expands upon is, “Begin with the end in mind.” Perhaps that was part of Jesus’ thinking when He began a trip that went straight through hostile territory: Samaria.
Recall how today’s story ends: A woman’s life is transformed with excitement, joy, and hope for her future. This leads to an entire community embracing the Good News of God’s love for them and being transformed as a result.
Why was the community transformed? Because the woman shared her experience with anyone who would listen.
Was she a trained evangelist? Not at all.
Did she first complete a series of classes to make sure her theology was in line with all of Jesus’ teachings? No.
Did she seek or get anyone’s approval before she headed out? Nope.
Did she tell people what they should believe? No.
Was she worried about people rejecting her? If she was, it certainly didn’t hold her back!
What she did was the most impactful thing any person can do: she shared her story in her own words. “Let me tell you about my encounter with the Divine!” Her sincerity and her enthusiasm won people over.
Today is no different. Yes, I could ask all of you to read books on “How to be a better evangelist.” We could have training classes. We could memorize conversation starters and how to overcome objections and rejections when those theological pick-up lines fall flat.
We could do that, but I would rather not. I’m FAR more interested in hearing each of you tell YOUR stories of how the Good News of God’s love has impacted your life. That’s your story and it’s the best one you have. And I believe to my core that each of you has multiple stories you could share. Some of you have already shared your beautiful stories with me and I greatly appreciate that because your stories encourage and inspire me.
You might say, “Well Charles, I’m not really sure if or how God’s love has changed my life.” OK. That’s honest; honest is good. And it’s a starting point. Beginning this week, set aside some time and intentionally reflect on your life. Ask God to remind you of moments and seasons when you felt God was doing something in you or in your family. Some people find that keeping a journal of events and your thoughts may help you find your stories.
You might say, “But Charles, I don’t feel comfortable sharing my personal thoughts or feelings with others.” Nonsense! I listen to y’all share all sorts of stuff before and after every Sunday service, during meetings, and over meals. So many people don’t hesitate to tell each other about their latest medical exam, but are reluctant to say, “Let me tell you how God blessed me this week.” No story of God’s blessings is too big or small to share. When you share, you are not bragging. But this does press us to ask the very real question: What are our fears and why are they greater than our excitement about your faith? Let me repeat that.
Several weeks ago, I ran into a total stranger here in town. At first, he simply said, “I’m happy because I’m blessed.” When I asked him how he was blessed, he said, “Let me tell you what God did for me!” Despite wearing an oxygen tank, he didn’t slow down for the next 10 minutes, during which time he mentioned that he went to another church of a different denomination. He never tried to recruit me or challenge my theology. He had only one objective: share his joy with me.
Was he a trained speaker? No.
Was his life trouble-free? Certainly not.
Did he have an opening, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion ending with a call to action? Not at all. But he DID have a personal story about his personal experience and THAT excited, encouraged, motivate me.
This past Thursday’s daily devotional in the Upper Room made a great point. The author opened with these words: “The warmth of the sun lured me to the window. I noticed long shadows stretching across the snow-covered ground from barren trees blocking the light. ... As I observed the contrast, it dawned on me that shadows only occur in the presence of light. I may feel overshadowed by darkness, but the light is still there. ... [In dark times of my life] I recalled God’s goodness and faithfulness in the past, and truths from God’s word shined the light of hope, faith, and peace into my heart. ... God’s light penetrated the darkness and offered me the hope and courage I needed to face my challenges.”
By shining the light of our faith, we too can offer people the hope and courage they need to face the challenges in their lives.
Know that God’s light is and always has been inside you.
Know that the world needs to hear and see God’s light through you.
Know that everyone can share God’s love in some way, shape, or form.
Every person has a role to play in growing the Kingdom of God.
So let’s try some baby steps to begin. First, start with the Fruit of the Spirit card (Galatians 5:22-23). You can use this to inspire your prayers before a meal or before going to bed at night. Simply look at the card and say, “Lord, thank you for giving me _________ today. Help me with _________.
Second, hand one of these to another person (relative or stranger, either way is fine) and say something like, “I feel _________ when you’re around. That’s how I see God in you.”
I’ve been handing these out to people for the past several weeks, and 100% of recipients say, “Thank you so much!” I will say that confusion is a common reaction because folks are not used to hearing anyone tell them that God is revealing Himself through them.
If you and I genuinely want to be a light of God’s love to others, then we must work to achieve what we want to become. Jesus went out of His way, into potentially hostile territory, just so He could shine some light into people’s lives. Can you and I today go out of our ways and out of our comfort zones to share the Good News of God’s love with others? I think we can. And I think people need and want us to do so. Amen? Amen!