Change the Subject

Posted on by korgrocker

““I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?””
John 4:17-20 NLT

The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman turned from talking about water to a prophetic word of knowledge from Jesus about the woman’s marital experiences. To have five failed marriage behind her and now a less formal relationship with number six, was remarkable and presumably uncomfortable and embarrassing for the woman. So she hurriedly moved the conversation on again, this time to introduce what was probably a contentious situation between the Jews and Samaritans over worship and where it could legitimately take place. 

The Jews of course focused their worship on the Temple in Jerusalem, but there was also much history behind Mount Gerizim. We read in Deuteronomy 27 how Moses instructed half of the Israelite tribes to stand on Mount Gerizim, with the other half standing on the other mountain across the valley, Mount Ebal. We read in Deuteronomy 27:11-13, “That same day Moses also gave this charge to the people: “When you cross the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin must stand on Mount Gerizim to proclaim a blessing over the people. And the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali must stand on Mount Ebal to proclaim a curse”. Gerizim became known as the Mount of Blessing, and the Samaritans built a temple there.

So the Jews and Samaritans sadly found something else to argue about, and the Samaritan woman used the conflict  to try and regain the initiative in the conversation with Jesus. She wasn’t sure what was coming in the debate about husbands so finding safer territory about something less personal became important. This is a technique found in conversations in society today, and publicly many politicians have honed this diversionary tactic to perfection. So often a question is asked and the answer seems to be totally unrelated and unexpected. Attempts to refocus the question generally fail.

So how do we pilgrims converse with others, particularly in a society which is becoming less tolerant of “free speech” and wishes to promote ideologies at variance with Biblical beliefs? Two words regularly crop up in Scriptures – honesty and integrity. Using evasive methods to avoid answering questions brings us, perhaps, to Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight“. Once again, in a world of change, with a society becoming more and more secular, with the rejection of God and His Book, the Bible, it is good to delve into the Scriptures that have stood the test of time and are as true today as when they were written. So we pilgrims pursue honesty and integrity, speaking truths on every occasion. There is no other way.

Dear Father God. Your Son Jesus said He was “the way, the truth and the life”. So there is no better way than to follow Him all the days of our lives. Amen.

Please Give Me A Drink

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.”
John 4:6-8 NLT

So, we have a well, Jesus, tired from the journey and sitting by it, and a Samaritan woman coming out to get some water. Nothing remarkable about any of that, until we realise that Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink. And worse, there was only the two of them at the well that hot day. In those days Jews didn’t even talk to Samaritans, trying their best to avoid any sort of contact with them. And then there was the social etiquette of a man talking to a woman not known to him, something else forbidden in that rather misogynistic culture. But why was a woman coming out to draw water from the well in the middle of the day anyway. This task was normally reserved for the cooler times in the day, with groups of women coming out together. A simple scene but one that to an onlooker would have seemed a bit strange. 

Jesus was obviously tired and thirsty and asked for a drink. We of course remember the first temptation that Jesus endured while He was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. The devil knew that he had the power to turn stones into bread and this would have applied to water to drink as well. But Jesus replied with a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3b, “ ….  people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord“. ‭‭So without a doubt Jesus didn’t need to ask for a drink. He could have spoken the word and a jug of water, cool and refreshing, could have immediately appeared before Him.

I wonder what the Samaritan woman was thinking. As she walked out of the village, she could see this figure, obviously a Jew, sitting by the well. Would she have been feeling rather unsure and even vulnerable? After all, there was no-one else present. What was He sitting there for? Was He waiting for someone? All sorts of thoughts would have been going through her mind. And then there was that question, polite and to the point, “Please give me a drink”. That was the question that started a remarkable conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, that culminated in a revival bursting out in the village of Sychar.

We pilgrims often come upon other people not known to us. In the supermarket. At the bus stop. In the work place. But for all we know, God has a message for them, something tailor-made just for them at this point in their lives, and He wants us to provide it. Often there is a bridge over which a conversation can be started. I recently spoke with a lady who was walking a dog along a woodland path. The dog was an unusual breed, so I asked her about it, and where it had come from. There then followed a tragic tale of an estranged son who had died on his own and prematurely in his early thirties from a congenital heart problem, and all she had to remind her of him was his dog. I believe God brought about that meeting that day because I was able to encourage her with a few words of comfort.

But none of us know what is around the corner. Are we heading for a well and water experience today? Is there someone God wants us to encourage? It may not be with a Gospel message but it could be with a cheery response, or a listening ear. The Holy Spirit will guide us in God’s ways and plans if we are open enough to hear His voice.

Dear Father God. You have plans for each one of us and often You ask us to share Your love for them. We commit to hearing Your voice today and every day. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.