St. Paul Lutheran Church
Sermon by Pastor Balogh

FEB 17, 2008 - listen to this sermon in mp3!

John 4:10-14 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." "Sir," the woman said, "You have nothing to
draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank
from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" Jesus
answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but
whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water
I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal
life."

There is imbedded in me a deep affection for this particular text for
more reasons than you might expect. The first reason is really rather
simple. In my days at our Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, it was this text
that became the basis for everyone's first sermon. But more than that,
this text helps us to see what preaching and even "evangelism" is all
about. After all it's Jesus the perfect preacher and teacher who is
presenting this woman with the wonders of God. Let's just quickly
review this history.
Jesus had been in the area of Judea, specifically in Jerusalem where he
had cleansed the Temple for the first time and where he spent an
interesting evening with Nicodemas talking about the miracle of rebirth.
The next day because the Jewish leadership was antsy at what he was doing
Jesus determined to depart Judea and head for his home base Galilee. In
order to get there Jesus chose to go through Samaria.
Most Jews would not have gone through Samaria. There was an open and
long standing hatred between Samaritans and Jews. That hatred dated back
to the time of the Babylonian captivity. Those Jewish people left in the
land of Israel intermarried with the other people the Babylonians brought
in. But worse than that was the fact that the Samaritans had compromised
their faith. Oh, they still accepted the Old Testament, at least the
first 5 books. But they rewrote portions so that instead of the
forefathers being involved with God on Mt. Zion they had made it read:
Mt. Samaria. Add to that the fact that they allowed all kinds of heathen
practices into the faith and you have the root of the problem. Jews and
Samaritans just didn't get along!
Jesus however goes through Samaria. Although he was sent primarily to
conduct his ministry among the Jews, Jesus had no trouble sharing his
message with all people. He chose to go to this area with the idea of
sharing his message. He found just that opportunity with this Samaritan
woman at the well of Jacob.
Did you notice a few things about this woman and the circumstances
around her? Please note that she came to draw water at about "sixth
hour." That's noontime according to our clocks. She came to draw water
at the hottest time of day, when no one else would be there. The reasons
are quite clear.
The truth is that this woman was a social outcast. Jesus revealed why.
She had been married and divorced 5 times. Currently the person she was
with was not her husband but rather just her live-in. She was considered
a morally corrupt person, an outcast according to the standards of God's
law, yes, that law that even the Samaritan's believed. No wonder she
came at this time. This way she wouldn't have to endure the cruel words
and perhaps even the physical abuse of the other women who came to draw
water. She was an outcast. All the reasons for her problems are not
known but clearly this woman was on a path of self-destruction. Perhaps
she had been wronged somewhere in her life, but she had used the wrong as
an excuse to go further into the ditch of immorality rather than let the
wrong done to her bring her closer to God. It is this woman who came
before Jesus. To this woman Jesus offered God's love and God's gracious
forgiveness.
Please note how Jesus proceeded. He simply asked this woman for a drink
of water, an unusual request as our text noted: "For Jews do not
associate with Samaritans." That started the conversation. That opened
opportunity to speak of the Lord. Sometimes that's all that's needed is
to start the conversation. Too often anymore, we don't talk to those
around us.
In the course of that conversation Jesus speaks of giving her "living
water." Jesus was offering her the gift of God, the water that cleanses
and purifies, water that ends the thirst that we have. Not a physical
thirst. But the spiritual thirst we have. That thirst to belong and be
wanted. That thirst to feel good and have a life that looks up, not a
life that just seems to drag on. The key to such a life is a
relationship with God. But not on our terms, on God's terms. When it's
our terms we want God to accept what we are, to let us continue crawling
in the darkness of life. God wants us to be better. He wants us to walk
in the light, His light. He wants us cleansed, renewed, yes, reborn and
different. Not people of the old self, but people with the new self
created to serve the Lord and improve where we are.
It is God's living water that does this. The living water is Jesus and
his gift of redemption. It is the fact that He forgives our sins and
makes us His children. God pours his love upon us and says, "You are MY
CHILD. I have forgiven you your sins. Now, live as that child of God."
Isn't that simple. Live knowing God's love. Live knowing God's power.
The power of God is life, real life, eternal life in Jesus. If you don't
understand this, then you are exactly in the position this Samaritan
woman was in.
She didn't understand what Jesus was offering her? She focused on the
physical and the idea of never having to go and get water again. So
Jesus then helps her grasp the lesson. He hits her with the law. He
asks about her husband and then reveals to her shameful life. I can at
least say this for the woman, please note she didn't lie to Jesus. She
says she has no husband, which is the truth. Not the whole truth, but a
start. It opens a door for Jesus.
When Jesus reveals her sinful life to her, she immediately grasps that
Jesus is a "prophet." This is more than just a man before her! She sees
in Jesus the godly, that he has something special. His words no doubt
stung her, but it was done with love and care. She is willing to let
Jesus be her guide. Guide her he does.
Jesus speaks to this woman about the nature of true worship. Listen
again to his words: "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will
worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You
Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for
salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when
the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they
are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his
worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
By the way, if you know anything about history (and God's truth) you know
that these words of Jesus have come true. Neither the Jews nor the
present day Samaritans are worshipers of the true God. They have
rejected God's truth, His Son, God's Word, God's Holy Spirit...the list
goes on. Most important for us though is the fact about Spirit and
truth. Not our spirit, not what we determine is holy and right, but
God's Spirit who gave and leads us in God's Word. The message here is
simple: Reject the Holy Spirit and God's Word and you do not have God.
True worship is based on the truth of God and the Spirit of God. Jesus
would say, "Your word is truth, sanctify them by the truth." And again
in God's Word we hear, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the
things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him,
and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
The lesson still stands today.
Please note the woman's response. "I know that Messiah is coming." She
knew that when God's promised Messiah, the Christ came, everything would
become different. She knew that Jesus was speaking of that event and
what the Messiah would bring. She also knew that the Messiah would make
it all clear. She knew what we should know.
What we should know is that Jesus is the heart of it all. Jesus is the
living water, the living Word, the living Way, yes, the Living God. He
has made all things clear. The Law of God still stands. The grace of
God is still offered. It is still not a world where we get to decide
what is godly and what is not: God does. Jesus does. Change things
Jesus surely did!
He changed things because He led us back to see the purpose of the Law.
It was not there to save but to show us our sins. It was given to show
us that before the Almighty God we fall far short of His will and way.
The law shows us that we can't, we won't, we couldn't even if we tried
get right with God. The law leads us to understand that we need Jesus.
But not Jesus as a "new law-giver!" Jesus as the Savior! By his
redemptive work, yes, his suffering and dying on the cross for our sins
and by his resurrection from the dead to show He has won the victory for
us: we are presented the gift of eternal life and salvation. Jesus
offers us God's love and grace. Jesus offers us adoption into His
family, the status of being His children and heirs of eternal life.
Just in that line, ask yourself this. If I were trying to adopt a child
and for 30 years that child did nothing but take from me and work his
hardest to be everything contrary to what my family was, what would you
say to me? You would have seen that the 30 years was filled with care,
love, goodness and patience. You know that this child just worked at
being contrary. What would you say? You would say to me, "That child
doesn't want to be a part of your family, grant him his wish."
Well, why do we think we can do whatever we want and God will just have
to accept that from us? God has adopted us into his family. He has
shown us with love, care, patience, understanding, blessings galore and
many other things the wonders of his way of life but we just insist we
will do it our way not his. Just weigh the depth of what is said. God
will grant us our wish finally. The only difference is that God gives us
a lifetime. If you know Jesus is the Savior who has adopted you into his
family why do you resist Him and His Word?
Finally note how this portion of the text ends. Jesus says to the woman,
"I who speak to you am he." She gets it. We are told in verses 39-42
that this woman went out and told people about Jesus. She brought people
to Jesus that they could have faith in the Savior too. Her life was
changed. Changed by Jesus. She had truly been given "living water." I
have no doubt that someday, because of Jesus we will find this woman and
the many others who drank the living water that day in heaven.
Jesus is God's gift of eternal life. May you drink of his grace and
love. Amen.