John 4:7-15

7Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." 8He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. 9The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" 10Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."  11"But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this is a very deep well. Where would you get this living water? 12And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?" 13Jesus replied, "People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. 14But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life." 15"Please, sir," the woman said, "give me some of that water! Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come here to haul water."

New Living Translation

Yesterday, we saw how the Israelites complained when they had a lack of water, instead of trusting God to supply their needs.  Today, we see a completely opposite response.

This woman, that society had considered worthless, encountered Jesus at a well.  He asked for a drink, since she had a bucket and He did not. 

It was so unusual for a Jewish Rabbi to talk to a Samaritan at all, or a woman.....let alone one that lived an immoral lifestyle.  She was so surprised she asked Him why He was talking to her.

Jesus didn't really explain why, but He did tell her that He could give her living water.  An odd response, since He was asking her for a drink!  She pointed that fact out to Him.

And Jesus explained that He wasn't talking about the water in the well, because that water couldn't permanently satisfy what we need most.  Only He could really satisfy her needs.

Now, this woman realized that she had a need.  But she had no hope until now.  She was an outcast.  But at this moment, Jesus is telling her that she has hope.  All she has to do is ask.

She doesn't complain about having a need.  She doesn't play victim.  She doesn't get offended because Jesus is pointing out her problems.  Instead, she responds with eagerness.  Please, give me what I need!  I'm desperate!

This woman's true thirst was satisfied, because she believed Jesus's word, and asked for what He was offering.  Isn't that a better response than being angry that the thirst exists?

 

Exodus 17:1-7

1At the LORD's command, the people of Israel left the Sin Desert and moved from place to place. Eventually they came to Rephidim, but there was no water to be found there. 2So once more the people grumbled and complained to Moses. "Give us water to drink!" they demanded."Quiet!" Moses replied. "Why are you arguing with me? And why are you testing the LORD?" 3But tormented by thirst, they continued to complain, "Why did you ever take us out of Egypt? Why did you bring us here? We, our children, and our livestock will all die!" 4Then Moses pleaded with the LORD, "What should I do with these people? They are about to stone me!" 5The LORD said to Moses, "Take your shepherd's staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile. Then call some of the leaders of Israel and walk on ahead of the people. 6I will meet you by the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come pouring out. Then the people will be able to drink." Moses did just as he was told; and as the leaders looked on, water gushed out. 7Moses named the place Massah--"the place of testing"--and Meribah--"the place of arguing"--because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the LORD by saying, "Is the LORD going to take care of us or not?"

New Living Translation

Poor Moses!  Can you imagine having an entire nation of people complaining to you about a lack of fresh water in the desert?  What could he do about it?  The situation was an impossible one!

Yet Moses and the Israelites had seen God deal with impossible situations before.  He rescued them from slavery, parted the sea so they could escape Pharaoh, and even gave them manna every day so they could eat. 

Still, the people's first response when a problem arose was to complain.  Maybe it was habit.  When they were in Egypt, they were powerless.  When things went wrong, all they could do was pray.  When, over the course of 400 years those prayers appeared unanswered, they shifted from praying to complaining. 

They were no longer asking for help, because they lost the expectation that God was listening, and caring.  They let Him know about their situation, but in an accusatory way, instead of an anticipatory way.

But the reality was, God had been listening all along, and was working out His plan.  Once the time was right, the people saw miracle after miracle. 

In spite of that, every time they faced a new challenge, they lost faith.  They didn't expect help from God.  They saw every challenge as abandonment, instead of a new opportunity to see God work on their behalf.

I have the same problem, I have to confess.  I wonder, what will it take for me to change my typical response of complaining and accusing God of abandonment, and instead to present the situation to Him with faith and expect Him to act?

Isaiah 55:10-11

10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

New Living Translation

We may not always understand God's actions.  We may not always understand His words.  But we can be sure of this one thing:  whether we understand it or not, it is truth.

God knows what He is doing.  And the things He said will happen, simply will.  Sometimes it takes a while.  It also takes a long time for an apple seed to grow into a tree, and start producing apples.  But, it happens.

God's will, His word, will be fulfilled.  You can count on it!

Isaiah 55:8-9

8 “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

New Living Translation

There are so many things God does that I just don't get.  Why does He answer some prayers, but not others?  Why does it seem that the most desperate ones are the ones that are not answered?  Why does He take so long to act?  And the list of questions goes on, and on, and on....

Job had a long list of questions for God.  At the end of the book, God came and talked to Job, but He never offered any answers or explanations.  Instead, He asked some questions of His own.

"Where were you when I made the heavens and the earth?  Did you make the mountains and the seas?  Did you make the animals?"

God's point was this:  He knows a whole lot more than we do, and His power and authority, and His wisdom, are absolute.  He doesn't owe us an explanation.

Also, He doesn't explain because even if He did, we would not be capable of understanding the answers!  He doesn't think like we do, limited by time, space, and our own personal experiences. 

So He doesn't explain Himself.  He just asks us to trust Him, even when we don't understand.

Isaiah 55:6-7

7 Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

New Living Translation

Yesterday we saw that a relationship with God is always available, if we will only seek it.  But a relationship with anyone does require boundaries.  You can't constantly do things that gets on another person's nerves, and expect that person to want to be around you.

God hates sin.  This is not because He is a legalist.  It is because He knows how sin destroys the people He loves so much.  And God is holy, meaning that He cannot be in the presence of sin.  His presence is a consuming fire that burns up all that is impure. 

So if someone is intentionally holding on to sinful behaviors or attitudes, it is not possible for that person to also have an intimate relationship with God.

So if you really want a relationship with Him, if you really want to have Him satisfy the thirst in your soul, you will need to be willing to give up sin. 

The good news is, all that is required is a willingness to confess, and to allow God to cleanse you.  He offers forgiveness, mercy, and transformation freely to any who want it.

 

Isaiah 55:1-2; 6

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul!  6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.

New Living Translation

Have you noticed how much a bottle of water costs at a convenience store?  It amazes me that we can spend over a dollar on 12 ounces of water!  What is sad is that this is no mere luxury.  Without water, our bodies will not survive.  Yet, it can cost so much.

And the water we have must be pure.  Immediately after the tsunami the day after Christmas in 2004, we were already hearing predictions of how many people would die not from the flood itself, but from the contaminated water supply.  Water that carries disease may bring immediate relief.  But it also brings eventual death.

As a society we spend a lot of time and money making sure we have pure water to drink. 

But we too often ignore another thirst.  And this thirst is really more important than our need for fresh water.  It is a need for our God.

We were created with the purpose of having a relationship with Him.  Without that, we will go through life with a thirst that can't be quenched.

The good news is, you don't have to work hard, or spend a lot of money to satisfy this thirst. Unlike our struggle for pure water, what we need is freely available, any time, to anyone.  All you have to do is admit to Him that You need Him, and ask Him to give you what you need.

^{John 21:15-17}

¹⁵ After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

¹⁶ Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

¹⁷ Once more he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

 New Living Translation

Why did Jesus ask Peter if he loved Him three times, and tell him to feed His sheep three times?  I've always heard it taught that this was to counteract the three times that Peter denied Jesus on the night of His trial.  Peter denied Jesus three times; Jesus restored him three times.

I am beginning to think differently about this, just as I have begun to see Peter's denial differently.  If it is true that Peter denied Jesus not because he was afraid but confused by Jesus's surrender when he was expecting a revolution, that I think it is safe to say that Peter was still rather confused at this time.

Nothing was turning out as expected.  Peter expected war.  Instead his Master was crucified.  He thought this was the end of everything.  The resurrection caught him off guard.  Now Jesus was alive again, but there was still no apparent revolution.  Just what WAS going on?!  What did Jesus expect of him?  What was Jesus wanting to accomplish?

Three times Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?"  Three times Peter said "Yes, You know I love You."  And three times Jesus replied "Feed my sheep."

Jesus is using the law of emphasis here.  This was vital for Peter to understand.  He was prepared to go to war to defend Jesus's sheep, the Israelites, from the evil Roman empire.  But what good does it do to keep sheep away from predators if those same sheep starve to death?

The Jews were starving to death spiritually.  They served God ritually, but not with their hearts.  And when their Messiah, their Savior, showed up, they not only didn't recognize Him, they had Him crucified.  

Jesus knew Peter was ready to go to war for Him, but that wasn't what He needed Peter to do.  Instead He was giving Peter a much more urgent mission:  feed His sheep!

His call was to bring the message of Jesus's life, death and resurrection, and the meaning it held for all, to the people.  He was not to be a warrior, he was to be a missionary.  

Peter was having a hard time grasping it all.  None of it was making any sense at this point.  He was confused, disillusioned, but in absolute awe at the fact that he was talking and eating with this man who he watched die a brutal death just a few short days ago.  His world and his understanding of everything in it had been turned on it's head.  

So Jesus asked him a simple question.  "Peter, do you love me?"  Peter, a bit stunned, replied, "Of course I love You."  

Jesus had used one word for love - the Greek agape, meaning absolute, complete devotion.  Peter replied with a different word for love - phileo, meaning brotherly love.  Some scholars believe this is a symptom of what happened earlier.  Peter had declared before Jesus's death his agape love, and then found it fell short when he denied him.  This could very well be true.  It could be that Peter was so confused as to what was now going to be asked of him that he was afraid to commit too much.  

Whether this change types of love was significant or not, Jesus accepted Peter's answer.  He didn't rebuke him for not loving enough, or not committing enough.  He took what Peter had to offer, then gave him his mission - "Feed my sheep."

When Jesus asked the third time, Peter was distressed.  Why?  Was it because he thought Jesus was doubting him when he said he loved him?  That is possible.  He does say “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”  I'm sure his failure was still weighing heavy on his heart.  But Jesus wasn't repeating the question to remind Peter of his failure.  He was repeating it to drive home the change in direction that Peter was to take.  Peter didn't understand before, and because of that He denied Jesus.  It was vital that Peter understand now.  

Peter was hurting, remembering his failure.  He was stunned and shocked at having seen the impossible happen.  He was confused about what was to happen next.  Jesus was wanting to make sure he got it.  Peter apparently interpreted this as rubbing salt in his wounds.  But it was really a loving act of grace.  He was giving Peter one of the most important calls ever given.  He was to go out and bring the message of life to the multitudes of dying souls all around him.  And he was to do this not because of some political agenda or a desire for greatness.  He was to do it because Jesus loved him, and he loved Jesus.