John 4:7-14 Eternal life comes not from Christian culture or theology, but Jesus

John 4:7-14  Eternal life comes not from Christian culture or theology, but Jesus

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Background

When the Jews started to take notice of Jesus’s rising influence, it was time for Jesus to move on to other cities. He headed for Galilee while passing through Samaria. Jesus rested at a well where He met a woman who was steep in religion. Jesus was seen breaking social norms as He interacted and ministered to the woman. Indeed, people prosper when God’s kingdom values take precedence over social norms. Jesus offered the woman to drink of the living water. Water from the well of religion can never bring eternal life. Today’s devotion teaches us: Eternal life comes not from Christian theology or culture, but Jesus.

Observation

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”

The way Jesus approached the Samaritan woman was unassuming, and He broke the social norms of that time. The woman was bewildered at Jesus’s request for a drink, and she said, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” It was not socially acceptable for the Jews to interact with the Samaritans, especially with one of the opposite gender.

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God…”

Jesus responded to the woman’s bewilderment and said, “If you knew the gift of God,…” Jesus meant that if she really knew who He is, she would have responded to Jesus’s request very differently. She would have seized the opportunity to ask Him for a blessing, and He would have given her the blessing of living water. Jesus seemed less guarded in Samaria as compared to Jerusalem for He openly declared Himself as the Saviour, the giver of living water. However, the woman perceived the “living water” as coming from the well. The well was widely accepted as belonging to Jacob, a revered figure in the history of Israel. And the water was considered sacred and life-giving.

The woman, unconvinced of Jesus’s bold claims responded sceptically. Firstly, Jesus had no means to draw water from the well to give her water. Secondly, He could not be greater than Jacob, who drank from the well and was blessed.

Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst.

Jesus took this opportunity to reveal Himself as the One who can provide something infinitely more beneficial than the natural water from the well. Here, He contrasted the natural water to the living water that He will give. Those who drink of the water that I will give him will experience a life of eternal blessedness (shall never thirst). Conversely, those who drink of the water that comes from Jacob’s well will not experience eternal life (will thirst again).

What does water from Jacob’s well symbolise?

It symbolises the spirit of the world. It is manifested in one’s principal trust in human wisdom, goodwill and earthly resources. On a deeper level, it is manifested in popular Christian culture and misguided traditions. People who drink from Jacob’s well seek knowledge, wealth, prominence and power as opposed to seeking God’s kingdom.

What does living water that comes from Jesus symbolise?

It symbolises the Spirit of God. It is manifested in one’s principal trust in God’s promises, wisdom and directives. It is also manifested in having the right attitude and approach in the worship of God. People who drink the living water seek intimacy with God. They follow Jesus to do His will in all aspects of life.

What is eternal life?

Eternal life is the infinite life. It is the mode of living that belongs to God. How is eternal life manifested? It manifests itself through divine peace amidst the storms of life, love for God, love for people, divine wisdom and power. Eternal life is man’s rightful inheritance and is obtained when one follows intimately in the steps of Jesus.

Truth

People prosper when God’s kingdom values take precedence over culture and social norms

What the society and its culture consider as acceptable do not always resonate with God’s kingdom values. Certain social norms are so deeply entrenched it stifles progress. Jesus, to reach out to the Samaritan woman broke social norms by taking the initiative to connect with her. The Jews have long distanced themselves from the Samaritans accusing them of breaking God’s law by intermarrying with people of other nationalities. It is also unacceptable for a man to approach a woman in public. Jesus did not agree with the social norms of that time. While the Jews considered themselves as superior to other races, Jesus treated all peoples with equal respect. And the woman’s soul is far more valuable than keeping with gender customs. Jesus showed us how kingdom’s values should take precedence over culture and social norms. What are the kingdom values that Jesus espoused? No gender, tribe or nationality should consider itself as superior to another. Therefore, as children of God, we must actively and intentionally integrate God’s kingdom values into our culture.

Eternal life comes not from Christian culture or theology, but from Jesus.

Water from Jacob’s well represents the Christian culture or traditions of the day. While the people of Samaria drank from the well of Jacob, many today drink from the well of the denomination they come from. They immerse themselves in popular Christian culture and theology, thinking they are living the eternal life. That said, all churches/denominations regardless of their popularity or history is still a type of Jacob’s well. Unless we drink from the living water of Jesus, there is no eternal life.

Those who drink from Jacob’s well possess the following characteristics:

• They focus on acquiring knowledge but not intimacy with God. For them, knowledge takes precedence over intimacy with God. 
• They commit themselves to “serve God” on their terms, but will not follow the way Jesus lives.
• They see their church/denomination is equivalent to the kingdom of God. To serve the church is to seek God’s kingdom. Such churches do missions to magnify their church/denomination.
• They claim to have faith in God, but will not defer to Him the major decisions of life. To them, having faith is nothing more than to attend church services and to volunteer in church.

Those who drink from the living waters of Jesus possess the following characteristics:

• They desire intimacy with God and converse with Him unceasingly. Knowledge is only useful in helping them understand God and to walk with Him.
• They follow Jesus by emulating the way He lives. They show mercy and compassion to all. They live justly by being fair and honest. And they are humble in recognising their weaknesses to draw strength from God.
• They see the kingdom of God as transcending churches/denominations. The church/denomination must serve the interest of God’s kingdom; the universal church. Their mission is not to magnify their church/denomination but to disciple people to pursue God’s calling for themselves.
• They display faith by obeying God’s directives while standing firm on His promises. They give their lives unreservedly to fulfil God’s calling.

How do we drink of the living water, the Holy Spirit?

To drink of the living water is to draw near to Christ continually. In so doing, I become like Him in the way I live, in the way I think and in the way I exercise divine authority. In drawing near to Christ…

• I seek to understand what He is thinking and feeling,
• I know how He perceives me,
• I see the state of the world around me,
• I know His will for my life, 
• I understand the word.

Application

Do not let culture or social norms hinder you from spreading the message of salvation and the truth of the gospel. We tend to let society dictate what is right to do and what is not. Jesus showed us that the greatest commandment is love. Let us reach out to the people that society neglected: the foreigners, the unskilled workers, and the minorities in our community.

Are you drinking from the well of Christian culture and theology? Or are you walking in intimacy with Jesus and experience eternal life? Make a daily commitment to read the word and walk humbly before God. Converse with God unceasingly and defer to Him the decisions of life. And the eternal life of the Spirit will enable to you live abundantly.

Dear Lord, I thank you that your Spirit dwells within me, bringing me the eternal life of love, wisdom and power. Cause me to see people through the eyes of Jesus and use me to bring love and truth to them. Remove from me the prejudices and biases against people of other races, religion, social background or nationalities. As I walk by faith, use me to make this world a better place. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.