In the Spirit and in Truth

 Read John 4:1-26

How do we deal with verse 4? Jesus had to go through Samaria.  Why?

Let’s look at the original word: δεῖ (dei).  What does it mean?

·       Properly

·       What must happen

·       Absolutely necessary

·       Inevitable

·       A duty

·       What is proper

Jesus went through Samaria because it was the correct thing to do. It was proper. It was necessary. Jesus had to do this to fulfill the will of his Father.

Jesus had an appointment with a woman at a well in Sychar. The woman did not know she had an appointment.  Unlike appointments with my dentist, she probably didn’t get 3 emails and 20 text messages.

If I don’t show up on time, they put out a Silver Alert.

This woman didn’t know what she was about to get into. She was just on her way to draw water at noon in hopes that she wouldn’t see anyone. People tended to condemn her.

She had gone through 5 husbands and was shacked up with another man now.  We don’t know if she just outlived her husbands, was divorced multiple times, or if some other course of events brought her to this point, but we know that she was not inclined to talk about her personal life, but Jesus knew already.

Why was this appointment important?

There were of course those Samaritans in the town that would end up believing in Jesus, but there was a personal aspect to this meeting that went beyond the overall ministry of Jesus.

This woman was content in her circumstances.  If she had to live as an outcast among an outcast people, she would. She had grown indifferent to her ungodly lifestyle.

It had become acceptable to her.

When Jesus mentioned living water and never thirsting again, this piqued her interest, not so much because she was talking to a man who could do this, but because it would make her current miserable life easier.

She wouldn’t have to draw water in the heat of the day anymore. If she could just get some of this water.

But to get to the water, she would have to go through the truth. The truth was Jesus and she wasn’t ready.

She tried to misdirect the conversation.  Let’s talk about something else, anything else.  How about them Cubs?

Oh, you must be a prophet. Let’s talk prophet things. You Jews say that we should worship in Jerusalem. We worship on this mountain.

How about them Cubs.

I heard the Messiah was coming soon. I’ve got $20 on the fourth day of the third month next year.  It pays 1000 to 1 odds.  You want in?

How about them Cubs?

Jesus said that they were not playing this game.  You’ve got some stuff wrong about worshipping God. Salvation will come from the Jews and by the way, I am the Messiah.

The woman left her water jug and headed into town. She was out of excuses and distractions. She had come face to face with the truth.

Jesus is the truth and the only way to worship God is in the Spirit and in truth.

How many hoops will we jump through not to put the words of Jesus into practice?

How many of us are avoiding real conversations with our spouses, with our family, with our employer, and most of all with ourselves?

What conversations?

Is there someone that we dislike that we should be praying for and reaching out to? It’s time for a conversation with the One who is Truth.

Is there someone that we should have forgiven but haven’t? No matter how hard this is, it is what we are commanded to do.

Are there things yet unconfessed to God?  He knows what they are. He is just waiting for you to have this conversation. He promises to forgive you.

Are we just going through the motions in parts of our lives? Are we not engaging each moment as an opportunity to bring glory to God’s name.

Don’t make Jesus have to cross all of Samaria to have this conversation. He already went to the cross for us. Let’s give our lives completely to him.  Let us confess and converse about our struggles in this world.  Jesus is ready to help.

Let’s learn how to worship in the Spirit and in truth.

Let’s make an appointment with Jesus this week and come to the point where we can worship in the Spirit and in truth.

Amen.