Words to the Wise: Seeker & Savior of the Lost
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all the things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
John 4:28-30, NKJV
In the song “Free From it All,” Christian rapper Lecrae sings in the second verse:
Life is a cage, a prison of everyone’s approval
Fight for acceptance and struggle so you don't ever lose it
But livin' for their acceptance has got us stressing
Insecure people obsessed with leaving impressions
Ladies spending time on their faces painting pretty lines
To you and me its make-up, but to her, it's a disguise
You look her in her eyes and see her soul cry
'Cause living for other people's got her living a lie
Have you ever spent your time curating your life so others will think well of you? Highlighting your vacations and romantic relationships on Instagram, your new job opportunities on LinkedIn, your witty repartees on Twitter? I can raise my hand to this reality, and I bet you probably can too. Thank God that Jesus wasn’t like that.
John 4 tells us that Jesus had to go through Samaria to get to Galilee from Judea. When you consider the subtext, that fact shines brilliantly with beauty. Jesus, as a Jew, would have been perfectly justified in not going to Samaria. The Jews hated Samarians, who believed only in the first five books of the Old Testament and were considered (prejudicially) half-breeds, being Jewish and Gentile. The Samaritans, too, hated Jews.
In addition, the person Jesus would see was a woman. Being a rabbi, and thus male (Jewish women couldn’t learn the Torah and were indeed illiterate), Jesus was also violating social norms by seeing a woman. And a Samaritan woman, nonetheless!
But the kicker was that this woman was an adulteress. She’d had five husbands and was in a new relationship with another man (thus, six husbands total). And still, Jesus came - for her.
You likely know how the story goes. Jesus asks the Samaritan woman to give him a drink, and she recognizes him as Jewish and asks why he is asking her for a drink. Jesus responds, saying that if she knew the gift of God and knew who was asking for a drink, she would have asked him for living water. The woman asks Jesus if he is greater than Jacob, and Jesus explains that this living water will give her eternal life.
Confused, the woman asks for this living water - so she doesn’t have to come to the well anymore, in the heat of the day and alone. (Imagine being hated by people who you thought were your people. That’s what this woman was living like).
The story reaches its climax when Jesus asks her to get her husband. She responds that she has none, and Jesus commends her for the response. Then the action rises when the woman says, “I perceive that you are a prophet.” Her understanding of Jesus changed from an ordinary man to a man sent from God.
Then she switches the subject to worship. The Jews believed that we were meant to worship in Jerusalem, but the Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim. Then Jesus tells us that there will be a time where people will worship anywhere - only in spirit and truth. In literary terms, you might consider this a subplot. The story concludes when the woman makes a confession of faith, and Jesus responds. “I know that the Messiah is coming. When He comes, He will tell us all things.” (4:25).
Jesus says, “I who speak to you am He.” (4:26).
I love those words. Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6) and so we know these words are true. Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world, and we can believe that on the basis of these words.
I called this devotional “Seeker and Savior of the Lost,” because the Samaritan woman was lost. Lost in her sin of adultery, and lost to both the Jewish society for her gender and ethnicity and the Samaritan society for her sin. She was at the lowest of the low.
But Jesus, the beautiful, compassionate savior, sought her out. He knew all her sins - the woman said, witnessing, that he knew all she had ever done - and still, He loved her.
It can be scary to be fully known, yet fully loved, like that. We want people to love us without really knowing us - hence, the highlight reels on social media. And to be known without being loved is frightening. We’re at that person’s mercy if we are.
But Jesus, grace and truth, the truth, the way, and the life, does both. He knows deeply - everything! - yet loves in the same way - everlasting.
Are you lost today? Are you lying to yourself and others about the state of your life? Throw off the mask today and let the love of Jesus fill your heart today. He seeks you out, and will never reject you if you come to Him. His love displaces the fear of rejection. You are never alone.
Discussion Questions
How does it impact your view of God to know that he fully knows and fully loves you?
How does it make you feel that the Samaritan woman was at the lowest caste in society? Do you empathize with her?
What is one thing you want to do this week to improve your relationship with God, who seeks you out?