Dealing with Spiritual Drought

Growing up in a dry climate, I have often found it humorous as to why weathermen would often refer to rain as being a negative thing.  They would speak of it as being a miserable day, or a dreary day.  However, we knew that for crops and livestock to flourish and produce, there had to be rain.  Drought always causes death and a sense of hopelessness.  

Often, people don’t recognize the spiritual drought they are experiencing.  They know they need refreshing, yet they try to provide their own brand of antidote to their spiritual dryness.  Unless one deals with their spiritual barrenness and dryness, with the Living Water which God provides, it will be meaningless.

In the last chapter, we observed a very religious, intelligent individual who just couldn’t grasp the need to be born again.  He was a very religious individual who understood the fact that Jesus had been sent by God.  He also had all the perks of his time economically and socially.

Today, we are going to see someone who meets Jesus that doesn’t seem to have a clue about him.  We also get the impression that her morality was questionable.  We can guess that she was not learned in theology.  Her status in life was probably as low as a person could be. Even among the Samaritans, she would have been considered an outcast.

For many, we might think that Jesus should have spent this energy on Nicodemus.  After all, if Nicodemus would get it, then with his incredible influence, he would be able to convince the religious leaders and the Jewish people, that Jesus Christ is indeed the Savior, the long-awaited Messiah.  But we know that didn't work very well.

What I believe we will see in John 4 is a unique and marvelous picture of God’s love.  In fact, this is the first time that Jesus reveals Himself as the Messiah.  And to whom does He do this?  To a Samaritan, whom the Jews despised.  To a woman, who was looked upon as property and unworthy to learn of spiritual matters.  To a woman who was definitely less than pure.  Don’t you love how God chooses to do things that fly in the face of what we might think would be the best way to do things?

This morning, our focus will be on the following idea.

As believers, we must share God's love by sharing the living water which Christ provides.

Living water is for any location. - 4.1-6

Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went away again into Galilee.  And He had to pass through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

As we read through John so far, we see Jesus moving from the religious center of Jerusalem out to the rural areas of Judea.  He was still with the Jewish people.  However, as the Old Testament prophecies mention in several places, salvation and blessing would be for all peoples. So, Jesus moves further from the religious hub towards Galilee.

By the way, you may be wondering if there’s any significance to the parenthetical comment about Jesus not baptizing.  It would seem to be one more affirmation that baptism is not a requirement for salvation; it cannot save.  If it did, then Jesus Himself would have been baptizing.  Jesus’ was proclaiming the need for repentance.  

Normally, when a Jew would travel towards Galilee, they would travel around Samaria, as the residents there were despised.  Even as they traveled around Samaria, they felt it would be better to set foot into Gentile territory, rather than Samaria. In fact, even touching the soil of Samaria was considered sinful.  Yet, we have to smile when we read that Jesus had to pass through Samaria.  It was not by accident.  God never does anything by accident.  “Whoops” is not part of God’s vocabulary.  This was done with absolute purpose and intention.  Jesus had someone that He had to visit.  He knew exactly what the Father’s will was and He had to go this route.

Now, John writes a little background lesson for us about where Jesus chose to stop.  The word for well here usually refers to a spring or fountain.  Later on, the word for well speaks of a cistern or dugout well.  The time is about noon.  John reminds us that Jesus is not only God, but also man, as he describes the tiredness of Jesus.  

Now we have the background set for us.  We have Jesus at a very unusual place for a Jew.  What we need now is a little bit more information.  What is going to happen next?

Living water is for any ethnicity or gender. - 4.7-15

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.”  The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.”

It is important to remember the time of day, which would be “high noon.”  This is important because of this woman coming out to get water at this time of day.  That was not the normal time for getting water.  Normally, this would have been done in the early evening when the temperatures were much cooler.  Some scholars suggest that this woman came at noontime to avoid the ridicule she might have received from the others from the town.  This seems to make sense as she could have also gotten water from other wells that were much closer to the town.  Instead, she chose to walk the extra distance, farther away from the town.  Yet, in spite of all of the factual information that we can glean, the reality is that she was coming to a divine appointment with Jesus.

Jesus begins the conversation with Give me a drink.  In North America, as in many western countries, it is not seen as a big deal as to who starts a conversation.  It could be a man or it could be a woman.  However, in the Middle East culture, men would not speak with women in public.  In fact, it was frowned upon to even speak to their own wives in public.  That was strike one.  We also know that rabbis did not speak with women who were immoral.  That would be strike two.  But remember where Jesus is.  He is in Samaria.  Normally, Jews would have nothing to do with Samaritans.  That’s strike three. 

However, Jesus doesn’t care about man’s rules.  He is doing His Father’s will.  He is showing us what love ought to look like.  (By the way, the disciples were also going into a Samaritan town to buy food, which was not considered acceptable; for Jews would not eat any food that was handled by Samaritans.)

I love how this Samaritan woman responded by dealing with all of the strikes I mentioned above.  Here is a man, a rabbi, speaking to an immoral person, speaking to a woman, speaking to a Samaritan, willing to become ceremonially unclean by drinking from her water pot.  For her, that must have been absolutely astonishing. 

At this point, Jesus reverses the conversation.  He had spoken to her as One Who was physically thirsty.  He had spoken as if He were the one in need. Now, Jesus speaks as though He has the water for her thirst.  We see the confusion in this woman, as she speaks about physical water and the need for a utensil to get the water.  However, she did pick up on the adjective that this water was not just liquid water; it was living water.  She understood something about the water being different, but she still didn’t understand that Jesus was talking in spiritual terms.  

So, what exactly is the living water of which Jesus speaks?  To understand this a bit better in this historical context, it is helpful to remember that the Old Testament often spoke of living water to explain spiritual cleansing and being brought back into a right relationship with God.  In fact, the Old Testament has many verses which describe living water as a fountain of life or springs of salvation.  Throughout the Gospel of John, the apostle uses this description of living water to symbolize eternal life.

The next part of the woman’s questioning shows that she did not see Jesus as being capable of doing this.  She basically stated that she didn’t think that Jesus was anyone who could be greater than Jacob who had actually dug that well from which she drew water on a daily basis.  Then Jesus reminds her of the reality that the well by which they stood and physical water which people drank would not take away thirst forever.  In fact, they would thirst again.  

Then Jesus points out the the water which He will give would become a well of water springing up to eternal life.  He just told this woman that His offer was far greater than what she was experiencing on this earth.  Yet, she still didn’t recognize the spiritual drought which was part of her very soul.  She was still thinking on the physical level, as do so many, even today.

She did not understand why she needed this living water.  This living water wasn’t for physical sustenance.  She didn’t grasp the concept that her life was a spiritual, barren desert.  Jesus was about to make it crystal clear by relating to her quite specifically in the next few verses.

Living water is available regardless of the past. - 4.16-19

He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.”  The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”  The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

Not unlike most people, this woman did not fully grasp her desperate, hopeless situation.  Jesus gets right to the core of the issue; the problem of her sin and her need to repent and be saved.  He doesn’t come out and condemn her, but merely speaks a truth and allows the Spirit to convict her.  Go, call your husband and come here.  Jesus gave her the chance to recognize her sin and to confess it and to receive forgiveness.  How do we come to the conclusion that this situation was sin?  It seems obvious from her evasive answer.  She was doing what mankind has done since Adam and Eve; she tried to hide her sin from Jesus.  

Yet Jesus would not let it go at that.  He responded by forcing her to face the reality and even more so.  “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”  In other words, Jesus revealed her sin for what it was.  By the way, you will notice that Jesus’ comment about living together—Just because a man and woman live together does not make them husband and wife.  Gerald Borchert, in his commentary makes this statement:  If anyone ever tells you that religion ought to stick to its business of saving souls and stay out of ethical issues of life, do not believe it. That was not the pattern of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and it certainly was not the way of Jesus with this woman. 

Talk about being shocked and freaked out by such a revelation!  When this woman called Jesus a prophet, she was admitting to the reality that what He said was completely accurate.  But will this turn her away?  How will she respond?  Many today would say that this would be nobody’s business.  Many would suggest that this is archaic thinking.  Others would state that you can live however you want.  Yet, nowhere in the Bible is there the idea that one can simply ask Jesus to be our Savior, if there’s not a recognition of sin and a turning away from it.  Let’s look at the next few verses to see this woman’s response.

Living water comes from only one source. - 4.20-26

“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”  Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

We have to make some assumptions at this point because the passage doesn’t neatly paint the picture that she became saved.  But I believe that we can certainly infer this from these verses.  It seems that she is looking as to where she ought to go to experience forgiveness and receive God’s grace and salvation.  She has already declared that He was a prophet of God, so He ought to be able to give her the answers she is seeking.

Let me briefly give a little background as to why this Samaritan woman would make a commentary on the different places of worship for Jews and Samaritans.  The Samaritans would only accept the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, as being God’s Word.  Thus, they chose Mount Gerizim to worship.  However, the Jewish people accepted the entirety of the Old Testament as God’s Divine Word, so they understood that the place of worship was to be at Jerusalem.

Jesus puts this whole issue into perspective by sharing how it was really a non-issue.  You and I know from living in the age of Grace that all of the outward requirements are no longer necessary because of the New Covenant which Jesus provided.  Jesus, however, does point out that because the Samaritans had refused to accept the entirety of the Old Testament, they didn’t really have an accurate picture; worshipping that which they do not know.  Borchert again gives a very practical bit of advice:  Christians who seek to be ambassadors for Christ must always be wary of falling into the trap of arguing about the “right” place of worship or the “right” denomination.

The reality is that the place is not going to matter.  Rather the issue is the nature of worship.  Listen to what John MacArthur shares about Jesus’ words regarding true worship.  Spirit does not refer to the Holy Spirit but the Human spirit.  Worship must be internal, not external conformity to ceremonies and rituals.  It must be from the heart.  Truth calls for this heart worship to be consistent with what Scripture teaches and centered on the incarnate Word.

My friends, it is not the outward appearance that our Lord desires; it is not on how worship takes place; it is what is taking place in our hearts where worship takes place.  True worship has nothing to do with what one does, but comes from who one is in their very being.  It must always be consistent with what God has revealed about Himself in His Word.  

Just like most of us when we come to salvation through Jesus Christ, we don’t understand it all, so it is with this precious Samaritan woman.  Yet she’s already expressing that hope that one day it will be made clear by the Messiah.  And it is here in this simplest hope expressed where Jesus reveals Who He truly is.  I who speak to you am He.  Wow!! Even more powerful is the reality that the words should actually read I who speak to you am.  Jesus has just declared himself to this outcast Samaritan woman that He is the Messiah.  

Reflections

Interestingly, Nicodemus had seen signs and wonders and recognized that Jesus must be sent by God.  Yet, upon their meeting and subsequent conversation, Nicodemus left confused and still in a spiritual drought, though he may have thought he was alright.  Here, this Samaritan woman probably had never heard of any of Jesus’ miracles, signs and wonders.  But simply because Jesus knew this woman and her past, she understood that He was the Messiah.  

Next time, we’ll be looking at further evidence that this dear woman was most likely genuinely saved, as she goes back and tells everyone, instead of avoiding everyone.

But let’s come back to some truths of which you and I need to be reminded.  First, a person won’t be looking for living water unless they understand they are in the midst of a drought which is a killing drought.  Unless a person recognizes their thirst, they won’t be wanting a drink.  In other words, unless a person recognizes the reality that they are a sinner, they will not accept their need for a Savior.

In addition, one cannot experience salvation if they want to deny their sin and try to do it their own way.  If a person tries to make God fit their terms before they come to salvation, they will die in their sins.  In other words, a person has to go beyond recognizing their sin.  They must confess it and repent of it.  They must want to be forgiven.

Finally, to become saved, one must recognize the reality that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the only One who is able to be their Savior.  

For this to happen, as Christians, we must share God's love by sharing the living water which Christ provides. It can be done in any place and any location. It can be shared with any ethnicity or any gender. It doesn't matter what a person's past is, the living water which Jesus offers is available for all. And finally, we have to make sure that we present Jesus only; nothing and nobody else.