Life from the Word of the LORD

We didn’t read the beginning of this chapter today. If you’re reading through John’s gospel with the daily readings, you might recall that ch. 4 happens near the town of Sychar, in Samaria. The author baldly mentions, “Jews do not associate with Samaritans.”

John’s gospel also says that Jesus “had to go through Samaria.” It’s the most direct route, but it’s not the only path from Judea to Galilee. Most Jews were so keen to avoid associating with Samaritans they took the trans-Jordan route to bypass Samaria altogether. Not Jesus; he HAD to go through Samaria.

He arrived at Sychar’s well around noon. Jesus was tired from the morning’s hike. He and his disciples had spent the morning travelling north from Judea, headed once more to Galilee.

We can deduce that Jesus was also hungry and thirsty. His disciples went into town to buy food. When a woman arrived at noon to draw water, Jesus asked her for a drink. John records a great deal of the conversation b/t Jesus and the woman at the well but we’re not told if Jesus actually gets the drink from the well. When his disciples rejoin him from the buying trip in town, he doesn’t eat.

So his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

He said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” It’s a puzzling statement. What is Jesus talking about?

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:34 (NIV)

It’s a revolutionary way of thinking. What gives life and strength?

It is not so much taking in nourishment. Doing God’s will gives life.

It’s not a new thought. Moses says something similar to the Israelites after they’ve travelled in the wilderness for 40 years. They’re about to enter the Promised Land and Moses brings God’s people this message:

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3(NIV)

Obeying God’s word, his instructions, doing his will, loving God and neighbour gives life. The Lord signs his name on the same promise in the OT book of Leviticus:

Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord. Leviticus 18:5(NIV)

It’s a lesson for Jesus’ disciples. They understand how thirsty, hungry, and tired Jesus was after hiking all morning. They were probably thirsty, hungry, and tired too. Yet Jesus’ life and strength and energy doesn’t come from bread alone, but by obeying every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Showing respect to the Samaritan woman at the well, discussing her obedience to God’s commandments, and inviting her to believe in the Messiah, the rescuer of the world . . . that is Jesus’ life-giving work. “Doing the will of him who sent me” is food for Jesus.

Here’s the trouble: God’s law also has a warning for those who do not obey God’s will. In the OT book of Dt, it says:

“Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.” Deuteronomy 27:26a(NIV)

That sounds ominous.

Ever since Adam & Eve rebelled against God at the dawn of time, humankind has not been able to do God’s will completely or whole-heartedly. Even on our best days, we fall short. It makes us look in all kinds of directions to find things that make us alive – seeking thrills, pleasure, or at least being better than others.

The woman – looked for love and acceptance in a series of marriages and relationships

The disciples – like many Jews, felt better about themselves by comparing themselves to Samaritans.

Samaritans were descendants of outsiders brought to live in the land centuries earlier by Assyrian Emperor (see II Kings 17).

Yet Jesus demonstrates that doing God’s will gives life.

He goes further, challenging the sexism and racism of his disciples. Jesus has been travelling with his disciples, calling people to repent and put their faith in him as the Messiah, the Redeemer of God’s people. The disciples worked with Jesus. They actually waded into the Jordan and baptized people who believed in Jesus. They were beginning to believe they knew who was or who wasn’t a good candidate to be Jesus’ disciple.

Yet they were astounded to see Jesus talking with a woman – a Samaritan woman! And then, as that woman returned to the well, leading a throng of Samaritans out of Sychar, Jesus pointed to the Samaritans and says, “Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

The Samaritans were eligible to be Jesus’ disciples. Jesus was willing to be their Rabbi; to teach them to talk and act the way he did. Jesus was willing to be their Messiah, their Rescuer when they put their faith in him.

Jesus’ rescue plan is amazingly simple. Instead of trying to impress God with our own goodness, we cast ourselves on his mercy and count on Jesus’ obedience and goodness. Later in the gospel, we’ll read how Jesus was lifted up on a cross to die with a crown of thorns on his head. The sacrifice of this innocent man covers over the guilt and shame of all who believe in him.

It’s not a matter of deserving. Not a matter of being good enough. If we are under God’s curse for failing to uphold all the words of God’s law, we can believe in Jesus, be cleansed from sin, and wrapped in Jesus’ obedience. It’s all about believing in Jesus.

John 4 is an encouraging chapter. If Samaritans are included in God’s rescue plan through faith in Jesus, then there’s hope for all of us. It’s a matter of recognizing that our efforts to resist sin are not enough. Disobedience leads to death and damnation. It’s only through Jesus’ sacrifice that our guilt and shame gets washed away. In Jesus’ resurrection, we have life with Jesus; life for Jesus. We’re not going to wallow in sin anymore, but imitate Jesus. Eating the food of obedience to God’s call to holy living.

John 4 is also a challenging passage. Jesus’ followers get corrected for misunderstanding that obeying God’s will is more life-giving than food and water. AND they’re corrected for overlooking the Samaritans as candidates for discipleship.

It invites us to question our blind spots, our prejudices, our racism. It invites us to ask God the HS to open our eyes to see what fields are ripe for the harvest. Who is poised and ready to believe in Jesus as Saviour and Lord?