KBM Everybody Is Somebody

Last week, we studied how Jesus set forth proof that he was indeed “Equal With God.” Today, we are going to be taking a look at one of my favorite illustrations of God’s love from John 4:1-42, where we see that truly, to Jesus, “Everybody Is Somebody.” Now before we begin let me set the stage for just a moment. It was “feast time” and typically the Jews would go around Samaria because of that past troubles they had with them when they came back from the 70 year captivity during King Cyrus’ reign. The Samaritans had been a thorn in the Jews side and caused much trouble. You can read Ezra and Nehemiah for more on that. So the Jews were so against the Samaritans, that as I said, they would take the “long way back to Jerusalem” just so they wouldn’t step foot in their area. John and James even wanted to destroy a Samaritan town for their “unbelief” (Luke 9:51-56). So there is much anger from both sides at each other. That is what makes this account in John 4 so important. It was “feast time” and instead of going around Samaria Jesus walks right through it, to talk with, from what looks like from all accounts, a “Bad Samaritan woman” at a well. Notice, she was was going to Jacobs well, which was some 45 minute round trip even though there was water much closer in a near by town. Archaeologist have discovered this little fact. She also came at noon when there would likely not be anybody there. In every society there are “social norms” and if someone break those they are considered outcasts, and it appears this Samaritan woman was one of those. Why bring this up? Because Jesus went out of his typical way to come to a Samaritan (whom he called a dog at one point Matthew 15:26) to show his disciples and us an important truth. God doesn’t care about someone’s race, sex, or even moral behavior when it comes to his love and desire for them to be with him for eternity. God wants “everyone” to be saved.

1 Timothy 2:3–4 ESV

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

As the church we must understand this important truth. There might be someone or even a group of people that has cause us harm but we should never give up on their soul, we should always love their soul, and always be willing to help them get to heaven if they eventually so want. We also learn from this encounter between Jesus and this woman that Jesus, the Master, had a great “method” for teaching people.

First, Jesus noticed her. Rabbis, at this time, would not speak to a woman in public much less a Samaritan woman. They would go so far as to actually pray that no Samaritans would be found in heaven. Jesus on the other hand, broke through this unloving attitude and talk with this woman, to her surprise.

John 4:9 ESV

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Jesus even surprised his disciples doing this seemingly simple task.

John 4:27 ESV

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”

So, the Master’s method began with noticing her.

Secondly, we see Jesus ask for help. Jesus being both God and Jew did not begin his conversation by belittling her or making fun of her for being an outcast Samaritan woman. This includes the fact that she was very “snarky” with Jesus in the beginning (John 4:11-12) though one can hardly blame her for feeling this way about a Jewish man. Jesus, though, doesn’t let her attitude of him stop him from…

Thirdly, teaching her the gospel. When we think of this account we should always ask ourselves, “would she have made our list of prospects to teach?” Jesus makes six appeals concerning the gospel and she had six responses. When studying with someone we must be calm, patient, and above all else have a loving desire for them to obey the truth from God’s word not our lips. From Jesus’ teaching the woman progressed from not just seeing Jesus as a Jewish man, but one greater than Jacob, one that was a prophet, and then the savior.

Lastly, Jesus then does what the gospel demands, and he exposes her sin. This woman had been married five times but this last man she was simply living with him. Jesus shows us in this simply exchange that loving someone isn’t allowing them to die in their sins but helping them see the dangers of sin and the need to have them removed.

Jesus, unlike so many today, didn’t care if this was a woman or a man, a rich person or a poor person, a popular person or an outcast. He cared that she know that “he” loved her and wanted her to be saved through “his living water.” When we pray for “opportunities” to teach someone the gospel let’s make certain we aren’t trying to “hand-pick” those opportunities but are willing to teach anyone and everyone because to our Savior “Everybody Is Somebody.”