December 1 You and Me

John 4:19-24 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
 
THE first thing I always see in this passage is division. “You Jews”…“You Samaritans” underscores the dialogue between the Samaritan woman and Jesus. We can see this as a universal conversation between sinful mankind and the Holy God.
   The woman represents us all. We grow up hearing the words of our parents, ancestors and culture. What we hear and see around us becomes our beliefs. Tightly we hold these beliefs close to our minds. Conversations with others begin with an assumption our beliefs are true and theirs are not. Life becomes “Me-You”. This division keeps us from a unity with others. More tragically, our cultural, worldly beliefs divide us from God.      
   But when Jesus says, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.” his purpose is to unite the woman and us all with himself. His will here is to heal the separation between the woman and himself to ultimately unite the sinner with the Holy God. He guides her out of her cultural belief to teach God’s truth. True worship is not constrained to a specific physical place. Instead, worship is a matter of one’s spirit, heart and mind elevating the Father above all things. Yes, God the Father is even higher than our cultural beliefs. No mountain, city or country can constrain one’s heart to truly worship God.
   Take some time to fully read John 4. See the process Jesus uses to teach the woman. He speaks to her to quench his thirst. He is bold and honest to speak the reasons she is divided from her village and from God. Then he directs her to a restored reunion with God.
   This is God’s pattern. Speak to his creation. Confront the problem. Solve the division with his forgiveness, love and grace. We see this even in Eden when the Father clothes his wayward children. To help people join with Jesus as Savior, we must follow the Savior’s teaching pattern. Help people see a living relationship with God is not, “Me first, then you, Lord”. Instead, it is submitting to his truth and confess, “You, Lord”. To truly worship God is to place him above all – even ourselves.
 
Prayer: Lord I give my heart, mind and soul to worship you. Amen.