December 4 He Talks to You

John 4:27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
 
ONE strong emphasis from John’s gospel and his epistles, 1, 2, 3 John, is God’s love. He wrote, “God so loved the world.” (John 3:16). He also defined our Lord as the essence of love in 1 John 4:16b God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Love, too, is Jesus’ motivating power of discipleship: John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The three-time repetition of “Love one another here points to a fullness of meaning in the Hebrew language. There is no room for debate. Jesus commands love for one another as demonstration of your love for him.
   Do you want to know what that love looks like? Then begin here as Jesus ministers to the Samaritan woman at the well. You can see his love is personal as he talks with her. To us this conversation may not be special, but consider the disciples’ reaction: (They) were surprised to find him talking with a woman. Recall, also, how the woman responds to Jesus asking her for a drink of water: John 4:9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) There was a deep, hateful divide between the Jews and Samaritans. Jewish men did not talk to Samaritan men. They surely did not talk to Samaritan women.
   Jesus, though, was the Creator God come in the flesh to show us how to transform divisive hatred into “love one another”. He loved the woman so much he ignored the separating cultural rules. He lived into his command to love her because she was made in his image. Jesus sought to protect her, to deliver her from sin. She was vulnerable to evil, and the King wanted to release her from sin’s chains into his kingdom. Jesus loved the woman so much he talked with her! No human barriers can deflect godly love.
   Know this. Jesus has done the same for you. He has come through the Holy Spirit to talk to you. He has used such men as Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter and Paul to write the gospels and epistles to speak personally to you. Good teachers, sound preachers and true friends have shown you Jesus’ personal love. He has loved one and another and another and another from creation until now to declare his love and forgiveness to those who love him in return.
   Jesus’ gift of life for the woman that day began with a conversation. He spoke to her because he wanted her to know, “I love you. I know your sin. I forgive you. Repent and live with me.”
   The disciples were surprised Jesus was talking to a woman. They should have been surprised, too, that he was talking to them, inviting them to, “Follow me.” The Holy God does not have to speak to his unholy creation. Yet, he has come to lovingly tell you the way to eternal life.  
 
Prayer: Thank you, God, for telling me, “I love you.” I pray I love one another to tell them, “God loves you.” Amen.