Asking the Right Questions; John 2-4

May the mumbling commence!

Many times, when I read the interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter four, I focus on the offer of living water.  But, as I have been focusing on the relationship between Elijah and Jesus, I have been drawn instead to the philosophical interchange which follows the woman’s declaration that Jesus must be a prophet.  Read this interchange below:

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." 

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  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.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." 

The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 

Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." (Verses 19-26)

Jesus knew the life circumstance of the woman.  It was this knowledge that convinced the woman that Jesus was a prophet.  Then she goes on to ask a question of Jesus which her ancestors had struggled with for centuries.  Where does one rightly worship God?  The Jews and the Samaritans had argued for centuries over location.  The woman desired a definitive answer from the prophet of God. 

And she expected a definitive answer – as it would have been expected of Elijah returned.  Remember: Elijah spoke God’s words to Samaria.

Jesus guided her in another direction.  While real estate may have the mantra “LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION,” worship is another matter entirely.  The face of worship was changing with the coming of Jesus.

Having the right answers is much less important than asking the right questions to begin with.  It is better to ask how one rightly worships God than to ask where.  Therefore, the answer is neither Jerusalem nor the mountain. The answer is to worship God in spirit and in truth.

And life-giving Spirit and Truth comes from God alone.

This answer to the woman’s question brings forth another declaration.  The woman speaks of the Messiah, who will explain everything.  How about that!  A Samaritan woman recognizes Jesus’ potential of being the Messiah.  And that is a Jewish not a Samaritan expectation.

Jesus rewards the woman with a clear declaration of who he is.  And the woman’s boldness catches with the rest of her village.  Jesus spends two days with the Samaritans, and many of them come to know Jesus as the Savior of the world.  Remarkable!

So, let us spend less time haggling over the right answers and more time seeking the right questions.  And let us bring those questions before God.  Let us listen to the answers.  Let us obey what we hear.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out