John 4:16-26 – He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that You are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but You Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, 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 the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, He will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am He.”
“He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” The Lord knows how to reach us. He knows when to be firm and when to be soft. He knows how to touch a heart that has become hardened and has learned to fight to protect itself, thinking only can it survive if it fights against those who assail, and too often, it fears all will assail because it seems like all has. Whether a soft heart that needs precise incisions to gently cut away, or a hard heart that needs firmer and deeper cuts, even within these types the treatment can be highly varied. Our precious Lord knows how to heal hearts. We see that Jesus varied how He called to this woman, one He knew belonged to Him. She had gotten herself caked on dirty. Jesus cleaned off layer by layer and gently brought her closer. Than He began to expose who He was as He revealed His knowledge of her. As He did she began, slowly, to understand. Her mind surely began to spin, is this who I think it is? She hoped, but she still had some fight in her. She didn’t truly understand that she was speaking with the Master Fisher of mankind.
Proverbs 26:4-5 “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” Some fools are not ready for truth, and may not ever be ready for it. There is no reason to cast your pearls before swines that will not and therefore cannot receive the truth. (Matthew 7:6) From these, at least at that time, it is better to walk away. They, in their darkened minds, do not grasp the truth and even think that you are a fool and certainly no better than, but rather equal to, they themselves. Better to walk away and maybe, as the Lord leads, revisit at the right time, as led by the Holy Spirit. However the one who lives foolishly, may end up being ministered to by other holy servants and rise to the level that the fool can be ministered to. It is at that time that one may “answer a fool” and the Word will not bounce off a hard head but penetrate his mind and heart and the soul be saved. That person must not continue to walk and think their foolishness wise, but the divine opportunity to them must be taken so that the fool may repent and be saved by the grace of God.
““Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that You are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but You Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” A fish on a line is brought in slowly and consistently. Fisherman know how to draw them in. She acknowledges because of the supernatural knowledge of Jesus about her, that He is “a prophet.” The hook she has bitten into may be painful, but it is secure and the pain is nothing compared to the reward. Yet she has a remaining question. Some may think her question about worship was her still fighting. Perhaps. But then again, when she has been taught something contentious all of her life, the question can indeed be sincere.
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, 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 the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Jesus lets her know that the location where God is worshipped is not what is most important. It is that God is worshipped. We may worship in a Baptist church, or an Evangelical church, or a Pentecostal church, but none of those buildings and the location of them is what matters. What matters is whether or not the one true God is taught and worshipped there. Is the inerrant Word of God uncovered, or is it attacked? Is faith preached by humble men of God or is faith assailed by proud men who attempt to bring honor to self rather than God? Where is not the issue, Who is the important matter.
True worshippers, as opposed to worshippers who do not know the truth is what matters. What do true worshippers know that the deceived do not know, it is that the God, who is Spirit, will be worshipped in the Holy Spirit and in Truth (God’s holy Word revealed by the Spirit). We know that we are not saved by our efforts but by the grace of God that is by the work of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are saved by faith in God and not by works. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Our salvation is not by earthly effort, but is obtained only by the free love and grace received from God. It is not obtained by our efforts and it is not kept by our efforts, it all a work of God which we yield to in our spirits in submission to His Spirit. (Psalm 51:17) The only kind of worshipper that God accepts are those who seek Him with our spirit as we yield and commune with His Spirit.
“God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” Before all of creation there was no matter. God was before anything in all of creation because He made everything. Since God existed before all things, and He was not created but the Creator, then He was spirit and not physical body. He existed as spirit, He is the Spirit. God made us in His image. The most important part of us is our spirit which was breathed into us by His Spirit. If one wants to get down to the basic truth then “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in Truth.” Oh dear Lord, help us to be humble and to yield to you!
“The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, He will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am He.” The woman now broaches what is dawning in her mind. Is this man before her the Messiah? Dare she ask? She is so nervous and so excited, can she even bring up the Messiah? Is this Him? She mentions that the Messiah will explain everything to them (has not this man been doing just that?). Then her breath is taken away as He tells her what she was afraid to ask, He, tells her that yes, He is indeed the long awaited Messiah. How she could keep standing I don’t know. Praise God, praise God!
Do you remember when the Truth was understood in your mind? I remember for me. How could I forget? I could hardly continue to stand! God in me because He actually loved me. Nothing is more wondrous than that. And for our dear sister, this Samaritan woman, nothing was dearer for her! Praise Jesus who loved her so! Praise God who loves us so!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 – The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.