Read: John 4:1-26
Religious
people usually have at least one current "hot button" issue. I'm not
sure who decides what it is or when the conversation should change, but listen
to enough church leaders and read enough blogs, and you can quickly determine
the latest topic. This tendency predates the New Testament. The subject during
Jesus' day had been one Jews and Samaritans had argued over for years: the
proper location of worship. The Jews believed worship could only take place in
Jerusalem, while the Samaritans worshiped on a local mountaintop. The
controversy may seem silly to us, but given enough time, most controversies do.
While
affirming that salvation comes "from" the Jews (an indication of
source, not a claim of exclusivity), Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that this
religious controversy was quickly becoming irrelevant. For Jesus, the spiritual
condition of the worshipper always trumps the physical location of worship.
Confused, the Samaritan tries to end the conversation by saying she would wait
for Messiah to come and explain it to her. Jesus responds by saying, "I am
he."
When
my son was a toddler, every time we put him in the car he would furrow his
little brow and say, “Where you takin’ me?!?!” He was concerned about something
over which he had little comprehension and no control. What I wanted most from
him was trust. Our hardest questions about God require the same kind of faith
in a loving father.
Jesus
is the source of and solution to all of our difficult questions about God and
our human condition. As we wrestle and strive for answers to questions that are
fading into irrelevancy, Jesus stands nearby with His living water saying, “I
am he.”
Jesus Messiah,
I quickly become overwhelmed
by the questions and controversies of a world that is shrouded in darkness.
While I look for answers, forgive me for lacking the faith to see that You are
standing right in front of me inviting me to trust You. Help me to rest in Your
sufficiency to quench my thirst. Help me accept that You are the answer to the
questions I have.
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