(John 4:1-42)
I was pondering this morning the time when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well in Samaria. She was half Jew and half Gentile (as was all the Samaritans). She stands for all of humanity on earth, whether Jew or Gentile. She was despised and rejected by both Jews and Gentiles. Going from husband to husband five times and finally just living with a man. Five divorces. Thirsting for life. Searching for meaning and purpose.
When she is honest with Jesus about one simple fact: that she has no husband, Jesus immediately encourages her and tells her she has told the truth. He proceeds to tell her all about her life, without a condemning tone, and she is amazed. Now He has her attention. What does Jesus focus on? He said, “Woman if you knew who I was, you would ask of Me and I would give you living water and you would never thirst again.” He starts with knowing Him. He goes on to answer her question about where she is to worship God by telling her the time is coming and now is that the new place to worship is in another realm and not on any mountain on this earth. In the Spirit. He spoke to her about the reality as opposed to the shadows that the law displayed. He spoke about a spring of living water that would be inside her, springing up within. Jesus talked with her about simply believing on Him.
She left him and ran back to her home town with great joy to tell everyone to come and hear Him. She could not stop speaking what she had heard and seen. Instinctively she wanted to share this Jesus with even those who had rejected her as a woman who went from man to man in relationships.
How so different is the way Jesus approaches fallen man to lead him to faith in Him and life by Him. So many preachers are obsessed with sin and determined to make a sinner feel the weight of his guilt and condemnation so that they will appreciate God’s mercy and call out in desperation for forgiveness. Sinners in the hands of an angry God is the mindset of most ministers today. Blind leaders of the blind they both fall into the ditch and offer no spiritual help for the poor in spirit.
Jesus calls all of mankind to come to Him, all who are weary and burdened, and He will give them rest. For His yoke is easy and His burden is light and man shall find rest for his soul in Him. 🔥
James Barron
Thanks James. Been reading this quite a lot lately.
James and family,
I am a longtime listener and my wife Tamy and I have met you in Raleigh back in 2001 at Val’s little church in a strip mall. We’ve kept track of you at Orlando grace church in Longwood and through this website-nothing but pure grace brother!
I’m 69 outside and eternal inside! Tamy and I miss the gospel through you but know Jesus is working all things out through all of us believers and even non believers!
Bless you and your family as we are about to go though 2023 – God’s Jubilee year. We patiently await each days eternal moments and seeing what Jesus and our Daddy does with all geopolitical landscapes. We are well with 18 and 21 year olds (Josiah and Isaiah) still at home doing their schooling in senior high school and 3rd year college.
Tamy teaches at her Christian high school and I’m barely recently retired from sheriff deputy job- running the house and all of its operations
Hope this finds YA’ll very well and at peace in this unique digital and kinetic warfare that’s been raging underground since late 2016.
Gratefully, Mike Fitzpatrick. 336-837-8032.
P.S.: We are living in Mt.Airy (Mayberry) North Carolina. I also enjoyed your visits to Louisiana at the precious New Beginnings fellowship online sermons. Would enjoy and appreciate any updates from you if Spirit leads. All our best to you all!