Is it real; speaking the truth in love? We often hear about
it, but when was the last time we actually saw it happen? Is it real and if
so, what does it looklike? In this video, we will explore this question. First, by
conversationally reading John chapter 4 verses 1 through 42 and then we will
touch upon five things that help this passage come alive to me. Buckle up
because here we go. Hello. My name is Charles Yerkes and this is the Simple Not
Shallow Video Channel. The whole purpose of this channel is to bring you
digestible, compelling, and conversational insights into the Bible. For that is the
best way that I have found to help the Bible come alive for you; so that your
joy may be complete as you learn more about God. And doing so is truly learning
to love simply, wisely, and well. And that is where the excitement and meaning in
life dwell. So, is it real; this whole speaking the truth and love thing? And if
so, what does it look like? Let's begin by reading from John chapter 4
verses 1 through 42 from the World English Bible. Therefore when the Lord
knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more
disciples than John (although Jesus himself didn't baptize but his disciples),
he left Judea and departed into Galilee. He needed to pass through Samaria. So he
came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob had
given to his son, Joseph. Jacob's Well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired
from his journey, sat down by the well. Now this was at about the sixth hour.
A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give
me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew,
ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" (For the Jews have no
dealings with the Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God,
and who it was that says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he
would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing
to draw with and the well is quite deep. So where will you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it
himself, as did his children and his livestock?" Jesus answered her, "Everyone
who drinks from this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water
that I will give to him will never thirst again; but the water that I give
him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." The
woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I don't get thirsty, and neither
have to come all the way out here to draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your
husband, and then come back." The woman answered, "I have no husband." Jesus said to
her, "You have said well, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands; and he
whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly." The woman said
to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that it is in
Jerusalem, that is the place where you ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman,
believe me, the hour comes when neither in this mountain
or in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship that which you do not
know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour
comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. God is spirit,
and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said
to him, "I know the Messiah comes, he who is called the Christ. When he comes,
he will declare all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who speaks
to you." At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking
with a woman; and yet no one said, "What are you looking for?" or, "Why do you speak
with her?" So the woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and said to
the people, "Come, and see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the
Christ? They went out of the city, and were coming to him. In the meanwhile,
the disciples urged him saying, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat
that you do not know about." And the disciples therefore said to one another,
"Has anyone brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the
will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Don't you say,
"There are yet four months until the harvest? Behold, I tell you, lift up your
eyes and look at the fields, they are white for harvest already. He who
reaps receives wages and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows
and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true, 'One sows,
and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored.
Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of
the word of the woman, who testified, "He told me everything that I did."
So the Samaritans, when they came to him, they begged him to stay with them. And he
stayed for two days. Many more believed because of his word. They
said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have
heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the
world." And that was John chapter 4 verses 1 through 42. The very first thing that
strikes me here comes from verses 28 and 29. The woman went back to the city
and began telling everyone to come see the guy who had just told her everything
she had ever done. And asking, could this be the Messiah, could this be the Christ?
Now here's a question for you. Would you be prone to run around telling
everyone that they had to come and meet the stranger who just told you
everything wrong you have done? It doesn't come to my mind is something
that I would do. And frankly, I think I would probably get freaked out that
someone I had never met before, suddenly tells me everything I've done wrong. You
know, I don't even like it when a manager at work lets co-workers know that I
screw it up by correcting me in front of them. So why would I tell this to people
I don't know? Though, this does give a little new light to john 3:20 does it
not? Where it talks about those who are doing wrong not wanting to be exposed.
Well, back to telling others about this encounter... What could cause such a
response? Here is the second thing, a nuance that helped bring this passage to
life for me. She knew Jesus to be the Christ because
of his, because of God's love for her. I see her being respected by the
very one from whom she expected to receive contempt. She experienced acceptance of
herself, apart from what she had done. She now knew that God loved and accepted
her; that he wanted her to be one of those who worshiped it worshiped in
spirit and truth. John 13:35 just came singing into my mind at this point.
This is the verse that tells us that it is by our love that others will know
that we follow Christ. See, it is by Christ's love for her that she knew he
was the Christ. And that she was accepted. Now, the third thing that I noticed is
that, in this passage, there is a continuation of one of the themes that
we have seen established so far in this book. That is the individual...
individualized treatment of the individual. Jesus relates to this
lady differently than he related to Nicodemus, John the Baptist, or anyone
else that we have seen so far. And in all of this, and this is what sparkled and
caught my eye, here, in all of this, which by the way is item number four, in all of
this there is no condemnation or judgment in anything that jesus said.
Remember John 13 verse 7? hmm...He came to save not condemn.
He did not say, "You
naughty, disgraceful, and shameful woman. How dare you behave in this way?
You better get right or else! No, he said the time has now come to worship God in
truth and spirit. Because that is what God wants. And while it is not verbalized,
the tone of this seems to be that of an invitation, one of a,
"So come on, let's go." And she went and told everyone. To be accepted by the one
who knows you well. That is one of the most beautiful things on earth. I
think this is a lesson we would all do well to learn today. Which is a part of
the fifth and final thing that I saw in this passage. That there is a true need
to love people for who they are; which is always something different from what
they have done. Now it is the Holy Spirit's job to converse with them about
what they have done; that's from John 16 verse 8. It is our job to love them
enough that they are inclined to listen to that conversation; this I see in John
chapter 15 verse 12 and John chapter 13 verse 35. Yes, I kind of like the book of
John. And, now you know why I keep saying to love simply, love wisely, and love well.
Are you beginning to see why the excitement and meaning in life
dwell here? So, did Jesus speak the truth in love?
Did you see the excitement of learning to love and speak with people apart from
what they do? Who can you learn to love as you speak the truth today? Tell me in
the comment section below. I would love to hear what you have to say. Also, if you
like this video, please click that like and subscribe button. After you click
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this will keep you informed each and every time a new video is posted. One
will be posted every Tuesday and one every Thursday. Thank you. Until next
time, can you say it? Love simply, love wisely, and love well.
For that is where excitement and meaning in life
dwell.
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