Scripture
John 4:27-30, 39
27 At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.
39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”
Observation
Jesus speaking to us compels us to speak about Him
Application
The imagery in this passage is great. I love how God uses physical things in a true story to represent the spiritual realities as well. The disgraced woman with no standing with anyone, leaves her waterpot to go tell all those same people who see her as disgraced, the man she has encountered. The waterpot represents the way she met her thirst. One of the ways she met her thirst for love and acceptance was through illicit relationships with men. She doesn’t need the “waterpot” anymore because Jesus’ presence in her has become a spring of water inside her. She is able to slake her thirst anytime. And now she has no fear of the people who see her as disgraced. If the one to whom she should feel disgrace from has accepted her, then why would this woman fear man anymore?
Speaking to other’s about Jesus… I often feel condemned in this area. I know I don’t speak about Christ as much as I should. Should..Ought to.. Those words have their place in talking about our response to Christ. We do have an obligation. There is scripture to support that thought. Romans 8:12-13 comes to mind. “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Obligation means an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment. Imagine if someone commented to me about all the ways i should fulfill my duties as a wife. If their counsel was to remind me that I was legally and morally responsible to do those things, anyone would see the deficiency in that counsel. In a relationship, do you honor someone when you only speak about duty and obligation towards them? Could that ever be described as worship? Remember, He saves us to be true worshipers.
If we find in us a weakness to be silent about Him, the correct action is to go back to Him and have Him speak to us. When we are reminded who He is who speaks to us, and when we remember who we are, sinners graciously and freely accepted, we will be compelled to speak.
Prayer
Father, speak to us. Remind us who you are and who we are. We desire for others to know your magnificent character and your abundant mercy.