Jesus hears that the Pharisees have started hearing about Him, and how they have basically started keeping score between Jesus and John when it came to baptisms. So how does Jesus respond - He leaves the area - now that along could warrant it's own lengthy discussion but we will save that for another time. Jesus leaves the area and it says in v.4 that he "had to go through Samaria." Now at first glance we read that and think it was the only way to go, so he had to pass through there. Yes, it was the shortest way, the quickest route - but many a "good" Jew took the long way around just to avoid Samaria. Jesus doesn't do that - in fact it says He "had" to go through it. He has what many over the years have called a "divine appointment" that needed to be kept. They come to a town called Sychar, it was the middle of the day and he takes a seat near the well and the disciples go to buy food. While he is there this Samaritan woman comes to draw water. This is not when anyone else comes to draw water - and based on her history that we learn a bit later, this is probably on purpose, so she can avoid all the other women. But that doesn't deter Jesus - no he jumps across all these lines to talk to her - woman, Samaritan, bad reputation - Jesus doesn't care.
He does something He does so often - He strikes up a conversation based on something completely normal and downright boring - a drink of water. But quickly the conversation turns from Jesus taking a drink - to this woman experiencing living water and discussing the nature of worship with the Messiah himself. Jesus reveals that He knows her story - 5 husbands, currently with a man who isn't. But He doesn't say it accusingly, just matter of fact-ly. She recognizes he must be from God and says that her ancestors worshiped on that very mountain, but the Jews say worship can only occur in Jerusalem. And in v.21-24 we get this awesome response from Jesus - a response that we need today as well - he says "a time is coming when you will worship neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem....a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for they are the kinds of worshipers my Father seeks." What Jesus is telling this woman is that your location is not what determines if you can worship. It's not your past, your heritage, not your gender, your ethnicity - Jesus has already looked past all of those things. What matters is our connection to Jesus - the living water. What matters is our hearts connecting to the heart of the Father. We like to put on our Sunday best - whether that is literal or figurative - we put on our churches faces, act like everything is find and gather together in a building and say that we have worshiped. This woman experiences God, comes to understand worship not because of how "good" she is, not because of where she is - but because she is honest with Jesus, she tells the truth, even about her sordid past. That allows her to worship God - and to do it exactly where she is.
Right now we can't gather together, we can't even attempt to put on that Sunday best and file into the sanctuary of our church. But that doesn't mean we can't worship. That doesn't mean we can't open our hearts up to God, be honest with Him and praise His name. That can happen in a church building, that can happen in a living room, as you drive in your car, as you take a walk around the neighborhood. True worship has nothing to do with a building. It has everything to do with drinking of that living water and being refreshed by the love of Jesus. It has everything to do with connecting our heart to the Father. As we all deal with the chaos of the world around us this week - my prayer is that we would continue to worship in spirit and in truth, that we would take the time to connect our hearts to the Father. Not only will we get more of Him, we will discover that He draws us closer together as well. You see the Samaritan woman didn't just worship God alone. She ran back into town and told everyone she could about this amazing man who told her everything she ever did. She brought them to the well to meet Jesus. What probably seemed like a shortcut to the disciples traveling with Jesus, turned into a 2 day visit and lead to others in the town saying "we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." My prayer this week is that even in the midst of distancing ourselves, we would draw closer to that Savior, that we would worship Him in spirit and truth, right where we are. And then when we do get to be back together, we will have such stories to tell of what God has been teaching us, what God has been showing us. Love you guys - see you soon.
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