Apicontent

“Now on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance, raised their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went along, they were cleansed.” —Luke 17:11–14

Ceremonially unclean, cut off from worship at the sanctuary and cut off from fellowship with others in the community, lepers were forced to stay at a distance yelling, “Unclean! Unclean!” Such was the situation for the ten men we read about in our verses for today. Leprosy to the Jews was a disease that, more than any other, bore a mark of God’s displeasure. Lepers were banned outside the city to prevent physical contagion and also to symbolize the person’s separation from the holy camp of Israel. We find this mandated in Numbers and also Deuteronomy:

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses: ‘Command the Israelites to expel from the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse. You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps, among which I live.’” —Numbers 5:1–3

“For the LORD your God walks about in the middle of your camp to deliver you and defeat your enemies for you. Therefore your camp should be holy, so that he does not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.” —Deuteronomy 23:14

The symbolism here blazes like a bolt of lightning in a black sky. Before the work of Jesus on the cross, we are all outside the camp yelling, “Unclean! Unclean! Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Our bodies, eaten up with sin, powerless to change our condition, we fall condemned before a holy God.

We often are ignorant of the holiness of God. How flippantly we perceive Him. Whenever people in the Bible had an encounter with the great “I AM” they would be overcome by fear. The contrast of God’s holiness and their unholiness was too much for them to bear in their sinful state. We read in Isaiah:

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the LORD seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. They called out to one another, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!’ The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke. I said, ‘Woe to me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” —Isaiah 6:1–5

Ezekiel relates his experience:

“Then there was a voice from above the platform over their heads when they stood still. Above the platform over their heads was something like a sapphire shaped like a throne. High above on the throne was a form that appeared to be a man. I saw an amber glow like a fire enclosed all around from his waist up. From his waist down I saw something that looked like fire. There was a brilliant light around it, like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds after the rain. This was the appearance of the surrounding brilliant light; it looked like the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I threw myself face down, and I heard a voice speaking.” —Ezekiel 1:25–28

The writer of Hebrews gives us an account of Moses’ encounter:

“For you have not come to something that can be touched, to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words such that those who heard begged to hear no more. For they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.’ In fact, the scene was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I shudder with fear.’” —Hebrews 12:18–21

Ceremonial law still in effect, Jesus tells the lepers to go and present themselves to the priest. We need to note He did not cleanse them and say “Go,” but rather He sent them uncleansed… and as they went, they were healed. Often our faith is tried through our obedience to prove it true. We must act on what we believe.

Become More

“Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies.” —Charles Jefferson

Further Reflections

“We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives.” —Charles Spurgeon

“Grace is the grand and only resource for us all. It is the basis of our salvation; the basis of a life of practical godliness; and the basis of those imperishable hopes which animate us amid the trials and conflicts of this sin-stricken world.” —C H MacIntosh

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.’” —Luke 10:41–42

I think there are many of us who could replace Martha’s name with our own! How easy it is to become worried and upset about many things. In these two verses Jesus speaks to us regarding our priorities! Yes, it does matter what we choose to focus on! Yes, it does matter how we live! Yes, it does matter that we spend time with Jesus! The Bible tells us:

“Therefore consider carefully how you live—not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” —Ephesians 5:15–16

Each day dawns brimming full of choices. Some are no brainers—most of us do not have a problem choosing between blatant right and deliberate wrong. However, oftentimes our choices are between things that are intrinsically good. Bill Bright used to say, “You know you are far along in your Christian walk when you are choosing between something good and something better or best.”

In our verses for today, Martha was choosing between serving the Master (which we are called to do) and listening to the Master (which we are also called to do).

Discerning what is required is not easy, and certainly our actions can be misunderstood. All the more reason we must know at a core level what our priorities in life are. If we do not have this set in our hearts, we will fall for the tyranny of the urgent every time. Are we making decisions against the backdrop of our priorities, or are we simply putting out fires or rushing to the loudest cry? Are our priorities God’s priorities? These are important questions to ponder.

Paul tells us:

“Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6–7

Worry is an affront to God and shows a lack of trust in His provision. Rather than worry, we are called to pray with thanksgiving. Worry demonstrates that we somehow believe we are in control! Peace residing in a heart, particularly in dire circumstances, demonstrates our trust in a heavenly Father who spoke the world into being. 

Psalm 33:13–18 tells us:

“The LORD watches from heaven; he sees all people. From the place where he lives he looks carefully at all the earth’s inhabitants. He is the one who forms every human heart, and takes note of all their actions. No king is delivered by his vast army; a warrior is not saved by his great might. A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; despite its great strength, it cannot deliver. Look, the LORD takes notice of his loyal followers, those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness.”

Each day we must pray with thanksgiving and ask God to take captive our every thought and make it obedient to Jesus Christ. Sometimes this must to be repeated many times throughout the day in order to stay focused on God’s agenda. God is always faithful. His desire is for us to depend on Him. His desire is to lead us to victory.

Become More

Make a list of your priorities and then record how you spend your time, resources, and talents. Are you using your greatest gifts on your priorities? Oftentimes we espouse one thing and live another. Ask God to help you let Him prioritize your life.

Further Reflections

“Worry is an intrusion into God’s providence.” —John Haggai

“A life of thankfulness releases the glory of God.” —Bengt Sundberg

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said. But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.’” —Luke 10:38–40

Sweet Martha opens her home and takes under her care our Savior, receiving Him both kindly and hospitably. This is no small matter. There were no grocery stores or take-out restaurants. I am sure that she had to grind wheat to make bread, milk the cow or sheep or goat for milk, and slaughter the fatted calf or whatever for some meat. You get the idea here! Preparations for entertaining in that day were both difficult and time consuming!

Mary meanwhile, was soaking in the presence of Jesus! Having Him in her home was too good to be true. She certainly was not going to be distracted by the details of a meal. Those details could wait, but she could not. Her focus was on finding fulfillment where need used to dwell.

Each one of us was created to fellowship with God. He is a “with” us God! It has been this way from the beginning. We find Him walking in the garden in Genesis calling out for Adam and Eve even after they had eaten the forbidden fruit:

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the orchard. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” —Genesis 3:8–9

He still calls to His children, wayward or not. He delights in our being with Him. We often are caught up in doing things for him, but He simply wants to be with us. I think that is why we are called human “beings” instead of human “doings!”

Martha was busy! Her attention and concentration and focus were on the details of the preparations and the meal. She was preoccupied with her service to Jesus. How very easy it is for us to get distracted in the same way! Our motives may be as pure as refined gold, yet our focus is pulled away from the most important. The tyranny of the urgent creeps in and overtakes us!

In Come Away My Beloved, Frances J. Roberts says: “I want your life, character, and personality to be as beautiful and lovely as I visualized you to be when I created you. Live close to Me, and let Me remold and re-create until I see in you the image of all I want you to be … I do not want you to work for Me under pressure and tension like a machine—striving to produce. I only want you to live with Me. I have waited for you to wear yourself out. I knew you would find it eventually—the secret of silence and rest, of solitude and of song.”

Silence, rest, solitude, and song sound great to me! They can be ours if we, like Mary, choose to be in God’s presence. What Martha was doing was important; it just wasn’t the most important.

Jesus actually modeled this for us in Matthew, prior to the Sermon on the Mount. He and His disciples were confronted with a vast sea of hurting humanity. The Bible tells us:

“So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, paralytics, and those possessed by demons, and he healed them. And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan River.” —Matthew 4:24–25

Can you even imagine the mayhem? This was the disciples’ introduction into following Jesus. I am confident that they felt as helpless to help the hurting as they actually were! This is where we all begin! We are all helpless to help apart from the Holy Spirit’s power within us. What follows is incredibly interesting! Jesus does the unexpected:

“When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them.” Matthew 5:1–2

He sat down and taught! He did not begin by doing the obvious, which would have been the physical healing; He began by doing the spiritual work! He gave everyone a chance to be in His presence. He was showing the disciples what they would need to accomplish the task ahead of them. A task that was monumental and far beyond their ability! Oh if we could only appropriate this into our own lives! I am convinced we would not be so frenzied and defeated. Jesus desires to work through us with His power, for His glory, for our good, and for the furtherance of His Kingdom. Our own strength will fail us; it is only through His power that we will be sustained.

This is why we must come to Him daily to renew our strength and to regain our focus. Jesus could have just started by healing the masses, yet He chose to give the people himself.

Become More

“Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:6

Further Reflections

“Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.” —Jeremiah 33:3

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” —Psalm 91:14–16

“After going out from there, Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that area came and cried out, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is horribly demon-possessed.’ But he did not answer her a word. Then his disciples came and begged him, ‘Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us.’ So he answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and bowed down before him and said, ‘Lord, help me!’ ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,’ he said. ‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you.’ And her daughter was healed from that hour.” —Matthew 15:21–28

Never underestimate the power of humble, persistent prayer by someone who approaches in faith. This Canaanite woman’s actions clearly demonstrate to us the faithful and continuous seeking of the Master until obtaining the joy for which our soul longs. James tells us:

“So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” —James 5:16

Addressing Jesus with the Messianic title of “Lord,” she begs for mercy for her demon-possessed daughter. Boldly, humbly, and seriously this woman cries out to Jesus. The devil had her daughter in a dire and dreadful hold and she comes seeking the Master’s mercy.

She first meets with the Lord’s silence; He answers her not a word. Sometimes, when our prayers appear to be unanswered, God is teaching us to pray all the more. The more we feel the burden, the more we should pray. Evidently, this woman is undeterred by our Lord’s silence. The disciples encourage Jesus to simply get rid of her. They are annoyed by her continuous crying out. The disciples seem to be more concerned with their own comfort. They want to silence her troublesome pleas rather than consider this poor woman’s difficult circumstances. Thankfully, Jesus never turns any away who willingly seek Him. 

Jesus initially responds to His disciples, yet within this woman’s hearing, that His mission at that time is to the lost sheep of Israel. While the sun and rain and fruitful seasons were and are given to all nations, there were special favors for God’s distinctive people, the Israelites. The woman breaks into the conversation and kneels before Jesus, again requesting His helping hand. His response is not what we are used to hearing from His kind lips: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.

I believe we learn an important lesson in this encounter with Jesus. All who approach Christ must first realize their standing (or lack of it) before Him. The reality remains, if He were to present himself to us in all His glory, no flesh could raise their face from the ground. This dear woman argues not against the truth of her standing with Jesus, but asks Him to consider that while she is not a child around his table of great grace and blessings, she is like a dog under His table … and even His dog is treated with kindness and mercy. She understands that any crumbs falling from the Lord’s precious table will sustain her.

In her humility, she is grateful to receive the “crumbs.” Nothing is gained by contradicting any word from Christ, even if His word seems harsh. Amazed at her great faith, Jesus commends her and grants her request.

The writer of Hebrews tells us:

“Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” —Hebrews 11:6

Praise God that we who live on this side of the resurrection of Jesus no longer experience the distinction of either being “in” or “out” of God’s provision. As Christ-followers we have access to all that God so willing wants to give us!

Become More

“It was her faith that he commended. Several other graces shone brightly in her conduct here—wisdom, humility, meekness, patience, perseverance in prayer—but these were the results of her faith. Because faith, of all graces, honors Christ the most, he honors faith more than any other grace.” —Matthew Henry

Further Reflections

“When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear our prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,’ says the LORD. ‘Then I will reverse your plight and will regather you from all the nations and all the places where I have exiled you,’ says the LORD. ‘I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’” —Jeremiah 29:12–14

“The one sole thing in myself in which I glory, is that I see in myself nothing in which I can glory.” —Catherine of Genoa

“Then the woman left her water jar, went off into the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Surely he can’t be the Messiah, can he?’ So they left the town and began coming to him.” —John 4:28–30

In our verses for today the woman at the well goes from miserable to missionary as she hurries from the well desiring to share her good news of Jesus with others. From apostate to apostle, this woman shows how concerned she was to have her friends and neighbors acquainted with Jesus. What a delightfully proper response from a heart that has been touched by our Lord!

When we encounter Jesus, our earthly duties pale in light of our heavenly ones! This woman rushes off with her good news, leaving behind her initial reason for being there. She has a story to tell and she is not going to be hindered.

There is nothing more convincing than one’s own testimony. How can anyone argue against our own experience? In her haste, she leaves her water jar behind. Perhaps she left it in kindness to Jesus that He may have something to drink with His dinner; perhaps she did not want to be encumbered as she went out to tell the town of Jesus; perhaps she was not longer concerned about worldly things and was simply focused on things above. Whatever the reason, she left on a different mission than the one she had come with.

I am reminded of Jesus’ words to His disciples:

“What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. So do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.” —Matthew 10:27–33

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes proper priorities in this way:

“So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” —Matthew 6:31–34

This woman’s testimony was a plain and simple one: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.” Jesus has told her what only God and her conscience had known. She was affected by the extent of His knowledge and by the power of His words to her. This woman had secret sins, sins she was reluctant to even admit. Jesus knew all about her lifestyle. He loved her even having full knowledge of her. Is there anything quite as beautiful, or peaceful, or winsome, as unconditional love? Do we not all seek such a love? This is exactly what God offers to us! His love is demonstrated to us through His precious Son Jesus:

“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16

Inviting the town to come and partake of the living water so that their insatiable thirst may also be quenched, this woman is a wonderful example of explosive evangelism. She simply shares her testimony. Prior to her encounter with Jesus, she would have been embarrassed to even have whispered in the dark. But the good news of Jesus is that He makes all things new!

Become More

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” —2 Corinthians 5:17

Further Reflections

“Has he done the honour to make himself known to us? Let us do him the honour to make him known to others; nor can we do ourselves a greater honour. This woman becomes an apostle. I have most opportunity, and therefore lie under the greatest obligations, to do good to those who live near me.” —Matthew Henry

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5–6

“Now at that very moment his disciples came back. They were shocked because he was speaking with a woman. However, no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Why are you speaking with her?’” —John 4:27

Arriving on the scene, the disciples are amazed to find Jesus talking with a woman—and a Samaritan woman at that! To their credit, they speak not a word! They perhaps wondered why He would stoop so low as to talk with such a contemptible woman—a woman fully deserving of scorn and reproach. And yet, isn’t it interesting how we also so quickly size up others and are blinded to our own flaws?

“All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path.” —Isaiah 53:6

“Just as it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.’” —Romans 3:10–12

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23

It seems that the disciples were often taken aback by Jesus’ actions, only to discover later the purposes behind them. Therefore, this time they appear cautious in asking Him about His conversation with the woman. They seemed to understand this time that Jesus had some good reason for this interaction.

We can trust what Jesus says and does because He plainly stated that He came only to do His Father’s will. He tells us:

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.” —John 6:38

And what was Jesus’ mission? It is perhaps best summed up in the following words:

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” —Luke 19:10

No soul too low, no sin too grave, Jesus came to seek out all who are lost. 

Become More

“I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.” —John Newton

“How rarely we weigh our neighbor in the same balance in which we weigh ourselves.” —Thomas a Kempis

Further Reflections

“You know to what extent You have already changed me, You who first healed me of the lust of vindicating myself, so that You might forgive all my remaining iniquities, and heal my diseases, and redeem my life from corruption, and crown me with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and satisfy my desire with good things.” —St. Augustine

“The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’
“He said to her, ‘Go call your husband and come back here.’
“The woman replied, ‘I have no husband.’
“Jesus said to her, ‘Right you are when you said, “I have no husband,” for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!’” —John 4:15–18

In these verses, Jesus demonstrates to us the truth of Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise.”

Going forth in the wisdom that God alone provides, the righteous are as trees of life. Continually displaying and offering God’s teaching, reproofing, and training in righteousness, God’s people point others to the Savior. We have the unique privilege of communicating with both words and deed God’s wisdom and His love to those who do not know Him!

This woman was in need of deliverance. Coming alone to retrieve water from the well in the middle of the day indicates to us perhaps that she was not surrounded by the companionship of many female friends. Most likely, the women would go together to the well in the early morning hours. According to her own words, she desired not to have to keep coming to the well to draw water. Perhaps she did not like the task; perhaps she did not like the rejection. More than likely, this woman was ostracized by the women of her town due to her lifestyle, and therefore she was open to the hope and acceptance which Jesus held out. Whatever the reason, she wanted the liberation that He was offering.

Jesus knows that she will be open to the remedy of grace. He doesn’t badger her, he doesn’t accuse her, he simply says, “Go, call your husband and come back.” Her response to Him is true, yet misleading: “I have no husband.” Jesus knows her exact situation. Her response was intended as a denial, yet sweetly Jesus interprets it as a confession. This woman is about to be set free!

“The love of Christ both wounds and heals, it fascinates and frightens, it kills and makes alive, it draws and repulses. There can be nothing more terrible or wonderful than to be stricken with love for Christ so deeply that the whole being goes out in a pained adoration of His person, an adoration that disturbs and disconcerts while it purges and satisfies and relaxes the deep inner heart.” —A. W. Tozer

Just as Jesus’ words revealed to the woman at the well who she really was, the Word of God reveals to us who we really are. The writer of Hebrews tells us:

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” —Hebrews 4:12–13

We need to be open to the Holy Spirit’s conviction so that we can live in the liberation that Jesus bought for us on the cross.

Become More

“Allow God to have complete liberty in your life when you speak. Before God’s message can liberate other people, His liberation must first be real in you. Gather your material carefully, and then allow God to ‘set your words on fire’ for His glory.” —Oswald Chambers

Further Reflections

“Jesus showed us what God really wants to cleanse and purify—our hearts. Christ’s transforming work on the cross helps us to break free from desires that hold us in bondage. As we submit to God, we become like Christ, no longer wanting to offend God. Out of gratitude we obey Him from the inside out.” —Tremper Longman

“Stand with confidence, serve with compassion, speak with care, submit with contrition, and share with concern. A believer should be what God wants him to be, do what God wants him to do, say what God wants him to say, sense what God wants him to sense, and share what God wants him to share. Spiritual maturity involves every aspect of life.” —Bible Knowledge Commentary

“So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!” —Matthew 5:23–26

Jesus tells us that when we find ourselves faced with troubles and conflict concerning fellow believers, or even our foes and adversaries, it is part of our calling and privilege to do our best to make things right. Harmony with others may not always be achievable, yet as Christians, we should not be the ones responsible for the lack of relationship or peace.

Paul tells us: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people” (Romans 12:18).

We are to bring peace, love, and forgiveness into all our relationships in spite of all of our differences, no matter how difficult they may be! It is simply not about us! This is part of the dying to self. It behooves us to remember that forgiveness is for the forgiver. When we harbor ill will for another it does nothing but poison us. Forgiveness on the other hand breathes life into our souls. Sin always destroys while obedience brings life in abundance.

“Forgiveness saves us the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.” —Hannah More

We are to work toward reconciliation whenever a breach has occurred in any relationship, but particularly with fellow believers. I cannot believe God applauds any division in His Body, the Church. In our verses for today, Jesus states that we are unfit for communion with God when we harbor ill will against our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Love and forgiveness are better than burnt offerings; our humble attempts at reconciliation will always be a sweet-smelling sacrifice to our heavenly Father. It is God’s desire for us to be a quickly forgiving people; those who are slow to become angry and quick to forgive. We are not to be a people who harbor, smolder, and seethe, seeking revenge rather than forgiveness. It is the way our Lord demonstrated, even as He hung on the cross:

“So when they came to the place that is called ‘The Skull,’ they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [But Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’] Then they threw dice to divide his clothes.” —Luke 23:33–34

Do we find ourselves in the unenviable position whereby we are being mistreated? It is both the teaching and example of Jesus that we are to forgive, difficult as that may seem. Yet with God, nothing is impossible! He never calls us to obedience without equipping us for the task. He is the ever-ready supply of grace, sufficient to meet our needs.

Become More

“Make me into a rock which swallows up the waves of wrong in its great caverns and never throws them back to swell the commotion of the angry sea from whence they came. Ah! To annihilate wrong in this way–to say, ‘It shall not be wrong against me, so utterly do I forgive it!’” —George MacDonald

“You never touch the ocean of God’s love as when you forgive and love your enemies.” —Corrie Ten Boom

“The man who is truly forgiven and knows it is a man who forgives.” —Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Further Reflections

“Peacemakers are people who breathe grace. They draw continually on the goodness and power of Jesus Christ, and then they bring His love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom to the conflicts of daily life. God delights to breathe His grace through peacemakers and use them to dissipate anger, improve understanding, promote justice, and encourage repentance and restoration.” —Ken Sande

“Consider Christ. He was of a meek and quiet spirit, and of a most long-suffering behavior … He was very much the object of bitter contempt and reproach, and slights and despised as of but little account. Though he as the Lord of glory, yet he was set at naught, and rejected … He was the object of the spit and malice and bitter reviling of the very ones he came to save … He was called a deceiver of people, and oftentimes he was said to be mad, and possessed with the devil … He was charged with being a wicked blasphemer, and one that deserved death on that account. They hated him with morbid hatred, and wished he was dead, and from time to time tried to murder him … His life was an annoyance to them, and they hated him so they could not bear that he should live … Yet Christ meekly bored all these injuries without resentment or one word of reproach, and with heavenly quietness of spirit pass through them all … On the contrary, he prayed for his murderers, that they might be forgiven, even when they were nailing him to the cross; and not only prayed for them, but pleaded in their behalf with His Father, that they knew not what they were doing.” —Jonathan Edwards

“Sir,” the woman said to him, “you have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do you get this living water? Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.” Jesus replied, “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” —John 4:11–14

Why is it that it is often easy for us to argue with Jesus? As His followers, all the promises of Scripture are ours, yet, like this woman at the well, we often question His plan, or His ability, or His compassion, or His love. If we do not see a visible sign of how Jesus will accomplish a promise, we often dismiss it. Our understanding of His ability to achieve a promise is inconsequential, yet unfortunately, we still lean all too often on our own veiled wisdom.

The Bible tells us:

“Trust in then LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5–6

In our verses for today, Jesus was speaking figuratively to the woman, while she took Him literally, questioning His ability to retrieve water from such a deep well. Unbeknownst to her, the depth of Jacob’s well was nothing in comparison to the depth of the wells of her own human heart. As we allow Jesus to draw out of our wells our hurt, or disappointment, or need, or desires, or insecurities, or indifference, or whatever else might be in there, He replenishes them with the living water of the precious Holy Spirit. He fills and heals us from within. Indeed, says Jesus, he gives us a spring of water which will take us into eternal life.

“On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, “From within him will flow rivers of living water.”’ (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)” —John 7:37–39

Satisfaction—is there not a wonderful sweetness to that word? Look around at the unsatisfied. We are ever craving beings and yet all the creature comforts of this temporal world are imperfect and not lasting. Look how hard people work to achieve an end to their appetites while all the while singing, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” The world yields but transient satisfaction. Jesus says, “I am offering to you what will truly satisfy—believe Me!”

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say: ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.” —Revelation 22:17

Become More

“Our misgivings begin within ourselves when we tell Jesus that our circumstances are just a little too difficult for Him. We say, ‘It’s easy to say, “Trust in the Lord,” but a person has to live; and besides, Jesus has nothing with which to draw water–no means to be able to give us these things.’ If we are honest, we will admit that we never have misgivings or doubts about ourselves, because we know exactly what we are capable or incapable of doing. But we do have misgivings about Jesus. My misgivings arise from the fact that I search within to find how He will do what He says.” —Oswald Chambers

Further Reflections

“Jesus knows that apart from living water we are all thirsty. We try to fill our wells with all sorts of things that will never satisfy. But the living water Jesus offers will allow us to never thirst again. ‘I send forth the river of life now to refresh and bring life to those who thirst after Me. I dry up the streams of inspiration before the feet of the proud. Those who glory in their own thoughts shall not drink. Those who pursue the paths of human reason shall be as a desert. I Myself am the direct source and the only source of eternal life. Every other well is dry. Every other pursuit is vain. But you shall be a fountain flowing forth whose streams shall not fail, for I, the Lord your God, dwell in the midst of you.’” —Frances L. Roberts

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

—Robert Robinson

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”—John 4:10

I love this encounter between Jesus and the woman at the well! It is within this meeting that we see Him perfectly demonstrating to us how to captivate the captive. Jesus has asked this woman for a cup of water, not because he is thirsty, but because he wants to have a conversation with her. Waving off her objection to the differences between the Jews and Samaritans, Jesus avoids an argument and instead turns her attention to something much more important.

He wants her to think.

Jesus came to set the captive free. No longer would those who believe in Him be forced to live in bondage to sin and deprivation. He came to give life and life to the full, to show the incomparable riches of God’s grace. There is nothing anyone can do to earn this gift and nothing anyone can do to deserve it.

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8–9

Jesus holds the gift of life out to all and issues the sweet word to us, “Come.”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28–30

The “living water” Jesus refers to in our verse for today is the precious Holy Spirit who is given to every believer in Christ. This “living water” empowers us to do God’s work and equips us to experience life to the full.

Become More

“It is clear then, that there is no hope for me out of Christ: for there is no other blood-shedding which is worth a thought as an atonement for sin. Am I then believing in Him? Is the blood of His atonement truly applied to my soul? All men are on a level as to their need of Him. If we be never so moral, generous, amiable, or patriotic, the rule will not be altered to make an exception for us. Sin will yield to nothing less potent than the blood of Him whom God hath set forth as a propitiation. What a blessing that there is the one way of pardon! Why should we seek another?” —C. H. Spurgeon

Further Reflections

“Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. His soul shall be as a watered garden, and as a well of water whose waters fail not … It matters not what thy need is, for there is fullness of supply in Christ, and it is there for thee.” —C. H. Spurgeon

“And although you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the domain of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…” —Ephesians 2:1–3