John 4:1-42

16 Oct 2013, CMA

Possible Titles:-

“Woman Finds True Love”, “Better Food & Drink”, “Greater Food & Drink”,

“What is your Favorite Food & Drink?", ...

- Here Jesus makes it very clear what should be, by far, our most desirable "food" (John 4:33-35). BTW, what are some of your most desirable foods? Sushi / Chocolates / etc? What all comes to your mind when you think of food? (Something we enjoy a lot and need to live on?) (Take this bit further - what food & drink do you deeply crave for when you are very tired and hungry? ...)

Whatever all great "food" (/ money / dreams / desires / etc) this world offers, Jesus teaches us in John 4:33-36 that we should first seek & pursue God's will as the "ETERNAL" & most valuable FOOD (John 4:36). There is added joy in enjoying this kind of food with others in partnership.

- Jesus also talk about “drinks”! He clarifies if we “drink of this world”, we will be thirsty again (John 4:12). But Jesus offers a kind of drink that eternally satisfies (John 4:13)!

- Jesus practiced what He preached (here about food). In the beginning of John 4 Jesus was presumably very tired and worn (John 4:6). He might have been very hungry as the disciples had gone out to fetch food. Still, when He saw the Samaritan woman - a broken woman with great needs - he reached out and helped her, as a good Samaritan. He presumably had to go way out of His comfort zone, also because of great social/cultural/religious barriers (He was Jew and she was Samaritan). And when the disciples returned He clarified that He prefers to do God’s will over eating food (John 4:34). Try to put yourself in the same situation - You are very tired & hungry - would you be able to say what Jesus did in John 4:34 (“ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”)?

- The Samaritan woman has been looking for true love for a while. Her own attempts would lead her to disappointments (John 4:18), until now that she finds Jesus - embodiment of true love - Love that is eternal and never fails. Are you looking for true love in wrong places?

- Talking of how Jesus reached out to people, let us compare the case of Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) and the case of this Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42). From the worldly "social status" point of view, Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman were on the two ends of spectrum. Many probably considered Nicodemus was a very respectable/educated Jewish leader and teacher - a kind of a guy you would think is always on top of things - always cracking straight "A"s in life. The Samaritan woman, in contrast, could have been considered an outcast - someone seen by many as a severely broken, lost person. Nicodemus was smart enough to go to Jesus, but the Samaritan woman was presumably so lost that I am not sure if she even knew where to get help from. Apparently, she could not have gone herself to Jesus. So, Jesus came to her! This is God's heart. God Himself reaches out to the needy, who even may not know where to get help from. Quite encouraging, huh?