Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me."

Luke 9:23-NLT

My husband often tells this screen saver story when he speaks about Satan’s spirit of delusion that often attracts us into his domain. The story goes, a man was given two doors to choose from. When the man opens the first door, he saw laughter, happiness, success, fun and entertainment. As he opens the second door, all he sees is a peaceful calm space with the sound of wind and soft songs. The man automatically assumed the first door must be the better choice because it seems so alive and fun. To his surprise as he entered the first door, he learned that it was a screen saver! Behind that delusion is heartache, pain, disappointment, rejection, and death. The door with the screen saver that appeared to be boring, and disinteresting was the one he was truly seeking. That door had joy, laughter, peace, enjoyment and everlasting reward and contentment. I reference this story to highlight that Jesus’ teaching for many people might sound overbearing and even burdensome when it is read (Luke 14:26, Luke 14:33). Nevertheless, when a person takes the time to get to know Jesus and his mission to seek and save their soul, his message is the opposite of what our adversary (Satan) wants us to believe.

There are several stories in the Bible where the Spirit of delusion manifested in people’s lives. These delusional spirits make people seek earthly things to fill the different voids that they have.  Many people are familiar with the Rich Young Ruler story referenced in Mark 10:17-27 where he allows the love of his wealth to hinder his opportunity to be with God for eternity. Like the Rich Young ruler, although we know or have been warned that we are heading in the wrong direction, we are stuck.  Our earthly comfort blinds us to the eternal danger that we are walking or running toward.  For this young man, it was his wealth that was the obstacle that prevented him from answering Jesus’ call.  However, for many of us, it’s simple things like, ungratefulness, a romantic relationship, thirst for power, fear, guilt, shame, greed, people pleasing, and/or other empty desires we often choose over Jesus’ calling.  Satan makes us believe that these earthly desires are necessary to make us feel whole or complete.   For example, there has been an increase of suicide incidents amongst famous rich people. Why would rich people kill themselves when they have so much wealth? The answer is simple, there is no earthly wealth or possession that can bind or fill voids that people are longing for to heal their heart/soul (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). Only God – through Jesus Christ – can bind and heal the hearts of men. (Psalm 147:3). ^"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelations 21:3-4).  There is a woman who I believe encountered a similar dilemma in her life in John 4: 1-26. We do not know why Jesus encountered the woman at the time that he did, however, we know that God is always intentional with every decision that he makes. Could it be possible that the Samaritan woman was crying out to God about her life struggles? Or could it be that God saw her desire to change but she felt stuck? Can we relate to these feelings?

A woman’s journey:  The Woman at the well

John 4: 1-26-NIV

"Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee." The scriptures simply say that Jesus left an area where his ministry was thriving to go to Galilee once more. Galilee is Jesus’ hometown that he had referenced not being able to perform miracles in due to their "lack of faith" (Mark 6 :4-6). God instructed Jesus to go, and he obeyed and went.  I know the attitude of my heart would have been "God, why these people? I went to them already and they rejected you." As we can see, that is not Jesus’ heart because he trusted his Father. Is this our attitude when God calls us to do things that don’t align with our understanding or does not make sense to our logical mind? There are different theories about why Jesus had to go through Samaria instead of all the different routes he could have traveled.  However, I believe, God knew there were souls in Samaria who needed his everlasting love. "Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon" (Verses 4-6). God is always precise in his overall plan. The fact that the woman came to get water at noon which is known as the hottest time of day in the area when other people from the town would not likely come to draw water, tells me the woman was isolated and was protecting herself from her community. It is very possible that God saw this woman’s physical and internal struggles and sent Jesus on a mission to rescue her (Luke 5: 31-32). As you reflect on the Samaritan’s decision, think of your life. What are the sins in your life that are preventing you from connecting with God? Who or what are you hiding from in your life where you feel alone, helpless, and invisible? You see, God knew this woman needed deliverance and he knows that you do as well. To God you are visible, and you matter. The Samaritan woman came to draw earthly water and instead found eternal water. "When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans- Verse 5-9). The Samaritan woman saw the heart of God before even knowing she was speaking with God in the flesh, by recognizing that this Jew went against the norm of the society at the time. I honestly believe Jesus, the son of God, could have satisfied his thirst without the woman’s water but neither the water nor the thirst was his mission. His mission was to win the heart and soul of the woman. How often do we miss the mission of God because we focus on the physical matter of this world instead of the spiritual lessons or blessings that God has for us? "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" (Verse-10). I see this exchange as the grace and merciful Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus knew this woman was seeking something more than the water she came to draw, so he introduced God’s mercy and everlasting gift to her which was eternal life/salvation. "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock" (Verse 11-12)? The woman’s response to Jesus made it clear that her focus is on the physical, religious, and political matters of her world.  The Samaritan woman’s facts were correct, but I love how Jesus did not let historical facts or earthly truth interfere with his spiritual mission. Frequently, as Christians/disciples of Jesus Christ, we allow the facts of our culture or environment to influence our reaction instead of focusing on the mission. Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (Verse 13-14). Jesus did not entertain the woman’s statements but in contrast he drew her back to his mission of introducing her to eternal life. In fact, her question to Jesus about being greater than Jacob is true and Jesus in his ego could have challenged the woman but instead he stayed steadfast in His effort to win her over for God. There is so much we can learn from Jesus’ interaction with the woman, as God’s ambassador to a world that is always ready for a fight to justify their points. If we as followers of Jesus imitate His focus on humility and salvation, we would help so many people to draw closer to God. The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water" (Verse-15). The woman was still missing the spiritual gift that Jesus was offering to her. Her focus is on meeting her physical needs which is temporary. The woman’s response should resonate with each of us because we tend to get impatient with God because we want immediate gratification. However, God is patient with us just as Jesus demonstrated with the woman, guiding us to see the long-term effect or benefits. It’s obvious by the woman’s response she is seeking something long term and consistent in her life.  The woman must have thought, "Wow! Water that can prevent me from coming to this well which will stop me from living in fear, isolation, shame, and rejection from others? Give it to me!" In fact, she was right because Jesus did empty her earthly jar and filled her jar with spiritual drinks to free her from Satan’s bondage. He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true" (Verse16-18). This part of the interaction I call the repentance and transformation Gospel of Jesus as he invited the woman to face her life of sins. He waited for the perfect opportunity to join the woman in her earthly mindset which forces her to look at her life. Jesus’ action communicated to the woman, I am not concerned about the law or political arguments of this world, but I am concerned about your soul and salvation.   "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem" (19-20). Despite Jesus’ effort to bring the woman to spiritual thinking, she continued to focus on the tangible and facts of the earth. How often do we do the exact thing to God in our search for him or walk with him? "Woman," Jesus replied, "believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth" (Verse 21-24). Jesus realized that unless he addressed the woman’s questions and fixation about the earthly laws or facts, she would not see the spiritual gift that He was offering her. Therefore, Jesus addressed her concerns and added the spiritual facts about true worship according to God’s plan. The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you—I am he" (Verses-25-26). Did you noticed how after Jesus addressed her fixations and incorporated spiritual facts in His answers, the Samaritan woman in turn responded with a spiritual mindset? And she was able to receive the gift of God.

Reflection:

As I reflected on the story of the Samaritan woman, I realized that I have been where she was at various times in my life. Have you ever felt so empty in your life where you are seeking to fill that void? Wishing for answers and the answers that you are seeking seem so unreachable or impossible? Oftentimes, things that we attempt to fill our Jar with only last for a little while or cause us more pain. We often try to fill the void with tangible things such as relationships, pleasures, success/accomplishments, education, people pleasing, drugs/alcohol, etc. Unfortunately, many people feel so defeated by the void of hopelessness from the empty feelings of life that they are just existing instead of living.  Are you willing to leave your worldly jar at the foot of the cross and let God fill your Jar with everlasting life? Jesus offered the woman an everlasting solution to fill the voids in her life which is also available to all of us today.  After Jesus brought the Samaritan woman to a spiritual state of mind and declared "I, the one speaking to you-I am he" (John 4:26), the Holy Spirit has led me to think deeper and see the metaphor of her action. In John 4:28-29 the Scripture says "then leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?"  I see the woman leaving the jar at the well with Jesus as a metaphoric sign of deliverance and transformation. I believe the woman did not only leave the jar, but she also left her feelings of fear, shame, isolation, hopelessness, and her sinful life. How can I draw such conclusion? The simple fact that she ran toward the town to share her newly found hope and deliverance, despite what they might have thought of her, conveyed she is free. Her radical boldness drew the town’s curiosity. They came to see Jesus for themselves. Reflecting on your own life, what areas in your inner soul/heart do you need Jesus to fill with "everlasting water?" Jesus is calling us to leave whatever our "Jar" might be at the foot of the cross. Another lesson we can learn studying this message, Jesus expects transformation when he calls people to join his kingdom (John 4:15-16). Jesus offers the Samaritan woman salvation and after she says, "Give it to me Jesus," he addressed the sins in her life that was hindering her spiritual fulfilment. What is holding you back from saying yes to Jesus’ call or giving yourself fully to his mission?  Most individuals want the gift of Salvation without the willingness to change by continuing to live their lives against God’s commands. Scripture warns us that unless we transform from living by the flesh to living through the Spirit of God, we will not enter God’s kingdom (Galatians 5:13-26; Revelations 2:4-5). We learned that Jesus’ act of love through His patience, kindness, and willingness to speak the truth in humility to the woman is what led to people believing in God. Our willingness to allow Jesus through the Holy Spirit to transform our lives can be the tool that God uses to free us from our lives of bondage and save many people from Satan’s delusions.

 Studying Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman has several life lessons that we can apply in our walk with Jesus. For example, Jesus gave the Apostles a glimpse of what his kingdom will be like when they found him speaking with the Samaritan woman. John 4:27, says they were "surprised" to have found him speaking with a woman, not just a woman but one from a different culture, yet nobody questioned Jesus. We should all have the desire to be like Jesus by obeying God when he sends us. We should also desire to learn how to filter through the noises that Satan uses to distract us when we are having conversations with people so that we do not drift away from God’s mission. This lesson applies to when we speak to Christians and non-Christians. Jesus demonstrated His love in action as he patiently speaks to the woman with grace, truth, and love. In contrast, the Samaritan woman taught us what we might know as facts in this world are not God’s facts in His kingdom. When we encounter Jesus, we must be willing to surrender everything that hinders our spiritual growth. Lastly, the courage, joy, and everlasting promise we receive from knowing Jesus is worth telling everyone we know despite potential societal risks.