Title: Wandering of the Woman
Today’s main scripture is Jhn 4:5-26: Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well. She had 5 husbands and was living with the 6th husband, however, this 6th man is not her husband. This story of this Samaritan woman is like a precious gem in theology because it teaches us what a sin is and what a salvation is.
- Jesus didn’t count how many sins she committed
Samaria is one of the cities that Assyria intentionally mixed the Jews with the Gentiles so that the people of Israel may lose their identity. Because the Samaritans are half-blooded, the so called pure Jews hated and disregarded the Samaritans. Even if it takes 5 more hours, the Jews preferred going around the village Samaria then going pass Samaria.
Jhn 4:6 says that it was the 6th hour ie. It was at noon time. However, it is not a usual time where the women come out to get water. From this, we can understand that she was trying to avoid bumping into other women. So, we can say that she was a sinner among the Samaritans.
Jesus came to save all mankind: There is no place He cannot go. Jesus went into the village Samaria and by the well of Jacob, He met a woman and asked her to give Him water. She said, “being a Jew, how come you are asking a Samaritan woman to give you water?” Jesus said, “If you know who I am, you would’ve asked me to give you water because whoever drink the water I give will never thirst again.”
She asked to give her this water so that she doesn’t need to go to the well again. Then, Jesus asked, “bring your husband.” She said, “I don’t have one.” It was a lie but Jesus answered, “Yes, you are right, you had five before and living with the 6th but they are not your husbands.”
This Samaritan woman could be a sinner among the sinners, the worst of the worst. She just lied before Jesus who knows everything. It could be the moment when Jesus tells her off and ask how many sins and what kind of sins she committed. For God, sin is a sin. Whether there are 1,000 sins or 1 sin: they are all sinners in the eyes of God, thus will come to the same consequences.
- Wandering of the woman
The Samaritan woman lied to Jesus and pretended to be someone who she was not. That is a con and fraud. There is a figure whom God wants her to be, but she ignores it. Because she lost the destination, she was wandering around. This is the sin.
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent came in and tempted the woman saying you can be a god if you eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eve lost her destination, she ignored who God wanted her to be. As a result, she started covering herself, pretending and acting like she is ok by making herself loin coverings with fig leaves (Gen3:5-6; Gen 3:7; Gen 2:25).
We know that God is the Almighty but there is one thing God cannot do: that is to tell a lie. If we use the expression of ‘covering, pretending, acting’ instead of telling a lie. It means God doesn’t lie, He doesn’t cover. He doesn’t pretend (1 Sam 15:29).
Adam and Eve, before the fall, didn’t lie, didn’t cover, didn’t pretend and were naked: This is what God wants us to be. The Samaritan woman lied, pretended, covered herself but she realized who Jesus is, she boldly walked around the street and deliver the message of the Messiah to the people.
She stopped hiding, covering and lying: Theologically speaking this is the Salvation that is to understand who and how I am through the previous blood of Jesus Christ.
When we cover ourselves, God doesn’t cover us. But when we stop covering ourselves, that’s the moment, God intervenes and covers us.
Adam and Eve made the loin coverings, but it didn’t work. So, they were being sentenced for their sins by God. However, God gave them a hope, the message of the seed of the woman, and we know that Adam and Eve believed in the Word. Hence, Adam named his wife, Eve, which means ‘life.’
So, when they believed in the Word of God that life will be brought back to them and thus when they stopped pretending and covering themselves, that was the moment God made them garments of skin which symbolizes the forgives of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: Times of refreshing will come
Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore and return, that your sins will be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
When we repent, get rid of lies and be naked (honest) before God, there comes the times of refreshing.
Jhn 4:28-30 So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and *said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is He?” 30 They left the city and were coming to Him.
This Samaritan woman finally found her destination and whom she should be. She became an evangelist of Jesus Christ and bore many fruits. Once, she was dry and thirsty, she couldn’t expect to bear any fruits. But now, she found the living water, started bearing all kinds of fruits.
If we repent and be naked, TLCC will bear fruit: You and I will bear much fruit. The times of joy and happiness will come, the times of refreshing will come upon us. Amen!
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 