The Living Water Part 4 (Jn. 4:27-45)

This is my personal summary of the preaching of Rev Dr Stephen Tong on 7 February 2010 in True Way Presbyterian Church. It was preached in Chinese with English translation.

Passage: John 4:27-45

Your life will not be a waste if you realise the potential God has given you. The Samaritan woman married the wrong man and did the wrong job. Her potential did not match what she was doing.

When we preach the gospel, often instead of convincing people we are convinced by them. Instead of using God’s Word to reveal their sin, they reveal the sin of the churches. We give up too fast.

In contrast, the Samaritan was honest to confess that Jesus Christ revealed all her sins. Although her life was in a mess, she had religious hope and was waiting for the Messiah. She is a very unique person. In the Bible there were three prophets who turned the masses towards God, they are Elijah, Jonah and John the Baptist. This woman is the forth one that the brought the masses to Christ with her powerful testimony.

When Jesus went to the town the people wanted Him to stay with them. He stayed there for two days. In these two days, Jesus did all He was supposed to do. It was hard for the disciples to understand Christ’s decision in talking with a Samaritan woman and then stayed in Samaria which had cultural and religious conflict with the Jews. But this is a necessary event in history. After this incident, Jesus never went back to Samaria again. This is the only moment, an important historic moment for the Samaritans. His conversation with the Samaritan woman was something that has to happen.

We need to learn to discern important moments like that and not waste our time. We need to postpone other things and know how to sacrifice when an important moment comes.

In the whole gospel, there are a few instances Jesus praised Samaritans as being better than the Jews. When the ten lepers were healed, only one came back to give thanks to God and he was a Samaritan. So Jesus asked where the other nine were. Then Jesus also told the parable of the good Samaritan, who was merciful and willing to give compared to the priest and the Levite who simply passed by. Jesus demonstrated that not only God’s chosen nation Israel need the gospel but one day all nations shall be blessed by the gospel.

Jesus was willing to stay where the Gentiles are. What is your attitude towards the Gentiles?