Day 23
Today’s reading: John 3:22-4:30
Living Water
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Living Water 〰️
Reflections
Jesus never engaged in debates to simply take one side or another. Instead, He always sought to reveal the deeper meaning behind those debates, often reframing the question and redefining key terms and concepts. This is evident when the Samaritan woman raised the issue of the proper place of worship. Jesus used this moment to redefine worship, emphasizing that it is not about the "where" but the "how"—worship is a matter of the heart, not just a physical act.
Jesus also highlighted something crucial: true worship comes from a place of complete sincerity, but it must also be informed by our knowledge of God. You cannot worship a God you do not know. Our understanding of God shapes how willing we are to give to Him. If the Samaritan woman had known who she was speaking to, she wouldn’t have hesitated to offer back to the source of living water, realizing there was more than enough to go around.
This is similar to many of us: we hold back from giving to God because we don’t truly understand who He is. Let’s seek to know the God we serve, so our worship can be sincere, free from ulterior motives, pretense, and hypocrisy.
Study Questions
Why did the Jews and Samaritans harbor this animosity towards each other? Refer to 2 Kings 17:24-41 and Ezra 4:17-24 for context.
What does it mean to worship God in spirit and in truth?
What did Jesus mean by "living water" in John 4:10, and what caused the Samaritan woman to misunderstand this concept?
What did you learn about God’s nature, His ways and His will from today’s reading?
Highlight
“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”” John 4:10 ESV
