A TRANSFORMING ENCOUNTER
by Lay Pastor Budy Avianto
Lemah Putro, Sunday, March 29, 2020
Shalom,
These days, in all parts of the world—rich or poor countries, god-fearing or atheistic countries—are facing serious problems with the Corona virus outbreak. Social-distancing policy is implemented and some countries have been shut down. And the churches, without exception, are now temporarily online to break the spread of COVID-19. Wherever and whatever circumstances we are in, God is present when two or three people gather in His Name (Matthew 18:20).
No one can predict exactly when this storm of coronavirus will be over. Nevertheless, we are to be thankful because we can still seek and find His Person despite the current situation. The days are coming for a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. The lovely young women and strong young men even will faint because of thirst (Amos 8: 11-14). Having a void in our hearts—without the Word of God (= God's Person; John 1: 1)—is dangerous for we will commit many crimes eventhough the nation is 'safe'. Aren’t crimes and murders committed by those who do not fear the Lord?
The truth is, no matter how awful our conditions may seem, as long as we can still read and hear the Word of God that grows our faith (Romans 10:17)—though with great effort— our hearts will find comfort, strength and hope. What is more, we are up against invisible enemies: the principalities, the rulers, the cosmic powers over this present darkness and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).
No doubt that God loves us so much. If we are willing to come and believe in Him, our spiritual life will grow and our faith will be strong to be able to love Him, as experienced by the Samaritan woman. What happened to this woman?
♦ Her life was satisfied with living water (John 4: 1-15).
After finishing His ministry in Judea, Jesus and His disciples headed for Galilee by passing through Samaria. He stopped by at Sychar and Jacob's well was there. They were hungry and His disciples went to town to buy some food while Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting by the well.
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink” (v.7). Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)” (v.9).
This Samaritan woman did not know Jesus (a Jew) but she knew that there was a wall between the Jews and the Samaritans. There was indeed a rift between Jews and Samaritans. The Jews, being God’s chosen people, feel superior and undermine other nations. Yet, Jesus took the initiative to open up a conversation despite religious restrictions.
Jesus answered and said to her,“If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” (v.10)
Jesus’ response to the Samaritan woman’s question seemed out of context, left her completely baffled. At first He asked water for a drink from a (physical) well but then He shifted the discussion to God's gifts and living water.
What is God’s gift? When we repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit is purely God’s free gift which no man can give. And Jesus is the Baptizer of the Holy Spirit (Mark 1: 8).
The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman simply didn’t make sense. The Samaritan woman was talking about temporary physical matters while Jesus was talking about spiritual matters. The longer you know someone the more you know whether someone is trustworthy or not. Unfortunately, in the case of this Samaritan woman, she did not know Jesus. Thus, she talked merely about temporary physical matters. But Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come (Revelation 1:8). We, who have known Him through His Word, are to ask for His mercy not to depart from us. Not knowing Jesus, the Samaritan woman did not feel a sense of loss though she left Jesus. Why so? Because she did not understand what He was saying.
Let’s be honest, often times we do not understand the Word of God that we read or hear. Yet, let’s not give up easily! Keep hearing the Word! And keep believing in the Word of God, the Person of God (John 1: 1) who is dwelling and pitching His tabernacle among us (v. 14)! That way, we get the chance to know Him more day by day. Believe that He – the Word – who is and who was and who is to come! He is all powerful!
Fortunately, the Samaritan woman did not leave Jesus right away eventhough she did not understand what Jesus meant by living water. She kept listening to Jesus' explanation.Then, she asked for that living water so that she would not be thirsty nor come all the way to draw water from the well.
We undeniably need physical things while living in the world. Still, let’s not ignore our hearts that need living water springing up to eternal life. If we focus only on physical needs in our daily lives, we will never be satisfied. Many rich people are driven by the desire to accumulate more and more wealth (on earth) simply because they are discontented with what they have already had. But if this very night their lives are demanded from them, then who will get what they have prepared for themselves (Luke 12:20)?
What did Jesus mean by living water? On the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus invited anyone who was thirsty to come and drink. And whoever believed in Him, rivers of living water, namely the Holy Spirit, would flow from within them (John 7: 38-39). After Jesus died, raised from the dead, glorified and ascended to Heaven, the Father sent the Holy Spirit as the Helper who will be with us forever (John 14: 16,26).
Logically, water always flows from higher to lower place. In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we should humbly seek God's Word so that we can know Him more. Evidently, the Samaritan woman demonstrated humility. Proof? She kept listening to Jesus’ saying (the Word) even though she did not understand because she was longing to know Him more.
What are the purposes and the roles of the Holy Spirit? After Jesus returned to the Father who had sent Him, the Holy Spirit was sent as a Comforter to convict the world concerning sin, to guide into all the truth and to prove the world to be in the wrong about judgment (John 16: 7-15). If the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, we will experience a radical transformation. He will convict us concerning our past wrongs. Besides, He will also comfort us when we are feeling down and He will guide us to understand God's Word and believe that Jesus gives us salvation (John 3:16). A transformed life will experience satisfaction. The Holy Spirit that flows from within is springing up and manifesting Himself in thoughts, words and deeds so that we no longer walk in the flesh, but rather we endure until eternal life.
When we read and listen to God's Word with humility and then we believe, our hearts are sealed by the Holy Spirit to eternal life. The Holy Spirit is also a guarantee of God's ownership upon our lives (Ephesians 1: 13-14). Beware! Stubborn people who refuse to be convicted by the Holy Spirit concerning their sins and be guided into all the truth, nor believe in judgment— will end in eternal perdition.
Who is Jesus? He is the Alpha and the Omega—and to all who are thirsty He will give freely from the springs of the water of life. Believers who have the Holy Spirit in their lives will experience transformation upon transformation until they become blameless for one day to meet with the Fountain of the water of life. On the contrary, cowards, unbelievers (those who do not have humility and who are without the seal of the Holy Spirit), the corrupt and the like—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 21:6).
The Samaritan woman initially did not recognize and did not understand the words of Jesus but she had humility to keep listening to His words and as a result her faith culminated that she asked for living water she desperately needed.
♦ Her knowing of Jesus increased and she acknowledged Him as a Prophet (v. 16-19).
Meeting Jesus transformed this Samaritan woman’s discontentment that she had been struggling with her whole life. She honestly confessed to having discontented marriage when Jesus was asking about her husbands. Jesus knew exactly about her troubled (and hampered by shame) marriage though she tried to conceal it.
This woman's view had shifted that she acknowledged Jesus as a Prophet. We know there are many prophets found in the Old Testament. A prophet is God-appointed individual and serves as a divine mouth piece. Example: Moses wrote the Book of Genesis even though he was not there during the creation of the universe. A Prophet also predicts what will happen in the future like the prophet Amos. There was also a prophet whom God used to perform miracles, like the prophet Elijah whose prayer had brought fire from the Lord to consume the burnt offerings and the wood, and licked even water in the trench (1 Kings 18: 36-38).
In the books of the prophets in the Old Testament, there were major prophets and minor prophets, while in the New Testament Jesus and John were both called prophets. What does it signify? Jesus was sent by God and His Word contains power if we believe in Him. For example, take this sampling from the New Testament:
- When Jesus fed 5,000 men with 5 barley bread and 2 fish there were even leftovers, He was called a Prophet for performing a miracle (John 6:14).
- Two of Jesus' disciples, who were on the way to Emmaus, told the resurrected Jesus (whom they did not recognize) that Jesus was a prophet mighty in word and deeds (Luke 24: 13-14,19). He turned water into wine at a wedding reception in Cana (John 2: 1-11); He healed a centurion’s servant (Luke 7: 1-10); He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11: 17,39-44), etc. For nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
The Samaritan woman called Jesus a Prophet because He could tell her about her past, her present and her future.
The Word of God time and time again comes to teach, to reprove, to correct, to train in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). How do we respond? We are to receive with humility and believe in His Word. We are to return to Him and be willing to be transformed. Don’t get offended and blame the hard Word instead! And, don’t dodge a stern rebuke! Pay attention to this: a person (‘s heart) who is starving for God's Word tend to do something reckless and irrational.
♦ Her worship was corrected by Jesus. Her worship was no longer performed on the mountain or in Jerusalem to unknown gods but to the Father in spirit and in truth (vv. 20-24).
Hearts inhabited by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God will affect our worship. This woman had worshipped in a certain place to a god she did not know, but Jesus affirmed that the living God is Spirit and we can worship Him everywhere in spirit and in truth.
Whom do we worship? I’m sure we do not worship any physical idols like statues and lucky charms. However, we are unconsciously still attached to the 'idols' that we 'worship' (among others: our hobbies and our jobs), more than we worship the living God. Don’t get me wrong. We should work hard for our living because the Bible clearly states: if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). You can have still have hobbies, but put them in their rightful places. Also, our worship should not be grounded in circumstances, conditions and feelings (e.g., we can only feel God’s presence when we gather in church with a group of people). A perk from the ongoing social-distancing policy is we are trained to be self-reliant worshippers. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit in our hearts will remind us and encourage us to worship Him both in spirit and in truth anywhere as well as anytime.
A true servant of God would refuse to be worshipped just as the angel who was about to be worshiped by the Apostle John (Revelation 19:10; 22: 8-9). A servant of the Lord, no matter how great he is, is only a messenger who brings the revelation through His Word. If the audience understands the exposition of the biblical texts, it is because the Holy Spirit is at work in revealing the truth.
Take note here. If we experience an encounter with the Lord and we know Him well, our hearts will be filled with His Word and the Holy Spirit. This means our lives are being transformed day by day, and we can worship Him in spirit and in truth without being limited by place, time, or circumstances; accordingly the Triune God dwells within us. Amen.
Video selengkapnya, Ibadah Umum - "Perjumpaan Yang Mengubahkan" Pdm. Budy Avianto.