What is authentic worship? This question was put to Jesus by a women in Samaria. His response answered that question and more.
Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. And He had to pass through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 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.) 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.” She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
… So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” They went out of the city, and were coming to Him. … From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”
So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:1-42
We love poles. Which is correct? Conservative or liberal? North or South? AFC or NFC? Black bear or brown bear?
Experience or creed? Predestination or free choice? Catholic tradition or reformation theology?
Samaria or Jerusalem?
In this interchange, Jesus and the woman (I wish I knew her name; it seems so rude to call her “the woman”) enter into a dialogue that is both relational and doctrinal. Jesus is clearly the initiator. He initiates out of His needs, fatigue, hunger and thirst. But even in His needs He begins by shattering prejudicial barriers.
This captures her attention. She notices. And she responds. Already she is coming. Or is He drawing her?
She starts her series of questions: how is it that you being a Jew have anything to do with me, a Samaritan, and a woman? Jesus answers her “how” question, which is a theology question, with a “who” answer. “If you knew Who it was … .”
The Savior moves from His personal needs to her spiritual ones. He affirms her ignorance – “if you knew.” He salts her with “what,” (the gift of God) and, with “who.” Actually, both the gift and the giver are the same.
It takes her a while to catch up. Her initial response is to take him literally, mistakenly, still lost in her ignorance. “Where’s your bucket?” But Jesus stays on course.
Jesus takes her deeper. He transits over from the natural to the supernatural. He speaks of need, of thirst, and one’s efforts to quench it, an effort that is perpetual and temporary every time. Jesus speaks of one last draught. One that is not just another temporary slake in an endless series, but one that uniquely becomes something of a completely different character, a well, an endless source.
She’s still a little confused. But now she’s moved beyond asking how, to asking for the gift Jesus offers. But she’s still talking about natural water and her daily treks to get it. Is it confusion, or is she mocking? In any event, she takes Jesus up on His offer, and asks for this living water. By asking, perhaps unwittingly, she asks, invites, Jesus into a place in her heart. He goes there. He confronts her about her sex life.
This confrontation inspires a doctrinal epiphany, if an incomplete one. She now knows Jesus as a prophet, an office not occupied for 400 years, superior to the religious elite of the day.
Spunky that she is, and with formalistic barriers now well shattered, she takes advantage of meeting a prophet to present Him with her theological question which has confounded her from the beginning: what is authentic religious worship? Her incredulity at Jesus speaking with her came from the conflict between Jews and Samaritans, generations old, that had consigned her and her people (for which she feels quite an affinity, as we see) to marginalized inferiority. Maybe there is hope? Maybe this newly discovered prophet will vindicate the Samaritans and confirm they were right all along? So, Prophet Jesus, which mountain is it? Where – how – are we to worship? What is the place, manner and method to approach the living God? She is what some today might call a “seeker,” theologically inquisitive. Her inquiry reveals a spiritual hunger and journey. (And it doesn’t hurt to change the subject away from her sex life.)
Jesus’ answer: First, the Jews have it right, but that is not the point. The centuries old traditions of worship of both communities are both about to come to an abrupt close, including by further Roman occupation and destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.
Second, and more importantly, her entire paradigm, her starting point, her assumptions, are wrong. True worship is not determined by place, which mountain, but by worship that is in spirit and in truth.
Spirit. Truth.
Experience. Doctrine.
Relationship. Orthodoxy.
Spirit without truth risks subjectivity and error. Truth without spirit risks lifeless rigidity.
These poles are not mutually exclusive. To the contrary, they are both essential.
As is Jesus’ initiative, and the woman’s response.
Within this dance, clearly the Savior is the one who has initiated the Samaritan Woman’s entrance into life. As for her response, can one untangle whether it is her own volition or the Savior’s drawing her? Does it matter? Must it be one or the other, or could it be both?
As the dance continues, as the relationship deepens, as her experience continues, her theological understanding grows. She is not initially wrong, just incomplete. She progresses in her understanding of Jesus from recognizing Him as :
- Exceptional in His love by transcending barriers of prejudice;
- A prophet;
- Messiah; and
- I AM.
How does she grow in this theological understanding? Is it Jesus’ revelations to her? Her diligent study and intellectual application? Her experience and her relationship with Him? Can these all really be strained and separated from one another? Is there any need to?
All of our understanding of God comes from His revelation of Himself to us.
Theology – literally the study of God – is the practical systematization, organization, categorization, and labeling of His revelation of Himself. Theology is a useful tool. It is a natural human instinct. Like all useful tools, it has valuable utility, and is also subject to misuse. One can use theological systems for life application, further study, exposition, and more. And, one can use theology for lifeless and pointless debate, and sectarian competition (e.g., Samaria versus Jerusalem; I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, …; I am of Luther, Calvin, Arminius, …).
Theology is a one-way street. Meaning, God’s revealed truths about Himself, understanding that Truth is first and foremost a Person, flows into our theology, and not the other way around. We categorize and label God’s revelation. But once categorized, we cannot lay these systems, doctrines and terminologies back on God or His inspired scriptural revelation.
Our theological understandings must always be held somewhat tentatively, subject to our increasing understanding as God makes Himself known. This should breed a sense of awe and wonder, and keep our focus on the living God, rather than dogma we would draft and debate about Him. This approach also reduces certitudes that can divide, and to which no one can properly lay claim.
This is not to suggest at all that theology is relative, subjective, individual, or the like. God has revealed Himself substantially in His relational experience with humanity, corporately and individually, in nature, and in scripture. Yet our theology will always be somewhat incomplete, and a little beyond us. We will simply never be able to fully comprehend God. But we can know Him, increasingly.
Theology is the valuable and worthwhile study of God. But it is not God Himself.
Our goal is not theology, it is to know God Himself.
The woman at the well experienced Jesus, and grew in her theology. Her experience and theological growth came from both her relationship with Him and His expositional statements.
The woman then transmitted both what she had learned, and what she had experienced, to the rest of the town. They responded, at first to her words, and then as they spent time with Jesus.
So,
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
2 “He will revive us after two days;
He will raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
3 “So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.
His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3