Christ Confronts A Samaritan Woman
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series V, Cycle A
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7 (C, E); Exodus 17:3--7 (RC)
The people of Israel cry out against Moses and God for bringing them out into the wilderness, where there is no water. Moses, fearing for his life, takes the problem to the Lord. God commands Moses to take the staff with which he struck the Nile, when the sea parted before them, and strike a rock. Water would flow forth. This place is called both Massah and Meribah. Massah means ''test'' and Meribah renders ''to find fault.'' The disobedient Hebrew people were guilty of putting God to the test.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 42:14--21 (L)
God complains about the blindness and deafness of his people.
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11 (C, E); Romans 5:1--2, 5--8 (RC)
In the previous chapter, starting with the example of Abraham, Paul has established how we are justified by faith in Christ. In this chapter, he follows with the blessings that relationship brings. That's why he leads with the word ''therefore.'' What are those gifts that fall from our justification? We have access to God's grace (v. 2a). We rejoice in the prospect of sharing the glory of God (v. 2b). We rejoice in our suffering because it produces endurance, character and hope (vv. 3--4). Finally, God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (v. 5).
Lesson 2: Ephesians 5:8--14 (L)
Christians are light because of their relationship with Christ and are called to live as children of light. (See Lent 4.)
Gospel: John 4:5--42 (C, RC); John 4:5--26 (27--38) 39--42 (E)
Jesus confronts the Samaritan woman by the well and in so doing tackles head--on some of the prejudices of the day. He confronts the tragedy of racial prejudice, since the Jews would have nothing to do with the Samaritans. At the same time, he also takes on some gender issues. It is not considered proper for a man to publicly speak to a woman, and to engage her in a philosophical conversation was unheard of. The report of this dialogue is rather lengthy and raises several issues. There is grace; the woman has been married five times and the man she is now living with is not her husband. Yet, Jesus is not judgmental. There is witness; the woman leaves her water jar and invites her neighbors to hear Jesus. There is the subject of worship, which Jesus defines not as a matter of place but of spirit. Finally, belief is defined as personal encounter with Jesus rather than merely accepting the reports of others (v. 41). The person who receives Jesus is compared to a spring of flowing water (vv. 10--15).
Gospel: John 9:1--41 (L)
A man born blind receives his sight through Jesus. (See Lent 4)
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 95 (C, RC, E) - ''Harden not your hearts, as at Meribah ...'' (v. 8).
Psalm 142 (L) - ''Give heed to my cry, for I am very low ...'' (v. 6).
Prayer Of The Day
Lord Christ, you are the well that never runs dry, you are the font of our cleansing and rebirth; in you we live and move and have our being. Cause us to drink deeply of your life--giving Spirit, that we might be truly satisfied now and eternally. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7
Job Burnout. Job stress and clergy burnout are nothing new. Consider Moses, he has the unthinkable job of leading a rag--tag band of former slaves, over half a million strong, for 40 years through a wilderness! Think of all the varying and conflicting role expectations they had of their leader. If this isn't a prescription for frustration and failure, what is? They complained about the diet and in this text they complained about the absence of water. How did Moses deal with the stress? Did he take to drinking or wife beating? No, he turned to the Lord. If the Lord commissioned him for this gigantic task, he would also supply the wisdom and strength required to get the job done. A sure prescription for heart failure is to try to please everyone. Better to turn to the Lord, the Rock from which the water of life flows.
''Is the Lord with us or not?'' (v. 7). The sin of the Israelites was not that they complained they had no water; no one can live long without it. Their offense was that they challenged the Lord to prove that he was really with them by providing it. They looked at the Lord like he was a circus performer, whose role it was to satisfy the audience. The Potter was put in the untenable position of having to prove his existence to the pots. How human! We're still doing it. God, if you really exist, heal me. God, if you really are sovereign, defeat my foes for me. I'll worship you and follow you if ...
Lesson 1: Isaiah 42:14--21
Is there anyone more blind that those who think they see? ''Who is blind like my servant ...'' (v. 19a). The Lord laments the blindness of his people, which is compounded by the fact that they thought they could see. They were blind to their own blindness. God's people often are so very blind to God's activity, which is exacerbated by a tendency to think they have a lock on things divine. Our accustomed way of perceiving often precludes other ways of perceiving.
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11
Salvation in the present tense. Often we think of our Christian faith as a life insurance policy. There are no present benefits; the payoff is in the future. Not so, Paul states: ''Therefore, since we are justified by grace, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ'' (v. 1).
Grace and peace. These two words found in verse 1 are so important to Paul that he begins his epistles: ''Grace and peace from God ....'' These two theological symbols are inextricably wedded to one another. Grace is primary; without grace there is no peace. Without grace there can be no forgiveness, no putting aside of offenses, no reconciliation. Without God's grace we would tremble under the sentence of God's condemnation. Through God's grace in Jesus we are set free from fear and condemnation. If we accept the grace, peace begins to flower in our hearts.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 5:8--14 (See Lent 4.)
Gospel: John 4:5--42
Breaking the ice. Even though Israel possesses a mild climate, the relationship between Jews and Samaritans was extremely frigid. Jesus attempts to break the ice as he is resting by Jacob's well. It is about noon and it is rather unusual that anyone is coming to draw at that hour. This indicates that the woman was probably a social outcast. Jesus asks her for a drink. She is shocked that a Jewish man is asking her for anything (v. 9). If we are motivated by God's grace, we too will take the initiative to break the ice in relationships where there is prejudice, hurt and estrangement.
An inner oasis. Jesus told the woman by the well, ''Everyone who drinks this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life'' (vv. 12--13). Jesus is speaking of the gift of the Holy Spirit, which God would give to all those who were to believe in him. In the Hebrew language, wind and spirit are represented by the same word. There is also a close affinity between the concepts of water and spirit. The association with wind speaks to the mysteriousness of God's Spirit. The affinity of water and spirit symbolizes the life--giving capacity of the Holy Spirit. We all know that water is essential to life. Likewise, the Spirit is also essential for life in the eternal dimension. The lesson here is that the Holy Spirit, given to all who follow Christ, is like an artesian well that gushes forth eternally. The source of life is not external but internal, since God has placed his Spirit within our hearts. Therefore, the Christian should be like an oasis of life in the midst of a barren and life--threatening desert.
Word And Witness was the name of a program that ran quite successfully in the Lutheran Church for a number of years. The premise was that witness flows from the Word. The attempt was made to ground people in the Word and, at the same time, discuss ways that the gospel can be witnessed to in daily life. The premise is sound. Once we really hear the Word of God through a faith encounter with Christ, we are going to witness. Take the woman at the well: her encounter with the Word--Made--Flesh transformed her relationship with her neighbors. She went to the well at noon so as to avoid her neighbors and their judgments. After she encountered Jesus, she left her water jug and went to witness to her neighbors about Jesus. She wasn't taught by Jesus how to witness; she just did it. A spring of living water was already beginning to gush forth.
Word, worship and witness. Let's take this process one step further. First, we encounter the Word, then we worship the Word and then witness to the Word. Unless we ascribe worth to the Word, unless we bow down in submission to Christ as Lord and Savior, we have nothing to witness to. Also, apart from faith we lack the promised Spirit, who empowers and guides our witness.
Have church, will travel. The Samaritan woman tried to divert Jesus into the local argument between the Jews and the Samaritans as to the location of the proper place to worship God (vv. 20--21). Jesus indicates that worship wells up from inside us; the place is immaterial. Like the Jews of the wilderness wandering, we carry our temple around with us. The tabernacle of God is our body where our spirit encounters the Holy Spirit.
Gospel: John 9:1--41 (See Lent 4.)
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7
Sermon Title: Prescription For Burnout
Sermon Angle: Moses was given a task that would cause even the most well framed person to collapse - guiding a multitude of ex--slaves to a new land and life. Moses was able to stand up to the terrible strain because he took his burdens to the Lord. In our pressure--cooker society, not only are leaders subject to burnout, but almost everybody is. If we turn to the Lord, we too shall stand.
Outline:
1. Moses was near the end of his rope
2. Many people have trouble coping with stress
3. Here are some coping strategies
- establish priorities
- care for your body, mind and spirit
- spend time in prayer and meditation
4. Cast your burdens on the Lord and he will direct your path
The people of Israel complained about the rigors of moving from the predictable drudgery of slavery in Egypt into the unforeseen hardships of striving toward the Promised Land. They aren't any different than any other people who would be thrust into those same circumstance. They didn't like change and uncertainty and neither do we, much of the time. This reminds me of the story of a woman who bought a needlepoint art piece with the well known saying, ''Prayer changes things.'' The woman hung it over the mantel but noticed a few days later that it was missing. In quizzing her family, her husband confessed to taking it down. ''What's the matter?'' she exclaimed. ''Don't you believe that prayer changes things?'' He responded: ''I do believe that prayer changes things; I just don't want things to change.''
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11
Sermon Title: Peace With God
Sermon Angle: ''Therefore, since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ'' (v. 1). Our sins put us in a state of enmity with God, but Christ's death makes peace a reality for all who trust in him. Modern man needs to reckon with the possibility that his or her restlessness and dis--ease stems more from spiritual rather than psychological factors. We only find peace of mind after we have embraced God's peace.
Outline:
1. Our world is increasingly torn by violence and strife (examples)
2. Is your life filled with conflict and restless longing?
3. God offers us peace through Christ
- accept God's gift of righteousness
- then you will have peace with God, with self and with others
A Lutheran pastor from Illinois preached his first sermon after returning home from a retreat/conference. He was anxious to share some of what was on his heart. He preached from a bar stool poised in the middle of the chancel. He confessed: ''You know, pastors are sometimes put on pedestals but there are two things that make that very uncomfortable. Number one, it's lonely up there and, number two, there is always someone waiting to knock you down.'' In so doing, he put his finger on one of the main causes of clergy burnout - isolation. This state of affairs may stem from several sources. The first cause comes from the clergy themselves, who develop unrealistic expectations of what they can do or how they should act. Since they cannot measure up to their own standards, they seek to conceal their failings and weaknesses by staying aloof from the lives of their people. The other source of clergy isolation derives from unrealistic expectations from the congregation or the denominational office. Many clergy try to meet as many of these diverse expectations as they can until they alienate themselves from their family, from their Lord and their own inner soul. Those of us who preach that the church is the ship/haven in the midst of a tempestuous sea of striving for acceptance, often act as if we were outside the ship attempting to keep ourselves afloat by our own frantic efforts. If we had the humility of that Illinois pastor to admit our isolation and our failure to incarnate the gospel, the church could be a genuine healing community.
Gospel: John 4:5--42
Sermon Title: Christ Confronts The Enemy
Sermon Angle: Christ confronted the enemy in his encounter with the Samaritan woman. In so doing, he confronted prejudice, he confronted hurt and isolation, and he confronted sin. The woman encountered acceptance; Jesus knew all about her and considered her worth saving. At the same time, she encountered her God, her self and her neighbor.
Outline:
Introduction: Christ confronted an outcast woman and in so doing, faced off a host of enemies that besiege our souls.
1. Christ confronted prejudice
2. Christ confronted a wounded woman
3. Christ gently confronted sin
4. The woman confronted her God, herself and her neighbor
The Samaritan invited her neighbors to come to Jesus, ''Come see a man who told me everything that I ever did'' (v. 29). Did they come out of voyeuristic curiosity thinking that Jesus was going to tell them everything that this woman ever did? Mind you, this woman led a rather colorful life, although unconventional and unsavory. She had five husbands and the man she was now living with was not her husband. Maybe they could experience some vicarious thrills like the voyeurs on the Phil Donahue Show. Or did they think that Jesus would tell them everything that they ever did? What's remarkable is that this woman, who stood condemned by the village people and probably felt self--loathing, was willing to stand emotionally and spiritually exposed to the world. She must have been transformed by the grace and forgiveness of God so that she was willing to risk taking off her mask. For the first time in her life, she experienced self--knowledge which set her free. Many of us would rather run away from someone who could tell us everything that we ever did.
Sermon Title: Word and Witness
Sermon Angle: The Samaritan woman encountered the Word in Jesus. It was a word of grace, love, forgiveness and truth. Next, the woman bore witness to her neighbors concerning Jesus. When we truly encounter the Word Made Flesh, we are so transformed by grace that we must bear witness to Christ.
Outline:
1. The Samaritan woman didn't know herself or her God
2. She encountered Jesus, the Word, and came to know herself
3. She also came to know her God
4. Her neighbors came to know Christ through her witness
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7 (C, E); Exodus 17:3--7 (RC)
The people of Israel cry out against Moses and God for bringing them out into the wilderness, where there is no water. Moses, fearing for his life, takes the problem to the Lord. God commands Moses to take the staff with which he struck the Nile, when the sea parted before them, and strike a rock. Water would flow forth. This place is called both Massah and Meribah. Massah means ''test'' and Meribah renders ''to find fault.'' The disobedient Hebrew people were guilty of putting God to the test.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 42:14--21 (L)
God complains about the blindness and deafness of his people.
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11 (C, E); Romans 5:1--2, 5--8 (RC)
In the previous chapter, starting with the example of Abraham, Paul has established how we are justified by faith in Christ. In this chapter, he follows with the blessings that relationship brings. That's why he leads with the word ''therefore.'' What are those gifts that fall from our justification? We have access to God's grace (v. 2a). We rejoice in the prospect of sharing the glory of God (v. 2b). We rejoice in our suffering because it produces endurance, character and hope (vv. 3--4). Finally, God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (v. 5).
Lesson 2: Ephesians 5:8--14 (L)
Christians are light because of their relationship with Christ and are called to live as children of light. (See Lent 4.)
Gospel: John 4:5--42 (C, RC); John 4:5--26 (27--38) 39--42 (E)
Jesus confronts the Samaritan woman by the well and in so doing tackles head--on some of the prejudices of the day. He confronts the tragedy of racial prejudice, since the Jews would have nothing to do with the Samaritans. At the same time, he also takes on some gender issues. It is not considered proper for a man to publicly speak to a woman, and to engage her in a philosophical conversation was unheard of. The report of this dialogue is rather lengthy and raises several issues. There is grace; the woman has been married five times and the man she is now living with is not her husband. Yet, Jesus is not judgmental. There is witness; the woman leaves her water jar and invites her neighbors to hear Jesus. There is the subject of worship, which Jesus defines not as a matter of place but of spirit. Finally, belief is defined as personal encounter with Jesus rather than merely accepting the reports of others (v. 41). The person who receives Jesus is compared to a spring of flowing water (vv. 10--15).
Gospel: John 9:1--41 (L)
A man born blind receives his sight through Jesus. (See Lent 4)
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 95 (C, RC, E) - ''Harden not your hearts, as at Meribah ...'' (v. 8).
Psalm 142 (L) - ''Give heed to my cry, for I am very low ...'' (v. 6).
Prayer Of The Day
Lord Christ, you are the well that never runs dry, you are the font of our cleansing and rebirth; in you we live and move and have our being. Cause us to drink deeply of your life--giving Spirit, that we might be truly satisfied now and eternally. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7
Job Burnout. Job stress and clergy burnout are nothing new. Consider Moses, he has the unthinkable job of leading a rag--tag band of former slaves, over half a million strong, for 40 years through a wilderness! Think of all the varying and conflicting role expectations they had of their leader. If this isn't a prescription for frustration and failure, what is? They complained about the diet and in this text they complained about the absence of water. How did Moses deal with the stress? Did he take to drinking or wife beating? No, he turned to the Lord. If the Lord commissioned him for this gigantic task, he would also supply the wisdom and strength required to get the job done. A sure prescription for heart failure is to try to please everyone. Better to turn to the Lord, the Rock from which the water of life flows.
''Is the Lord with us or not?'' (v. 7). The sin of the Israelites was not that they complained they had no water; no one can live long without it. Their offense was that they challenged the Lord to prove that he was really with them by providing it. They looked at the Lord like he was a circus performer, whose role it was to satisfy the audience. The Potter was put in the untenable position of having to prove his existence to the pots. How human! We're still doing it. God, if you really exist, heal me. God, if you really are sovereign, defeat my foes for me. I'll worship you and follow you if ...
Lesson 1: Isaiah 42:14--21
Is there anyone more blind that those who think they see? ''Who is blind like my servant ...'' (v. 19a). The Lord laments the blindness of his people, which is compounded by the fact that they thought they could see. They were blind to their own blindness. God's people often are so very blind to God's activity, which is exacerbated by a tendency to think they have a lock on things divine. Our accustomed way of perceiving often precludes other ways of perceiving.
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11
Salvation in the present tense. Often we think of our Christian faith as a life insurance policy. There are no present benefits; the payoff is in the future. Not so, Paul states: ''Therefore, since we are justified by grace, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ'' (v. 1).
Grace and peace. These two words found in verse 1 are so important to Paul that he begins his epistles: ''Grace and peace from God ....'' These two theological symbols are inextricably wedded to one another. Grace is primary; without grace there is no peace. Without grace there can be no forgiveness, no putting aside of offenses, no reconciliation. Without God's grace we would tremble under the sentence of God's condemnation. Through God's grace in Jesus we are set free from fear and condemnation. If we accept the grace, peace begins to flower in our hearts.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 5:8--14 (See Lent 4.)
Gospel: John 4:5--42
Breaking the ice. Even though Israel possesses a mild climate, the relationship between Jews and Samaritans was extremely frigid. Jesus attempts to break the ice as he is resting by Jacob's well. It is about noon and it is rather unusual that anyone is coming to draw at that hour. This indicates that the woman was probably a social outcast. Jesus asks her for a drink. She is shocked that a Jewish man is asking her for anything (v. 9). If we are motivated by God's grace, we too will take the initiative to break the ice in relationships where there is prejudice, hurt and estrangement.
An inner oasis. Jesus told the woman by the well, ''Everyone who drinks this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life'' (vv. 12--13). Jesus is speaking of the gift of the Holy Spirit, which God would give to all those who were to believe in him. In the Hebrew language, wind and spirit are represented by the same word. There is also a close affinity between the concepts of water and spirit. The association with wind speaks to the mysteriousness of God's Spirit. The affinity of water and spirit symbolizes the life--giving capacity of the Holy Spirit. We all know that water is essential to life. Likewise, the Spirit is also essential for life in the eternal dimension. The lesson here is that the Holy Spirit, given to all who follow Christ, is like an artesian well that gushes forth eternally. The source of life is not external but internal, since God has placed his Spirit within our hearts. Therefore, the Christian should be like an oasis of life in the midst of a barren and life--threatening desert.
Word And Witness was the name of a program that ran quite successfully in the Lutheran Church for a number of years. The premise was that witness flows from the Word. The attempt was made to ground people in the Word and, at the same time, discuss ways that the gospel can be witnessed to in daily life. The premise is sound. Once we really hear the Word of God through a faith encounter with Christ, we are going to witness. Take the woman at the well: her encounter with the Word--Made--Flesh transformed her relationship with her neighbors. She went to the well at noon so as to avoid her neighbors and their judgments. After she encountered Jesus, she left her water jug and went to witness to her neighbors about Jesus. She wasn't taught by Jesus how to witness; she just did it. A spring of living water was already beginning to gush forth.
Word, worship and witness. Let's take this process one step further. First, we encounter the Word, then we worship the Word and then witness to the Word. Unless we ascribe worth to the Word, unless we bow down in submission to Christ as Lord and Savior, we have nothing to witness to. Also, apart from faith we lack the promised Spirit, who empowers and guides our witness.
Have church, will travel. The Samaritan woman tried to divert Jesus into the local argument between the Jews and the Samaritans as to the location of the proper place to worship God (vv. 20--21). Jesus indicates that worship wells up from inside us; the place is immaterial. Like the Jews of the wilderness wandering, we carry our temple around with us. The tabernacle of God is our body where our spirit encounters the Holy Spirit.
Gospel: John 9:1--41 (See Lent 4.)
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7
Sermon Title: Prescription For Burnout
Sermon Angle: Moses was given a task that would cause even the most well framed person to collapse - guiding a multitude of ex--slaves to a new land and life. Moses was able to stand up to the terrible strain because he took his burdens to the Lord. In our pressure--cooker society, not only are leaders subject to burnout, but almost everybody is. If we turn to the Lord, we too shall stand.
Outline:
1. Moses was near the end of his rope
2. Many people have trouble coping with stress
3. Here are some coping strategies
- establish priorities
- care for your body, mind and spirit
- spend time in prayer and meditation
4. Cast your burdens on the Lord and he will direct your path
The people of Israel complained about the rigors of moving from the predictable drudgery of slavery in Egypt into the unforeseen hardships of striving toward the Promised Land. They aren't any different than any other people who would be thrust into those same circumstance. They didn't like change and uncertainty and neither do we, much of the time. This reminds me of the story of a woman who bought a needlepoint art piece with the well known saying, ''Prayer changes things.'' The woman hung it over the mantel but noticed a few days later that it was missing. In quizzing her family, her husband confessed to taking it down. ''What's the matter?'' she exclaimed. ''Don't you believe that prayer changes things?'' He responded: ''I do believe that prayer changes things; I just don't want things to change.''
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11
Sermon Title: Peace With God
Sermon Angle: ''Therefore, since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ'' (v. 1). Our sins put us in a state of enmity with God, but Christ's death makes peace a reality for all who trust in him. Modern man needs to reckon with the possibility that his or her restlessness and dis--ease stems more from spiritual rather than psychological factors. We only find peace of mind after we have embraced God's peace.
Outline:
1. Our world is increasingly torn by violence and strife (examples)
2. Is your life filled with conflict and restless longing?
3. God offers us peace through Christ
- accept God's gift of righteousness
- then you will have peace with God, with self and with others
A Lutheran pastor from Illinois preached his first sermon after returning home from a retreat/conference. He was anxious to share some of what was on his heart. He preached from a bar stool poised in the middle of the chancel. He confessed: ''You know, pastors are sometimes put on pedestals but there are two things that make that very uncomfortable. Number one, it's lonely up there and, number two, there is always someone waiting to knock you down.'' In so doing, he put his finger on one of the main causes of clergy burnout - isolation. This state of affairs may stem from several sources. The first cause comes from the clergy themselves, who develop unrealistic expectations of what they can do or how they should act. Since they cannot measure up to their own standards, they seek to conceal their failings and weaknesses by staying aloof from the lives of their people. The other source of clergy isolation derives from unrealistic expectations from the congregation or the denominational office. Many clergy try to meet as many of these diverse expectations as they can until they alienate themselves from their family, from their Lord and their own inner soul. Those of us who preach that the church is the ship/haven in the midst of a tempestuous sea of striving for acceptance, often act as if we were outside the ship attempting to keep ourselves afloat by our own frantic efforts. If we had the humility of that Illinois pastor to admit our isolation and our failure to incarnate the gospel, the church could be a genuine healing community.
Gospel: John 4:5--42
Sermon Title: Christ Confronts The Enemy
Sermon Angle: Christ confronted the enemy in his encounter with the Samaritan woman. In so doing, he confronted prejudice, he confronted hurt and isolation, and he confronted sin. The woman encountered acceptance; Jesus knew all about her and considered her worth saving. At the same time, she encountered her God, her self and her neighbor.
Outline:
Introduction: Christ confronted an outcast woman and in so doing, faced off a host of enemies that besiege our souls.
1. Christ confronted prejudice
2. Christ confronted a wounded woman
3. Christ gently confronted sin
4. The woman confronted her God, herself and her neighbor
The Samaritan invited her neighbors to come to Jesus, ''Come see a man who told me everything that I ever did'' (v. 29). Did they come out of voyeuristic curiosity thinking that Jesus was going to tell them everything that this woman ever did? Mind you, this woman led a rather colorful life, although unconventional and unsavory. She had five husbands and the man she was now living with was not her husband. Maybe they could experience some vicarious thrills like the voyeurs on the Phil Donahue Show. Or did they think that Jesus would tell them everything that they ever did? What's remarkable is that this woman, who stood condemned by the village people and probably felt self--loathing, was willing to stand emotionally and spiritually exposed to the world. She must have been transformed by the grace and forgiveness of God so that she was willing to risk taking off her mask. For the first time in her life, she experienced self--knowledge which set her free. Many of us would rather run away from someone who could tell us everything that we ever did.
Sermon Title: Word and Witness
Sermon Angle: The Samaritan woman encountered the Word in Jesus. It was a word of grace, love, forgiveness and truth. Next, the woman bore witness to her neighbors concerning Jesus. When we truly encounter the Word Made Flesh, we are so transformed by grace that we must bear witness to Christ.
Outline:
1. The Samaritan woman didn't know herself or her God
2. She encountered Jesus, the Word, and came to know herself
3. She also came to know her God
4. Her neighbors came to know Christ through her witness
