Tuesday night was the 2nd week of the community group/Bible study that Jeremy and I have been asked to lead. We are still at that stage where we feel nervous and excited...along with other emotions.
I keep remembering the verse that says "in our weakness, He becomes strong" and I hope and pray that God can use us in this ministry of leading a small group and sharing Jesus with others.
We studied part of John chapter 4 this week...the story of the woman at the well!
I thought that my husband did a really good job of sharing some thought provoking things and we had really good discussion. We were super grateful to all who showed up and participated.
And hey, don't you just love a Bible study that gives you something to think about throughout the week? I know I do.
First of all, it was pretty scandalous that Jesus was even speaking with this Samaritan woman. He being a Jew and her a Samaritan. Add to that the social norms of the day, where women and men didn't usually speak. Especially when they were strangers.
Secondly, and this is HUGE, he engaged with her in conversation and accepted her just as she was. He already knew her whole story but she didn't know that He knew.
Can you imagine how she felt, when, near the end of the conversation, He reveals that He knows all about her 5 husbands and her loose lifestyle? And then, as she thinks back, she realizes that He spoke to her with such love and acceptance even WHILE knowing what sort of a person she was. Amazing!!
Another point to notice is that He met her where she was! She was just going about her daily business. Going to the well to draw water. And there was Jesus.
Doesn't Jesus do that with all of us? He meets us where we are. Even when we are not necessarily looking for Him. Isn't that just awesome? He meets us in our imperfections and our sins and our weaknesses and our failings. Right there at the "well", He is waiting to engage with us and to talk with us. To answer our questions and listen to our hearts.
Also, notice that He did not give her a list of things that she should change or do differently. Neither at the beginning nor the end of the conversation. He simply answered the questions that she was asking, treated her with respect and love, and revealed to her who He was. The Messiah!
But He didn't introduce Himself as such. Wouldn't we think that maybe if you were as important as Jesus was, that He would approach a conversation with the words "Hey, there, woman! I am the Messiah. Now...listen to what I say and hang on to every word because you are in the presence of the greatest man you will ever meet!"
Totally not Jesus' style. And I love that about Him!
After her encounter with Jesus, she was SO excited to tell everyone in her town about Him and how He had "told her everything she had ever done".
Our challenge for the week was to show unconditional acceptance to someone in our lives. That someone could be a person close to us who we are struggling with or maybe a stranger who we would have a tendency to judge, but instead we choose to extend unconditional acceptance.
I am anxious to see how God will use this challenge in my life this week!
Because, as my Dad reminded me lately, the only TRUE kind of love is the kind that loves unconditionally.
You could also say it like this:
"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them." -- Thomas Merton
And I will leave you with 2 quotes that have been meaningful to me:
This got me thinking about Amber's post about the older gentleman being so kind to her in the Costco parking lot.
ReplyDeleteJesus spoke to the woman at the well in the middle of her normal activities, where she was at at the time. Just like the old man lifted Amber up in the middle of her activities, what she was doing at the time.
Not that I'm saying Amber is the woman at the well, and "loose" (LOL) but aren't we all sort of the woman at the well? Anyway. It just made me think of that. Jesus comes to us where we are and we can be Jesus to other people no matter where they are or what they're doing at the time.
So glad you cleared up the part of Amber not being "loose". LOL I had to chuckle at that, but you made a GREAT point here, Beth! Love that last sentence.
Deletehey.. now wait a minute! ;)
DeleteI was prompted by your xanga blog about commenting. :) btw,I added this blog to my favorites so I don't have to click on the link.One thing I learned from this lesson is that Jesus went out of his way to travel through Samaria.How often do I deliberately step out"of my way"so I can meet someone who needs the Lord?Too often,I make it a point to avoid a certain,needy person.And that of course,is where your last quote rings true.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but think of Casting Crown's new song, "Jesus, Friend of Sinners". One line says something about how people can't get to Him because they are 'tripping over me'. Anyway, very thought provoking!
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts here. I especially love the quote "Don't judge me because i sin differently than you." We do that WAY to much. Like somehow, me sinning in my anger is better than someone else's sin of drinking a little too much. Like a lying tongue is worse (or better, depending on who you are talking to) than sowing discord among brethren when both are listed in the list of sins that God hates.
ReplyDeleteANyway, gotta run. Guests just arrived.
I would love to be part of a Bible study like this! Enjoyed your thoughts here...
ReplyDeletethe woman at the well is one of my favorite stories in the Bible, if not THE most favorite. everything about it so appeals and speaks to me~ because YES, beth!! i am a loose woman. just not "loose" in the sense this woman was. haha. but certainly loose and in need of Jesus just the same! like the quote you put, which i LOVE - - don't judge me because i sin differently than you. how true is THAT! amen.
ReplyDeletegood thoughts. and challenging for me to watch for those in my life this week who could be my "woman at the well" to show God's love to~
dude!! can you set the level of difficulty on the whole robot number/letter thing?? cause yours seems REALLY hard. or maybe i'm just getting old and my eyes are blurry. ;)
ReplyDelete