The Samaritan woman’s interview with Jesus brought enlightenment to her, her fellow-Samaritans, and to countless multitudes when John recorded the exchange she had with the Master (John 4). The woman came to the well for water and received information of living water which would always quench her thirst.
Perceiving Jesus to be a prophet, she asked Him a question, which answer (because He was both a prophet and the Messiah she looked for, John 4:25-26) she could have confidence in as truth and certainty. The question she asked regarded worship and was, “Were the Jews correct when they claimed Jerusalem was the proper place of worship?”
Jesus answered the woman that the Jews were right, yet He added, “But the hour cometh when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem shall ye worship the Father. Ye worship that which ye know not, we worship that which we know for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth” (John 4:21-24).
Jesus thus taught that the place for offering worship to God wasn’t essential for that worship to be accepted by God, nor again would acceptance of worship be based upon the nationality of the worshipper. There are conditions which must be present before worship is accepted, but those conditions are neither based upon the nationality nor location of the worshipper. Acceptable worship is that which is offered in “spirit and in truth.”
Three times the word “spirit” is found in this exchange between Jesus and this unnamed woman. Twice the worshipper is told that he must worship in spirit; once the Master said, “God is a Spirit.” The relationship of man to God is not found in his flesh. That came from the dust. Our relationship to God is based on the fact that as He, so we also are spirit. He gave us our spirit (Ecclesiastes 12:7) and is the Father of spirits (Hebrews 12:9). We worship in spirit when our consciousness is directed toward God and to Him we offer our worship. Our spirit worships Him who is Spirit.
There is another element that must be present in acceptable worship. Acceptable worship demands sincerity and consciousness on our part when we seek to adore Him, the Eternal God, but consciousness and sincerity are not enough. Our worship, whatever that worship may be — prayer, communion, singing, and offerings, must be in truth. Truth is not determined by our feelings nor tradition. Truth is determined by revelation. Jesus said of truth, “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth” (John 17:17). In our songs of worship, we speak “one to another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to God” (Ephesians 5:19). Only psalms, hymns and spiritual songs are songs of worship. We may offer other than these, but God rejects such. So with other items of worship we offer: communion, prayers, and contributions. What we give or offer must conform to what God has revealed.
Jesus told the Samaritan woman that she came to the well day by day but that water did not fully satisfy. She returned to drink of that water again and again. On the other hand, had she asked Jesus, He would have given her living water (John 4:10). That living water would cause her to never thirst for other water. It would become a well springing up unto eternal life (John 4:14).
God is our great Sustainer. He fills our needs and satisfies our hunger and thirst. When Jesus gave His beatitudes, He said, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to hunger and thirst to be right with God.
Let us never lessen our efforts to tell all men that God’s water of life is available to all, on the same basis as it was to the Samaritan woman so long ago — in spirit and in truth.
Jim McDonald