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John

John 
Day 
Day 58

The kind of worshippers God is looking for

Text: John 4:1-45

THE KIND OF WORSHIPPERS GOD IS LOOKING FOR

Jesus, the Teaching-Messiah was in His element, this time explaining to a woman of Samaria the topic of worship. Teaching effectively is never easy, let alone the kind of difficulties He must have had to overcome when He spoke to the Samaritan woman.

1. The worship of the Samaritans was quite different from that of the Jews.

2. Worship patterns once established become a problem that involves culture, and that is always difficult to change.

3. Religion is best taught when a person is open and transparent. However, when a person becomes defensive and evasive, it is difficult to reach the person at a deeper level. The woman of Samaria was a difficult person to reach because of her sordid and immoral background.

Nevertheless, Jesus sought to reach out to her with these precious words of instruction.

“You worship what you do not know;
we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and now is,
When the true worshippers
Will worship the Father in spirit and in truth;
For the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship Him in spirit and truth.”
John 4:22-24

Jesus had to state categorically an important fact. Though the Jews may have been wrong in their attitude towards the Samaritans, nevertheless their theology was correct. They had a correct understanding of God, whereas the theology of the Samaritans was convoluted and wrong! They did not know what they were doing when they formulated their own ideas about how to worship God!

Was there hope for reconciliation to God? Was there still a chance to worship God correctly? Jesus held out hope to the woman of Samaria when He continued to teach her about what God was looking for in worshippers.

She did not have to become a Jew! That would be impossible anyway! She did not have to go to Jerusalem for worship! That too would be impossible! She could still offer worship to God if she could worship in spirit and truth!

“IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH”

There was a time when God honoured Israel by choosing Jerusalem. When the Temple in Jerusalem was dedicated the Lord appeared to Solomon and said.


“I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place
for Myself as a house of sacrifice.”
2 Chronicles 7:12

The Jews however went to the extreme when they confined and restricted the worship in a specific locale! It is impossible to confine God to any specific place!

Moreover, when worship is given, one must be careful of two other important facts. One must always be conscious that God is Spirit, and therefore worship if it is to be acceptable must be given in spirit and truth!

To confine God would be to display lack of knowledge that God being Spirit cannot be restricted to a specific place, whether it is in Jerusalem or Mt. Gerizim. One must worship God with this “new” understanding!

True worship can only be given when one comprehends theological truth about God. If one offers worship without regard for truth, that worship is in vain, for it would be rejected by God.

WHERE FALSE WORSHIP IS REJECTED

Jeroboam, the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel wanted to create his own religion, because he feared that if people kept going to Jerusalem for worship, they might end up returning to the House of David.

He created Calf-worship. He set up a new priesthood apart from the God-ordained Levitical system. Needless to say, this false worship system was rejected outright (Cf. 1 Kings 12-13).

How did Judah in the South fare? Did they do very much better? In the days of Isaiah the prophet, God sent out a message to Judah concerning their worship.

“‘To what purpose is the multitude of
your sacrifices to Me?’
Says the Lord?
‘I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs of goats.

When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample my courts?
Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies –
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me. I am weary of bearing them.'”
Isaiah 1:11-14 (Cf. Amos 5:21-23)

God had always looked for true worshippers. Worship must not just be given in form. Both Jews and Samaritans were guilty in the way they offered worship! God must be worshipped correctly. Truth was of paramount importance!