Horizon - Values, What Filters You to Abundant Life? (John 4:1-42)
Jordan Byrd
Have you ever been so thirsty, that you would drink anything, even if it was your least favorite drink? Some of the popular reality, survival tv shows place people out in the wilderness to survive for weeks and months at a time. In some scenarios, the survivalist gets so desperate for water, that they surrender their sensibilities to try water from stagnant bodies of water. What ensues, is that they end up severely ill. Why? Because they settled for a lesser quality of water to quench their thirst. The motivation for drinking the contaminated water was filtered through their value of survival. Their value of satiation. Their value of availability.
In our modern world, it occasionally happens, when part of our public water system breaks, and a boil alert is issued. The boil alert is issued to help people set a value that purified, filtered water is better than the potentially contaminated water. The boil alert helps people filter their thirst toward life-giving water, rather than life-robbing water. The value of clean drinking water sparks the motivation to filter unsafe water. Without that value, we’d be like, “I’ll settle for what’s easier.” “I’ll settle for what’s more convenient.” “I’ll settle for what’s available.” We’ll end up letting other values take over. And, in this example, those values lead to a lesser life. These values filter or channel us toward a lesser life.
A few of the values that we’re tempted to filter our life through, each and every day are: 1) The value that non-disruptive information is better than disruptive truth. This value that filters our motivation for information, as long as it doesn’t have to change us. As long as it doesn’t inconvenience us. More policies, more Bible, more theology, more awareness, more _____. I'm fine with more information; just don’t ask me to make any drastic changes in my life. The value that more information alone is what’s lacking for an abundant life. The value that simply adding information is all that is needed to live in the truth. Rather than a disruption and transformation of one’s life. 2) The value that impressive appearance is more important than simple substance. The value that filters our motivation for being all put together to do anything meaningful. The value that filters our motivation for coming across as impressive or articulate to do anything of substance. The belief that only impressive actions get things done. Lastly 3), The value that isolation is better than relationship. The value that filters our motivation for settling for isolation because it’s common and easier. Rather than aspiring for presence and relationship with others even though it’s uncommon and tedious. The value that filters our motivation for the common, “this is just how it is.” Rather than motivation to live for the uncommon, “this is how it could be.”
In our current context, we’re constantly tempted to filter our lives through these three values: We’re constantly motivated to live by these three values: Pursuit of non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation. In our current context, we’re constantly tempted to have these values filter our lives. We’re constantly tempted to have these values in the hope that they’re filtering or channeling us toward abundant life. And while it’s not comfortable or easy to admit, we end up being deceived. Where we thought these values were filtering us toward abundant life, they actually end up filtering us toward a lesser life.
Guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus.
In John 10:10, Jesus testifies that he has come so the world may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus has come so that we can he can guide us toward the abundant life of God. At Clarence Church of Christ, our mission is to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus. In a context that tempts us to be filtered toward abundant life through the values of: Non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation.
Disruptive Truth. Simple Faithfulness. Uncommon Presence.
Jesus’ life gives an alternative to these values. Through Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well in John 4, we encounter that Jesus is motivated by three differing values to our current context. In John 4, We encounter Jesus motivated by the values of disruptive truth. Simple action or faithfulness to God. And initiation of uncommon presence or relationship with others.
In John 4, Jesus guides the woman at the well to God’s abundant life, by having, an uncommon presence with her, through simple acts of faithfulness to God’s gracious character, because of the disruption of God’s truth amidst falsehood. In John 4, we encounter that these values filtered Jesus’ – and others – toward God’s abundant life. In John 4, we encounter the good news that we don’t have to settle for the values of our current context. We have the good news that Jesus gives us three differing values through which to filter our lives. In John 4, we encounter the good news that: Jesus’ motives filter us toward abundant life.
Disruptive truth. Simple faithfulness. Uncommon presence.
As we reflect on Jesus’ example in John, God’s word invites us to respond to Jesus’ guidance to God’s abundant life by committing ourselves – in faith – to these three values: The values of: God’s truth disrupting us toward God’s abundant life. Living into God’s abundant life through simple and faithful actions. And being uncommonly present with others, like Jesus did with the woman at the well. The values of disruptive truth. Simple faithfulness. Uncommon presence.
In John 4, God’s word invites us to respond to this question: What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Are Jesus’ motives filtering us toward abundant life? We believe God has positioned us, as a church, in our current context to live by these three values. In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?
In recent days following the election, it’s been interesting to see how, and if Trump and Harris supporters can interact with each other in meaningful conversation. I’ve listened to some sources from both political sides. And it’s been rare to hear people, on either side truly being present with each other to hear and interact with the viewpoint the other has.
We live in a context where it’s normal to think it’s normal for people to live in opposition and isolation from each other. “You stay in your camp, and I’ll stay in mine.” Living near each other, but talking around each other, and not acknowledging each other’s situation.
This is very much the situation of the woman that Jesus encounters at the well in Samaria. John 4 says that Jesus “had to go through Samaria.” The text doesn’t give any other reason why Jesus had to go through Samaria, other than he was going from the southern part of Israel, in Judea, to the northern part of Israel, to Galilee. Geographically, going through Samaria was the most direct route to take. We have family that lives in Illinois, and the fastest way to drive there is to go near Chicago. It’s tempting to go another way, to avoid the hassles that come with driving in the Chicagoland traffic. This is what many Jews did with Samaria. They would go around, even though it took longer so that they didn’t have to interact with Samaritans.
Why, you might wonder? Scholar N.T. Wright points out that after Jews went into exile in Babylon, in their absence from the land of Israel – led to other people occupying it. The Samaritans were this group of people. And the Samaritans claimed to be the true descendants of Abraham. When the Jews returned to Israel from exile in Babylon, they discovered the Samaritans in their land; and this led to ongoing conflict. From the Jewish perspective, the Samaritans were illegitimate residents, taking up their land. From the Samaritan perspective, the Jews were arrogant neighbors, believing they were better and more righteous than other people groups. This led to an ongoing conflict between the two people groups. So much so, that Jewish people would be attacked along the road through through Samaria. And Jewish people avoided the Samaritans so much, that they wouldn’t even share eating or drinking vessels with them (see John 4:9 and any footnotes in your Bible). This is the area Jesus INTENTIONALLY goes through. This is the kind of woman Jesus intentionally engages with, when he stops at a well for water, along his journey.
As the text of John 4 unfolds, we also discover that the Samaritan woman is more than just a Samaritan. We also discover that she is known for an immoral life – for living a life apart from God’s standards, especially within sexuality and marriage. As Jesus converses with her, he asks about her husband, and she replies about not having a husband. In the conversation, we discover that the woman is living with a man outside of marriage, and has already had five husbands.
The character of this woman is likely known, even in the Samaritan culture, as immoral. This is highlighted by the time of day that she is at the well, getting water. In that culture, women would have come for water, at a cooler time of the day: morning or late afternoon. But here, this woman is coming for water at noon: in the middle of the day, when it was hotter. This indicates that the woman is coming for water, at a time when other women aren’t coming for water. She is avoiding other women, and isolated and opposed by them, because of her character. People don’t want to be associated with her.
Yet, Jesus intentionally stopped in Samaria at this well at noon and stayed, even when this woman – whom other people avoided – was there. And Jesus doesn’t ignore her. Jesus initiates a conversation with her.
We see here, that Jesus is an uncommon presence in this woman’s life. Jesus is motivated to guide all people to encounter God’s abundant life. Through the value of offering God’s gracious, compassionate presence. A presence that was uncommon for a Jewish man to have with a Samaritan woman. Jesus interacted according to a different value than the values of the Samaritans and Jews of his day. Jesus interacted according to the values of God’s kingdom. The value of God’s uncommon, gracious, and compassionate presence.
That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ uncommon presence filtering us toward abundant life?
During my final years of Bible college, I was invited to one of my professor’s houses to watch a movie. The movie was To End All Wars. It’s about a Japanese POW camp during World War II, depicting the soldiers' brutal treatment during imprisonment. It also portrays the profound forgiveness, sacrifice, and redemption lived out by one soldier for a fellow prisoner caught revolting against the guards. This soldier offers his own life to spare the rebel, motivated by his faith in Jesus. The Japanese accept his offer but mock it by putting the man to death by nailing him to a cross. The film’s overarching message highlights how Jesus’ forgiveness and sacrifice defy the violence of the world.
After the movie finished, we all had a conversation about it. I remember my professor simply and confidently saying something like, “I don’t believe a Christian should ever take the life of another person.” And he meant, even in war. That was a radical thought for me. Was it actually possible to live like that in a world prone to war?! It seemed to make sense, considering how Jesus faced violence. That simple, confident statement really got me thinking and wrestling with God about his conviction.
You may or may not be convinced by his conviction, but the point I hope you hear from this story is that it wasn’t a well-articulated presentation on nonviolence, pacifism, or just war that got me thinking. It was his simple, confident faithfulness to his conviction in God’s word that truly made me reflect, and wonder if it was worth living into. This is similar to how Jesus interacts with the woman at the well.
Jesus does not give some well-articulated presentation to the woman to point her toward God’s abundant life for her. Jesus simply starts with real life. He asks her for a drink. Jesus didn’t start with a well-thought-out “Got-ya” question. Jesus didn’t give a complex explanation of his authority as the Son of God, and how wrong the woman was for living how she was. Jesus doesn’t even do a miracle, like, “Watch me supernaturally fill my hands with water from this well.” No. Jesus asks a simple question, about a practical matter – addressing his thirst – but in a posture, and in a demeanor, that was uncommon. In a way that was gracious and compassionate. When Jesus asks the woman for a drink from her bucket, Jesus breaks the isolation. Jesus was overcoming the opposition. Jesus was overcoming the accepted norm of ignoring a person different from him.
We notice that Jesus engages in very simple, yet differently motivated ways. Jesus didn’t forsake the truth of God to do what he did. Nor, did he do something flashy to make God’s word seem attractive. Jesus used a simple, everyday action – to undo the life-robbing values of his context. Jesus engages with the woman, in a way that all of us could.
In our own day, we could break the isolation, opposition, and ignorance of people different from us. I’ve noticed this in my own neighborhood. I sarcastically said on Halloween, that it was “National Interact With Your Neighbor Day”... because most of the year, people live right next to each other and don’t interact. But on this one night, for this one reason, we do. The reality is, that it’s become normal to live in isolation, opposition, and ignorance of each other. One simple thing we could do to change this is to initiate interaction with our neighbors, even ones we don’t know yet. We don’t need a well-thought-out program to guide them toward abundant life in Jesus. We can simply and faithfully do what Jesus did. Initiate conversation about everyday life things, and listen for God to guide us from there. That one simple act of faithfulness to Jesus’ example can change the isolation, opposition, and ignorance that we have with other people around us.
Is Jesus’ simple faithfulness to God’s way filtering us toward abundant life?
The overall point is that throughout John 4, we encounter Jesus guiding the Samaritan woman to God’s abundant life, by doing the simple and basic things in the posture and character of God. That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. We may not be able to have Disney-like production, but we can be faithful to God’s way in simple and basic actions; and that’s all God needs from us – to still guide all people to his abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ simple faithfulness to God’s way filtering us toward abundant life?
We recently adopted two kittens. When the opportunity to get them came up, the biggest question was who would take care of them and how. Overall, the idea of getting cats was appealing. It came with all the warm, fuzzy feelings of fun, furry companionship. But the idea alone isn’t enough. Knowing how to feed, care for, and house cats isn’t enough either. We can gather all that information — but information alone isn’t enough. It has to be applied. And beyond being applied, it has to bring some changes to our lives. Our lives couldn’t stay the same as they were before the cats. Our habits, rhythms, and patterns had to be disrupted to fully live into the reality of having cats.
God’s abundant life is similar. It’s not just information to add to your life without change. Living in God’s abundant life requires a disruption of the current patterns to truly enter the context of God’s abundant life. Paul, an early church leader, captures this well in his letter to the church in Rome, in Romans 12:1-2 (NIV), …offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)
Jesus exhibits this in his interaction with the Samaritan woman. Jesus didn’t just acquire information from his heavenly Father about the woman, and then still ignore her. No. Jesus used his awareness of his heavenly Father’s gracious and compassionate character, to impact and disrupt his life. As Jesus applied Godly life in human form, it messed with what was considered “normal living.” It messed with the isolation, opposition, and ignorance that people had with each other. It messed with the conflict that the Samaritans and Jews maintained against each other. It messed with the dehumanizing treatment of other people. It messed with the common, status quo so that God’s abundant life could be realized.
As Jesus allowed the truth of God’s life to disrupt his, he was able to bring the Samaritan woman into contact with God’s abundant life. A life where she was valued, heard, and noticed. In the process of guiding the Samaritan woman to God’s abundant life, Jesus is also able to step into the experience of God’s abundant life on earth as well. Jesus is able to experience a life-giving relationship, where it used to be blocked with this woman. Where it used to to blocked to the entire Samaritan population. Yet, we encounter in John 4, that through the woman’s testimony of her experience with Jesus, she ends up bringing many people from Samaria to encounter God’s abundant life.
Is Jesus’ willingness to be disrupted by the truth of God filtering you toward abundant life?
God’s abundant life is experienced because of God’s truth disrupting the life of Jesus, the woman, and the people of Samaria from the false pattern of living that was accepted as normal, But was actually life-robbing. That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ willingness to be disrupted by the truth of God filtering us toward abundant life?
In a context that tempts us to be filtered toward abundant life through the values of Non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation. God’s word in John 4 gives us good news of an alternative. The good news that Jesus gives us life-giving values through which we can filter our lives. In John 4, we encounter the good news that: Jesus’ motives filter us toward God’s abundant life.
Disruptive Truth. Simple Faithfulness. Uncommon Presence.
In John 4, Jesus lives out the values of Being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God.
At Clarence Church of Christ, we’re guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus. And we want you, and those you interact with outside of the church, to feel these values in pursuit of that mission: To feel disrupted by God’s truth. To feel effective for God, through simple faithfulness to him. To feel included through the uncommon presence of God.
Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?
We see that these values filtered Jesus and others toward God’s abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus filtering us toward abundant life? Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?
Allow Jesus to guide you to God’s abundant life.
Today, if you’re sick of filtering your life through the life-robbing values of our current context, and you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to take that step of faith and allow Jesus to guide you to God’s abundant life. Please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take a step of faith toward uniting your life to the abundant life of Jesus, through faith, in baptism; and allowing your life to be filtered toward abundant life by Jesus’ values of: Being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God.
Allow Jesus’ values to filter your life toward God’s abundant life.
If you’ve already united your life to Jesus, through faith, in baptism, will you commit for the first, or maybe for the 100th time, to allow Jesus’ values to filter your life toward God’s abundant life, through being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God?
In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?
We believe God has positioned us, as a church, in our current context to live by these three values. In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?
Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?
These values filtered Jesus and others toward God’s abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus filtering us toward abundant life? Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?