“Love of the Life of God”
The hit song “Somewhere Down the Road” started with the lyrics, "We had the right love at the wrong time." This is a common phrase that is uttered by a person who has not found his right partner and has decided to end their relationship. In our gospel reading today, the Samaritan woman who had five husbands was still seeking for her Mr. Right. She showed signs of discontentment in her relationship with her husbands when she said to Jesus in John 4:15 "Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw." This Samaritan woman maybe felt tired of being submissive to her husband and longed for a husband that would give her the love of her life; that is, to treat her like a queen and not like a slave. Maybe her lack of submission led to her broken relationships.
The people of Israel during the time of Moses had a similar fate. The Israelites were also in submissive to the leadership of Moses and as a result, it took them forty years to reach the Promised Land. A real follower should never argue, but rather obey the leader, no matter what the perceived outcome might be. It is the responsibility of the leader, not the follower, to face whatever consequences may happen. A leader should have so much love for his followers that he tends to protect their lives and even risk his own life for their sakes. Our perfect example is Jesus Christ (John 10:11). He died for us, so that we who live will no longer live for ourselves but for the One who died for us and rose again on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:15). This is the kind of life that God has given us.
When the Samaritan woman learned to see the authority of Jesus (John 4:13,14), His knowledge of God (John 4:23-24), and how He was God's sent One (John 4:19 & 26) she acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah (John 4:25), and received the life of God. Jesus gave her another chance to put her married life on the right track and not seek for another husband, but go back to her real husband for reconciliation.
As she obeyed, her thirsty soul was quenched by the word of Jesus, and it overflowed from her heart. She was so driven by the new life of God that she immediately shared her testimony to other people (John 4:29 & 39). At last, she found her right love at the right time!
In this season of Lent, let us continue to seek God in His word and open our spiritual eyes, that we may see the life that He has given us.
