What He Seeks, He Fixes
There is a common misconception floating around in the world that Jesus only cares for the “righteous” or those who have it all together. This idea would have individuals believing that they need to “get it together” in order to have a relationship with God. Those who would believe this idea have clearly not read through the Bible. Throughout the Old and New Testament it is clear that God seeks out those who are lost and broken. And yes I do mean that He seeks them out. God is active when it comes to wanting people to come to know Him. Perhaps the best verse to describe what I am trying to say here is “3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:3-7
While this parable is a great way to see that God seeks out and rejoices over the sinners who come to Him, in the book of John we can see that Jesus put this practice into action.
“So then, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that He was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing; rather, His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went away again to Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired from His journey, was just sitting by the well. It was about the sixth hour.”
John 4:1-6
At first glance you would not think that this passage could relate to Jesus seeking out someone who is lost, that is until you noticed two little words. Look at verse four again. The two words that show that Jesus was seeking someone out are “had to”. In actuality, Jesus did not have to pass through Samaria, there were multiple paths to get to Galilee. However, Jesus knew that by choosing the path that would take Him through Samaria, He would find someone who was lost.
“7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away to the city to buy food.”
John 4:7-8
Here was Jesus sitting alone when a woman comes to the well. On its own this would again not seem that out of place, but to understand the meaning you need to look deeper. In verse six, we saw that Jesus was resting at the well at the sixth hour. According to Jewish customs, this would have been around noon the hottest part of the day. Anyone who has been out working would understand that this would not be an ideal time to do demanding tasks such as drawing water from a well, and yet here comes this sole woman. As we find out later in this chapter, the woman was an adulterous. Biblical scholars have wondered if she came at a time with the least chance of being confronted by other women. Instead of drawing her water and leaving, this woman enters into a conversation with, unknown to her, the Messiah. Jesus takes this time to speak to her about a living water, one that will never cause her to thirst again.
It is at this point we see that while Jesus exposes her sin, He still treats her with mercy and grace “17 The woman answered and said to Him, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this which you have said is true.” 19 The woman *said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” John 4:17-19. Through the rest of the chapter we see that the woman states that she knows that one day the Messiah will come, Jesus responds that He is the Messiah. The woman becomes so excited that she abandons her waterpot to run into the city to declare that the Messiah has arrived. “28 So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is He?” 30 They left the city and were coming to Him.” John 4:28-30.
So what was the result of Jesus going to Samaria? He came across a woman who was by no means a perfect person or someone who had it all together. This woman was rejected because of her sins by the rest of the community. And yet, because she was at the well many came to know Christ through her.
“39 Now from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One truly is the Savior of the world.””
John 4:39-42
This woman testified that Jesus was the Messiah, this caused others to come and hear what Jesus had to say. Eventually, it came to a point that the rest of the community believed not solely on the woman’s word. They had been able to hear enough of what Jesus was saying to understand that He was the Messiah. This is why Jesus seeks out the lost and broken, through their testimony others are able to see the grace of God and come to know Him! Do not feel that you need to get yourself together before you can come to God. No one says, “I will get better and then I will go to the emergency room” people go to the emergency room because they are in desperate need of help. Us as believers need to understand Jesus is the one who fixes us, not anything we can do. “31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”” Luke 5:31-32. If you hear Him calling to you, answer! You may just be the cause that brings others to know Him!
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex