Reading in the Bible the story of Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman, I have to ask myself what are the essentials in life? As the encounter is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter four verses seven through thirty-eight, a Samaritan woman goes to a well to obtain water. This was an essential part of the day for this woman. Water was not readily accessible and thus the journey to the well for water was a pinnacle point of the day. However, at the well, the Samaritan woman is engaged by Jesus and thus provoked to leave what seemed essential, to tell others about this Jesus. Verse twenty-eight records that after her encounter with Jesus, she left her waterpot to tell others about him.
Is an encounter with Jesus so compelling and transforming that a person is willing to forget what seems essential to this world? Can Jesus have this affect upon people's lives? Do churches resemble this kind of effect Jesus can have? Does my life, as a professed follower of Jesus, reflect this type of transformation?
The woman could have just as easily filled the waterpot and taken it with her, but after an encounter with Jesus, her waterpot went from being essential to inconsequential. This is challenging to me when I sometimes pray a quick prayer before a meal because I am hungry. Now to read about this new follower of Jesus willing leave what she once thought was essential in order to tell others about Jesus.
Does Jesus have that effect upon me, upon you, that the essentials of this life become inconsequential? Is Jesus really worth giving up everything to follow? The Bible records in the Psalms that the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life itself. What a claim!?
I recently witnessed the transforming power of a Jesus encounter as I said good-bye to a dear member of our church. Myron had an encounter with this same Jesus and lived his life to serve others on Jesus' behalf. Myron started a food shelf and gave everything to feed the hungry. When Myron awaited death last week, he did so with great anticipation. He could not wait to see and be with Jesus. He was like a kid in a candy store. He was like someone who really knew that the steadfast love of the Lord is greater than life itself. He was like someone who equated the essentials of this world as inconsequential to knowing this Jesus.
Does Jesus continue to have this effect upon me? Am I willing to give everything to follow Him? What are the "essentials" in my life that compete with Jesus?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment