John 4:5-6 -- So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Yesterday the focus was on the fact Jesus "HAD" to pass through Sumaria. Now there were other options for traveling but not for Jesus. He had somewhere to be and someone to meet.
When you don't have a Honda Odyssey minivan out front to load the disciples into and head out on the road for Sychar, well you have to walk. So, Jesus and those disciples willing to follow walked North.
The word, "WEARIED", immediately jumped out today. Jesus was tired and wearied. The word in the Greek is kopiaō and means to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief). This word carries with it the exhaustion of intense labor, effort, or toil.
Jesus was just plain worn out by the time he got to his destination. It's here at the end of His travels, sitting beside Jacob's well, with His human strength pushed to weariness, that his appointment with the Samaritan woman was set. We'll find tomorrow the very next verse has her arriving at the well.
There was a lot of walking and toiling to get to this place. There's no mention of how many miles, what type of terrain, the amount of time it took, or any challenges along the way. The fact is it was all worth it for Jesus to make it to that place. All the work, all the walking, the weariness, all worth it for who would arrive shortly.
This morning as I prayed over these verses there were a few quick things I heard and saw.
First, following Jesus can mean following Him into places others wouldn't dare go and will look down on you, mock, ridicule, or even persecute you for.
Second, following Jesus means a lot of unrecognized labor. A lot of unseen sacrifices that no one will ever know and frankly probably wouldn't care if it's from genuinely following Jesus Christ.
Third, Jesus got tired, wearied, and worn out, so we will too. There's a time and a place to rest, but even in resting there is purpose and His love and ministering to others doesn't stop.
Fourth, every interaction we have, every person we encounter, no matter who they are, where they're from, what they believe, what they don't believe, whether they like you or don't like you, is an opportunity to show the love of Jesus.
Lastly, the working, the walking, and the weariness is worth it to be able to show one more person the love and good news of Jesus Christ!
It has been so amazing walking with the Lord through these verses, with the heart and mind to really watch and listen to Jesus. I pray you will be the Berean and not just take my word for anything, get into the Bible and read for yourself. Listen for what He has to tell you in it.
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone! Reach out if you'd like prayer, to talk, or someone to listen.
Comentarios