John 4.19-22
Our text comes to us as a very popular and well-known story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Many Christian interpreters have channeled this portion of scripture to be understood as “Christ the Soul Winner”. From a Romanized perspective, I could see this being the case. But we were not in Rome when this exchanged took place; we were not in Rome when it was recorded. To truly get Jesus and understand why the gospel writers saw the significance of this story, we must place this event in its original content.
The tensions between the Jews and the Samaritans run deep, deeper than we can cover in this article. Suffice it to say that the very fact that Jesus is in the area of Samaria and addressing a Samaritan woman merits mention. The conflict is a religious issue, and the Samaritans had long since this time pulled away from the worship place of the Jews and had established their own “mountain”.
After Jesus had a brief discussion with the woman about her lifestyle, she determines that he is not an ordinary man. She ascribes to Him the title of “prophet”, which is a deeply sacred office held in great value by Jew and Samaritan alike. Coupled with the fact that during the time of Jesus, true prophets were few and far between, this is a very respectful remark. Determining that Jesus had some “religious” understanding, she addresses the different places of worship between the two groups.
Jesus jumps right on this remark by refocusing the attention from where she worships to what she worships. This to me is the reason for this encounter. In a passionate response, Jesus tells her flat out, “Believe Me”. Understanding of this important concept starts with the ability to see it as the truth. People today, especially in religious circles, are constantly seeking the truth. The problem is two-fold, they lack the education, determination and understanding to recognize the truth if they actually saw it. Secondly, knowing the truth is always better than seeking it.
Jesus maintains His Jewish apocalyptic mindset (a common occurrence in His teachings) by telling her that an hour (epoch or season to the Jews) is coming. Many people miss the urgency of the message of Jesus because they think in spatial terms. While it may be true that Messiah has not returned for over 2000 years, it would be a mistake to remove the sense of urgency of this statement. In a short 40 years after His execution, nearly 80% of the population that had actually heard the words of Jesus would be dead at the hands of the Roman invasion in 70CE. When Jesus says the hour is coming, start packing.
Jesus addresses the heart of the problem in one of the most straightforward exchanges we have from Him. He tells her “You do not know what you are doing”. Jesus says while they worship at this mountain, they lack the knowledge of Whom they are worshipping. They have the words, they have systematic theology, they have the doctrines, but they lack the relationship and lifestyle of worship.
For the Jewish people, worship is not a moment of time elapsed in a Sunday-come-to-Meeting event. It is not defined by what kind of music is played or how many people speak in unknown tongues. It is not a performance worthy of an admission fee. Worship is focused on two basic and fundamental elements, to know God and be known by God.
When Jesus tells her that she worships was she does not know, He proves His argument because her focus is on where worship occurs and not on who worship is about. In our consumer driven society, consumerism is widely seen in the church. People go to worship at the place they enjoy, feel comfortable, like the pastor, enjoy the music or get to do the things that make them feel better about not knowing why they are there. It is criminal how the tables of the money-changers help people exchange their guilt and shame with a healthy dose of feel good gospel that does not appear anywhere on the pages of scripture.
Jesus qualifies why the Jews know who they worship, by explaining that salvation is from the Jews. This is not a future tense statement, as if it is being proclaimed for the first time. The Jewish people have been calling upon God for salvation for 2000 plus years at this time. Simply put, for the Jew, God is salvation. To know God is to know salvation. So, they worship what they know, not what they have been told.
Sadly, most Christians today do not know whom they worship. They have a form of God, but do not see the power that resides within Him. When the 2nd century church fathers jettisoned all things Jewish from the church, they also launched Jesus as well. The mountain moved to Rome and Jesus the Jewish Messiah was replaced by Christ, the reigning Emperor.
You cannot pick your mountain. It is following in the path of our Jewish spiritual parents, who had experienced God through their entire calling as His people that will lead you to a deeper understanding of Jesus. The sect of Judaism that embraced Jesus, historically known as the Nazoreans or Nazarenes, saw Jesus through the lens of His Jewish lifestyle and observance. They knew deeply of the relationship between Jesus and God, which explains why they had no issues with His divinity.
Religious people have and will always follow the lead dog. Popular trends, styles and subjects continue to be the prevailing attraction of the Christian community. Far removed from its humble beginnings, Christianity is worshiping a God they do not know at a mountain that God does not know. Jesus makes no claim to the importance of a religiosity; He claims that you must know God. In the knowing of God, comes genuine worship.
Christianity’s focus on conversion has created a “hurry up and wait” concept. People are quickly ushered into the Kingdom of God with just the base knowledge of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. The death of Jesus becomes all inclusive of the focus of their lives. It even pushes the idea that this world is not our home; God is going to burn it up, so show up, tithe, sing and listen, because when Jesus comes, we are out of here.
Jesus told us the sheep hear His voice. Is this the voice of a dead man? What about His life? How can I know Jesus apart from how He lived His life? The early Gnostic writers chided the proto-orthodoxy by calling their teachings the “Doctrine of the Dead Man”. It was all about His death, not knowing about His life.
The Apostle’s Creed (not written or endorsed by any of the Apostles of Jesus) simply states that Jesus was born of a virgin and suffered at the hands of Pilate, was crucified, died and rose again. According to the Apostle’s Creed, the woman at the well never happened. Jesus never said salvation is of the Jews.
As a New Testament Historian, I am not as concerned with what people believe as I am with what Jesus taught. Christianity has been preaching about Jesus for 2000 years, but stopped preaching what He said 2000 years ago. The words from the mouth of Jesus, His true identity, must be returned to the forefront of Christian thought. You can pick your religion, but you cannot pick your mountain.
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