May 9th, 2015 (Sat) Cyber Fellowship Pastor Ock Soo Park
Let’s open the Bible to John chapter 4, verse 43.
“Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.”
I read one verse. John chapter 4 is about a woman in Samaria. Jesus met the Samaritan woman at a well. Jesus talked to the woman to ask her some water. The Samaritan woman was so surprised and said,
“How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?”
At that time, Jews treated Samaritans as dogs and didn’t eat or drink with them because they were of mixed-race. But the Samaritan woman’s life and everything of hers were so different from Jesus. So this was a conversation between the woman’s distant heart and Jesus’ heart, which were so far apart. Now what is really surprising and what I feel strongly about is the water. Jesus said to the woman,
“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
For most people it would be too hard to understand and accept this Word. The Samaritan woman’s life itself was located so far away from Jesus and she was in an impossible position to talk to. However, we could see when Jesus opened his warm heart and faced the woman, the woman opened her heart too, and the heart of the woman and Jesus flowed together although they had been far apart and in different worlds.
We thought the Samaritan woman would say “Where on earth is such water found? You must be joking, how can there be water that doesn’t make you thirst again? That doesn’t make sense!” However, the woman said something so amazing,
“Sir, give me the water that I visit not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go call the husband and come hither.”
Therefore the Word continually entered deeper and deeper inside the woman’s heart. Later, we see the woman throwing away her water pot and going into the city to introduce the Gospel of Jesus, and Jesus to people. From then on people came out and listened to the words of Jesus, and the words of God. Now when we see verses 40 and 39 it says,
“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.”
Eventually due to the request of the Samaritans, Jesus abode with them for two days. As they were together Jesus slept, ate, and talked with them, and became one through the heart although they were so different. Jesus stayed with them for two days even though he needed to leave, and it meant that the Samaritans became like Jesus. Becoming like Jesus meant that their hearts were the same and their thoughts were also the same. It is beyond all description that I am so thankful to see the Samaritan woman change after she met Jesus, open her heart, and listen to what Jesus said.
Jesus is still doing the same thing. Jesus came to me, who was like the Samaritan woman and opened his mouth to me, who was a miserable person, to ask for some water. Little by little, he gave me a world that I could only gain inside of holy Jesus, one that I’d never experienced before in my life.
What is so amazing is that I was a person, who lied and harassed and said bad things to others, but became a person who preached the Gospel, and I only spoke it literally but it then just settled down in my heart. Because Jesus stays inside of me, just like the Samaritan people that ate, drank, and slept with Jesus; the life that I live is one where I eat, drink, sleep, am happy, suffer, and one where I spend my time together with Jesus.
The same life that the people of Samaria were able to live through the Samaritan Woman bringing Jesus was also fulfilled in me. Therefore I, who was filled with filth and evil, began to speak about Jesus, preach the heart of Jesus, and change people by putting Jesus’ heart into them. Upon witnessing these things, I was so very thankful. I heard many testimonies from Russian volunteer students about how they changed a lot. It made me have a lot of tears. I was so thankful to think about how these people received and kept the heart, love, and grace of Jesus while staying with him. There is actually a process where you are treated like a dog or a pig; disgraceful and filthy.
On that day, Jesus left to go to Galilee through Samaria. As his footsteps stayed in Samaria, he started to talk with the Samaritan woman, and Jesus spread such a precious truth and Gospel that people would never forget in their life. Therefore, let us now read John chapter 4 and about this Samaritan woman and think ourselves to be just like the Samaritans. I am so thankful that I, who didn’t have a hope and lived, wandering in sin, met Jesus and gained the light, so that now I have words to deliver and grace to share.
Loving brothers and sisters, the two days Jesus spent in Samaria, are you also living such a life? Everyone, are you with Jesus? Be happy and suffer together with Jesus. Be thankful for the torment Jesus suffered and how he took our sin away instead of us, just like God did for the filthy Samaritan. I am really thankful that I can keep the happiness and great grace that comes for being with Jesus for two days, and happy to have my heart and thoughts led. My loving brothers and sisters in Good News Mission churches, I am thankful to God because he allowed the same blessing that Peter had and the precious position that Paul received; therefore we eat because of Jesus, we drink because of Jesus and we sleep and wake up because of Jesus. I praise the Lord who gave us such hope that we can sleep and wake up inside of Jesus. I attribute glory and thankfulness to God, who opened the way to preach the Gospel until the end of the whole world. Thank you.
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