John 4:1-26
The woman at the well is a story of encounter, about the gift of eternal life offered to the woman by Jesus that immediately transforms her life and the life of her community.
Podcast
The woman at the well is a story of encounter, about the gift of eternal life offered to the woman by Jesus that immediately transforms her life and the life of her community.
So far we have seen how various different groups reacted to the light of Jesus; but chapter 3 brings us to the reaction of someone we might have expected to reject him. Nicodemus offers us a template for approaching Jesus, and for the kind of questions we should ask him.
In the two events of this passage we see two different reactions to Jesus, and where each one leads: Invitation or Indignation.
First century Jews were desperate for God to send a saviour. God did just that... but not everyone recognised him. John did, and testified to the imminent arrival ... of God himself.
Jesus is the light that illuminates who God really is, who we really are, and what the world really looks like. It is sometimes difficult and hard to accept, but those who choose light and reject darkness will find life.
Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.
As Paul closes this letter to the wayward church at Corinth, he knows they may still be wavering between himself and the false apostles who have misled them. So he challenges them, with four vital pastoral questions:
What’s true?
What’s real?
Where are we heading?
What’s important?
As we seek to get in tune with God’s cosmic plan for reconciliation, we could do worse than ask ourselves the same questions.
Exploring the hard, embarrassing work of reconciliation, and the humility of the cross.
Paul has been defending his ministry, not out of self-interest, but out of love for the church. His leadership, like that of Christ whom he imitates, is humble and gentle, but there are warnings mixed into his message.
Generosity reconciles churches to churches, and people to God. From the passage and from personal experience, Morag shares the joy of giving and being generous.