Redemption: Love through Grace and Truth

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

I’m a sucker for romantic movies. The weird thing is that I always know how it will end. Always! But the story is what gets me. Sometimes I watch them with my husband, and a few minutes in, we bet on the storyline. We come up with theories and wait to see who will be correct. But I watch it mainly for the rollercoaster of emotions before the final cute but painfully obvious ending.

Love, especially portrayed by visual or literary art, is often adorable and wrapped in a bow – the kind of love that is often filled with sweet nothings, rainbows, and sunshine, and a hint of breathlessness. This is the fantasy of what it should look like, but God’s kind of love doesn’t usually take this form. It can be messy, frustrating, and even disheartening, but it’s more beautifully overwhelming than anything the human mind can comprehend.

In John 4:1-38, we come across the familiar story of the Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well. Jesus was headed to Galilee from Judea, but the Bible states that “He HAD TO go through Samaria on the way” (vs.4). This is a rather interesting statement considering that Jews hated the Samaritans because they were considered ‘unclean.’ Therefore, for Jesus, a Jew, to go through a territory completely against His earthly identity was ridiculous. Or was it? The Bible is a book of new chances that only unconditional love can give, and the Samaritan woman’s story isn’t any different. So what do we see about the steps in the journey of God’s love from this story?

1. Mission orientation (verse 4)

Jesus takes the road less traveled (pun intended) and goes out of His way to be in Samaria. He didn’t need to bear the burden of judgmental eyes, but He did so anyway to reach that one woman. God’s love is personal and relentless in that way.

2. Prioritization (verse 5)

Jesus reaches out to the woman despite societal disapproval. He did not regard men’s standards above His divine mission. His will was to fulfill that of the Father regardless of opposition that came His way.

3. Protection (verse 8)

Jesus had the conversation with the woman in private. His intention wasn’t to embarrass the woman with details of her failures in the presence of others. God cares about protecting us from the contempt of other people. Salvation isn’t about public condemnation but private conviction

4. Revelation (verse 10)

Jesus offers her a solution she didn’t know she needed or could have. The Christian faith is about accessing and resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ, which He died so that we could have.

5. Reflection (verse 15)

Jesus got the woman to admit that she had a lack. God can’t fully intervene until we acknowledge our weakness. The woman was tired of society ridiculing her as she came to the well. It was a constant reminder of how much of an outcast she was. She had to go to the well at noon, yet women often came in the morning when the sun was not yet hot

6. Confession (verse 17a)

The result of the reflection was that she confessed her sin. There’s something about saying things out loud that shows their gravity. Taking skeletons out of the closet ensures that they no longer have a hold over you.

7. Clarification (verse 17b-18)

Jesus explains what her sin is in even more detail.  Like a doctor giving a prescription, Jesus first clarifies what her fault is before offering a solution for it. This process removes the generality of love, and it shows just how much bigger His love is than our sin

8. Reception (verse 19)

The woman receives the message of Jesus. The foundation of love that Jesus had laid allowed the woman to not only accept the salvation that He offered but also believe the news that He was the Messiah

9. Correction (verse 20-26)

The woman explains what she understood of the faith that Jesus offered but is then corrected. Our faith journey is about learning and relearning who God is and what faith is all about. Notice that this is the most extended section to show that the learning journey often never ends

10. Transformation (verse 27-30)

The woman disregards her fear of ridicule and rejection to go and tell the same people who ostracized her about her encounter. An encounter with Jesus gives us the confidence and conviction to talk to others about the Gospel. Correction leads to transformation in:

a. Who we are: Usually, change is selective and superficial, but transformation is pervasive and permanent. It flows into other areas of our lives

b. What we value: Transformation reorganizes our priorities. The woman came to the well to get water (urgent; real life) but left the water pot to go and tell others about Jesus (important; divine)

What do we learn about God?

1. God finds fulfillment in our acceptance of his offer of salvation (verse 31-34)

Jesus was initially hungry, thirsty, and tired but later felt rejuvenated after the life-changing interaction with the Samaritan woman

2. God is not satisfied with just one soul (verse 35)

Immediately after the woman’s conversion, He makes plans and prepares His disciples for other conversions. He wants all 100 sheep, not just 99 (Luke 15:1-7)

3. God places value on the harvest (verse 36)

He promises that there will be a reward for both the One who plants the Word (God) and the one who harvests the souls (us)

4. God invites us to share in the joy of the harvest (verse 36-38)

It’s all teamwork. We enjoy the fulfillment of evangelism on earth and the reward of eternal life in heaven.

Reflection

Finally, ask yourself:

1. At what stage of the process are you?

2. How can you be more diligent and faithful in the process?

3. How can you encourage others to begin the process?

Jesus promises to meet us at the point of our need regardless of our circumstances (Philippians 4:19). Nothing can separate us from His love. When we rest in that assurance, we enjoy the fruit of the peace that we can only find in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Verse for the week:

Romans 8:38-39

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.