Rooted in Grace

Read John 4:3-30 

This woman at the well was trying to avoid people and yet Jesus came straight to her. Jesus knew she was there. It was 12 noon the Bible says. That means it was the heat of the day and she came alone. In that culture it was custom for women to go to the well to gather water in the morning or evening when it wasn’t so hot. 

By the way, I love how scripture reveals Jesus' humanity. He needed a drink.

Jesus is the NEW human. He’s not just GOD teaches us what to do - He’s GOD who became HUMAN to reveal us to what is possible. 

Yet Jesus who is still human, thirsty for a cold drink, he stops at a well - not just any well - Jacobs well. 

Her first response was bitterness and cynicism. She's incredibly sarcastic with Jesus. In the midst of her attitude, Jesus saw her hurt and the real person beneath the rude exterior. Jesus sees your pain and prejudice and wants to confront it and replace it with His grace - grace that produces the fruit of joy, hope and love. If you don’t confront your pain and anger in your heart, you’ll let it become your identity. Jesus wants to change that. You must let Jesus’ love penetrate your heart - just like this woman did. But only after Jesus didn't give up. I love how Jesus was persistent.

She knew Jews were usually racist and sexist. She made the same mistake we do; she put someone in a category. She assumed he too was bigotted. And I'm sure it didn't help when He said “YOU would offer to get me some water... if you knew who I was.” 

She was blinded by the pain of her life. 

Hebrew 12:15 "See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; be careful a root of bitterness doesn’t grow up within you and causes trouble and defiles many."

Maybe you accepted Christ years ago but lately you've been bitter and lacking joy. You are one encounter with Jesus away from an entirely different life! You need to encounter grace again. It's possible you're no longer rooted in grace but instead, you've placed your roots in the wrong things people have done to you, said about you, etc. 

Even Christians can allow a "root of bitterness" to grow up within their heart.

To be rooted in grace, you must realize that you are just as much in need of God’s help as the murderer & adulterer. If you don’t realize this and truly believe it in your gut, you’ll be condescending though a "Christian." You’ll be dismissive although a “Christian.” You’ll be graceless, though a “Christian, saved by grace.” 
Jesus confronts that fact that she’s rejected and hurting. If she couldn’t conceive a child she was hurting. If being barren caused five men to leave her, she was hurting. Hurt people hurt people. Do you know how many people are hurting just WAITING for hope?  Waiting for someone to believe in them and look at them with eyes of love - with a mindset of acceptance? I wonder who works with you that is truly hurting inside just waiting for you to introduce them to Jesus?
Maybe that coworker or family member won't receive Him right away. Many people’s first response to the Gospel is sarcasm and cynicism. Don’t walk away and give up when that happens. Like Jesus, keep pushing through the pain. Don't ignore it. Jesus didn't. Acknowledging it, not ignoring it but being persistent in your declaration that Jesus and only Jesus can bring true peace to our hearts. 

Just before this story, Jesus offers eternal life to Nicodemus, a religious leader who was curious about Jesus, undoubtedly drawn by the Spirit to a late night discussion. Sadly, he walked away because he was unwilling to admit his need to be forgiven and born again. He was rooted in works not rooted in grace. 
Both the religious and the rejected need to be rooted in His grace. Nicodemus was educated, powerful, respected by everyone, orthodox, theologically trained and a man. Not her! She was from Samaria, the place where Jews had married decendents of Ishmmael and defiled the jewish race 800 years earlier (1 Kings 16-17) Samaritans were considered half breed by gentiles and Jews alike. She was unschooled, without influence, despised, capable only of being used and abused. She was a woman. 

Nicodemus was a man, a Jew, a ruler. She was a Samaritan, a moral outcast. Both needed Jesus. Both needed grace. 

Are you rooted in grace? If not, you'll become dismissive, rude and you'll cut off people quickly. If you're rooted in grace, if you realize the mercy God has given you, then you will bear the fruit of grace to all who encounter you. Those rooted in grace bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience ... grace.