This week we are going deeper into John 4: 31-42.  Each week thus far has had a “theme,” and this week’s to “look around.”  We’ve looked ahead (Revelation), we’ve looked back (Deuteronomy), and now we are to look around at our current context. What do we see? What are we to do?  Monday we looked at the world behind the text; what is the context of what is happening in John.  You can read that here.  In the last two days, we looked at the world of the text of this passage – what is happening in front of our eyes.  Today we’ll look at the world in front of the text, what does this mean to us today?

For me, so much of this text’s purpose for us today is this – do we look around us?  Do we see the needs all around us?  Some needs that may see are physical.  When we looked earlier at this text, we see Jesus talking about the physical need (thirst). But He used that physical need to drive to the spiritual need of spiritual thirst.  Jesus talked about both them and throughout Him ministry, Jesus sought to meet both of them.  He fed the hungry but He also said that we do not live by bread alone.

Jesus is always a both/and presence.  Not an either/or. He wants us to meet physical needs AND spiritual needs.

Do we look around for the needs around us?  Because look what happens when that does happen. Jesus meets her greater spiritual needs.  She goes to tell her village of what happened. They come and hear Jesus and now they believe, not because she told them about Jesus, but because they had heard from themselves.

When we know Jesus, when we’ve been touched by His grace we can’t help but tell others or even better put, show others. This happened to the woman and she had to tell others.  They came and saw and experienced it.  And it changed all their lives.

Today, look within; know God’s love.  Look around; show and tell God’s love.  Be His conduit for grace. That will change the world.

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