IN the story of the woman of Samaria, we see not only the grace of God in Christ to a sinner dead in sins, but also a sample of the blessed results of personal communion with the Lord. Nothing compensates the Christian for the lack of this— “without Me,” said Jesus, “ye can do nothing.” Outward service has its proper and healthful time and sphere of exercise, and the neglect of such service would be disobedience to the word of God; but, however spiritually conducted, it cannot make up for a deficiency of personal communion with the Lord. The former should result from the latter.
It is when we feel ourselves alone with Him that we are in a position to receive instruction, correction, and comfort of a peculiarly personal character; and the self-judging process that He leads to (v. 16), not only humbles, but prepares us to appreciate the wisdom, power, and grace of God with heartfelt gratitude, while we derive consolation therefrom. It is then, especially, that He leads us to review our past history, and to learn experimentally the deep necessity for, as well the true reality of, the superabounding grace of God.
The natural heart is selfish and covetous; “earthly things” concentrate its desires, and “the world” is the boundary of its hopes; but when, by divine grace, we are brought to feel and own our present position as debtors, and to know that the Creditor frankly forgives us, seeing we have nothing to pay—when, by faith, we see that the Son of God has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers, and that we are “called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” —then our expectations and our hopes take another direction, and we “desire a better country, that is an heavenly.” But even after this, if the eye grow dim to the deep and eternal realities of our Father’s kingdom, the mind will, more or less, return to its naturally accustomed occupation. It is only when unfading and eternal beauty shines upon our sods, as beheld in the glorious Person of the Son of God, that changeful and perishable objects and pursuits are weighed in the true balance and “found wanting,” so that we can take joyfully the spoiling of our goods, knowing that we “have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.”
It is this principle that strikes me to be so prominently set forth in the inspired account of the Samaritan woman. Before Christ revealed HIMSELF to her, her religion was purely traditional, her heart was untouched, her conversation therefore rose no higher than remarks on the religious topics of the day. Perceiving that Jesus was “a prophet,” she would fain hide her sinful course and disturbed conscience behind the mountain-worship of her fathers. She felt not “the love of God,” because she knew not “the Gift of God;” therefore talk, and not self-denying devotedness to Jesus, was the chief element of her religion. She was ignorant of the fact that “the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” And it may be here remarked, that a knowledge of true principles, or a correct acquaintance with the letter of Scripture, may fit a person for conversation or argument on religious questions, but give him no power to “deny ungodliness and worldly lust;” but let “the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ,” be seen; let “God manifest in the flesh” be believingly looked unto; let the slain Lamb of God be beheld by a convicted sinner, and then, what a mighty soul-constraining power is put into exercise! What truth and love become manifested!
It was only when the woman of Samaria beheld the Messiah in the person of Him who had told her all things that ever she did, that she “left her waterpot,” and went into the city to bear testimony to the exceeding riches of His grace. And with what ease, and, if I may so speak, how naturally she walked according to the new and heavenly principles implanted in her soul! Her personal acquaintance with the Messiah had translated her thoughts and heart from earth to heaven. Her conversation was no longer about “our father Jacob, who gave us the well,” nor the fathers’ worship in the mountain, but it was concerning “THE CHRIST:” —the grace of Christ, “He told me,” a sinful woman—the power and wisdom of Christ, “He told me all that ever I did;” so that having been alone in His presence, she could speak what she knew, and testify what she had seen— “Is not this the Christ?” And this is not all, she desires that others should participate in the joy and peace which she had, she therefore entreats them to “come” and “see” the Christ. The rest and peace of her soul was CHRIST, and Christ only; the tradition of the fathers, which had so beclouded her mind, vanished when she saw the Christ; her testimony, therefore, was to “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” She had been with Jesus, and had learned of Him. Who now so lovely, so attractive, so worthy, so all-sufficient, so soul-satisfying to her as Jesus! Had she not heard His word, and in the secret of the Divine presence become experimentally acquainted with the “Gift of God,” and who He was that said unto her, “Give Me to drink?” Was not the water that He gave her a well springing up in her into everlasting life? Had He not unfolded to her the very secrets of her heart? Had she not tasted that the Lord was gracious? Then, could she be indifferent to His honor? Could she look on Christ-less, perishing souls, and be silent? Could she delay openly to extol and magnify Him who had so condescendingly commended His love toward her? Are not her neighbors going downward to destruction, because they know not “the Gift of God?” What claim then can the “waterpot” have, however necessary in its place, comparable to the love of Jesus and the needy condition of immortal souls? “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a Man which told me all things that ever I did: Is not this the Christ?”
And surely, beloved, our danger in the present day is not so much in the neglect of attention to things necessary for the present life, as in allowing needful occupations and lawful employments to have the priority in our minds and ways. The Spirit of God teaches us not to be indifferent to, or negligent of, these things—He commands us to “maintain good works for necessary uses;” but the Lord Himself, and all that in which His glory is involved, must be the first consideration with us. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” The Lord is stronger than we, let us not provoke Him to jealousy. He is “the Father of spirits,” the Searcher of hearth, and judgeth without respect of persons. God is not mocked. “My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me,” was His affecting complaint (Ps. 81:11); but let not those expect to realize the light of His countenance who make the honour of Christ, the welfare of His Church, and the testimony of His gospel, matters of secondary importance. Brethren, let us deal solemnly with ourselves on these points. Is “Christ” or the “Waterpot” the “first” object of our search? Paul wept over many in his day, because they were minding earthly things; he called them “enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil. 3:18, 1918(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:18‑19)); although, on another occasion, he had to reprove some for idleness, and lack of those industrious habits, which become the gospel of Christ (2 Thess. 3:10-1210For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 11For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 12Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. (2 Thessalonians 3:10‑12)). It is happy so to walk in the fear of the Lord, that in the needful details of life we may “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour,” and that our habit of mind may be to “do all for the glory of God.” It is only in this way we can “use this world as not abusing it;” and we can only do this when the heart is filled with the constraining love of Christ, from personal communion with Him. When He is truly felt to be our treasure, our heart cannot but be most deeply interested in all that which concerns Him. It was so with the Samaritan woman, as we have seen; and we may add, how reproving, as well as instructive, this narrative is! How wonderful the wisdom of our God in prescribing for us, in this history, a remedy so effectual for soul-sickness and lukewarmness! Is it not because we have so little personal acquaintance with Christ Himself, that earthly things have such power over us, and that we so fail is testimony to the grace of God? The unconverted have no power to forsake perishing things, they are not acquainted with any higher claim on their affections than that of “earthly things;” they know nothing about “a better and an enduring substance;” their motto is, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die;” but those who have known “the Gift of God,” and learnt with joy to “draw water out of the wells of salvation,” can well afford to leave the “waterpot,” and commit their earthly care to Him who is their newfound source of refreshment and strength. We find that when Andrew had beheld the Lamb of God, and abode with Him, he was anxious for the souls of others, and so powerfully testified of the Christ whom he himself had become personally acquainted with, that he brought his own brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:35, 4235Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; (John 1:35)
42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:42)). Nor was the simple, earnest testimony of the woman of Samaria less successful, for we are told that many believed on Jesus because of her saying which she testified, “He told me all things that ever I did.”
Do not such Scriptures as these, dear brethren, blessedly illustrate to our souls that precious truth, “We love Him because He first loved us?” May we be afresh stirred up to cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart!