Year 5, Day 252: John 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Challenge

• Challenge: God does not merely wish us to be in relationship with Him as we are.  He challenges us to grow, stretch, and transform as we take on the mantle of being His representatives to this world.

What an incredible chapter for looking at challenge.  Jesus brings the challenge in incredible amounts here.  Let’s take a look:

1. Jesus asks the woman for a drink.  He’s a Jew and has every reason to look down on her.
2. Jesus tells her that He has living water, but has no means for drawing water.
3. Jesus invites her to call her husband, but this only forces her to admit that she’s had five husbands.
4. Jesus challenges her to accept that her place of worship may be subject to change.
5. Jesus challenges her to realize that she doesn’t know what she worships as well as she should.
6. Jesus challenges her to go into town and tell the people what has happened here.

However, look how the woman responds.  With every challenge the woman grows.  With every challenge she is brought into deeper interest in what Jesus is telling her.  With every challenge the woman becomes more and more prepared for the task that lies ahead.  By the time Jesus is done with her, she is prepared to go and tell her whole town about the challenge that Jesus has invoked in her life.  Through Jesus’ challenge, the woman is able to prepare even more people to expect challenge form Jesus.

A town is drawn closer to God because Jesus challenges a single woman.  That is the power of challenge. 

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