Jesus Talks With A Samaritan Woman
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” [John 4:19-24]
Reflections
‘our ancestors worshipped on this mountain‘
refers to the location of the Samaritan temple, and even though it had been destroyed, they still worshipped in that same location.
‘…but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem‘
both the Jews and the Samaritans put value on the place in which worship happened
‘a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem‘
Jesus shatters the tradition & the expectations
‘Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth‘
it’s not important where we worship – it’s not about place or tradition
‘God is spirit…‘
God isn’t limited by location
‘You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know‘
what’s important is who we worship
‘true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks‘
what’s important is how we worship
Conclusion
It’s not important where we worship, as God isn’t limited by location, it’s not about place or tradition – what matters is who we worship and how.