Jesus said you must

The word “must” is a big deal.  When God says we “must” do something, we need to be paying attention to what that something is.  In this case, Jesus is teaching the Samaritan woman what worship toward God should look like.  Watch for what Jesus says true worshipers “must” do:

John 4:19-24
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”

Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans worship what you do not know.  We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.  But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.  Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

Notice that Jesus is giving instruction for worship, but He also says the Father wants to be worshiped this way.  But what, exactly, does it mean to worship in Spirit and in truth? 

First thing Jesus says is that God the Father is spirit.  The essential reason worship of God must be spiritual is that God is a spiritual being, not a physical idol.  Worship of a spiritual God requires spiritual worship, not just going through certain acts and motions of worship at a special location. 

Secondly, Jesus says that God the Father must be worshiped in truth.  The Greek word for truth (aletheon) is a compound word, consisting of a + lanthano – when independently translated means not + keep secret, not + escape notice, or not + be hidden.  Therefore, truth is found in what God has revealed about Himself.  This means our worship should be in accordance with what God has told us about Himself and in line with what He wants…not just whatever chords or lyrics give us an emotional response.  If we must worship God in truth, then people cannot simply worship God in any manner that seems attractive to them.  We must worship Him as He, by the Spirit, has revealed that we should.

When Jesus said that a time is coming when worship will not be on Mt. Gerizim or in Jerusalem, He was throwing out all division points between the Samaritans and the Jews.  Worshiping in spirit is in contrast to how the Jews worshiped physically, via ceremony and letter of the law.  Worshiping in truth is in contrast to how the Samaritans worshiped in ignorance. 

Both the Samaritans and the Jews were concerned that worship of God was done right.  However, they believed that focusing on the where the worship occurred would give them the closest relationship with God.  Jesus corrects this thinking and tells the woman that worship of God the Father is no longer confined to a specific location, but worship rightly done will focus on how – in spirit and in truth.

So how does all this relate to us modern believers?

Looking at Jesus’ teachings after this encounter can give us some help.  “In Spirit” can also refer to The Holy Spirit, which Jesus later sent to assist believers in the church age (John 14:26).  “In truth” can also refer to Jesus, since He is The Truth (John 14:6).  Putting this all together, true worship is in step with The Holy Spirit, with Jesus, and aimed toward God the Father.  This makes our worship a trinitarian event – we are interacting with all three persons of the godhead!

And yet, still today, some people worship God in religious ignorance.  Ritual activities and tradition have become so comfortable for many believers that their own spirit is not engaged during worship.  And unfortunately, a lot of modern worship services are so focused on generating an emotional response that they do not stay true to what God has revealed about Himself.  Jesus shows us the correct way to worship – in Spirit and in truth.  If we want authentic, real worship…this is how we must do it.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Religion, politics, and worship

Don’t talk about politics or religion, we’ve always been told.  However, we’re even less inclined to talk about our flaws, which can make politics and/or religion a distraction topic to get away from talking about our own failings.  During His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus revealed that He knew all about the intimate relationship failures of her life.  However, she quickly changed the subject:

John 4:19-20
“Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”

She deflects from the personal statements of how she has dealt with her deepest thirst and shifts to political/religious differences between Samaritans and Jews.

However, Jesus doesn’t get upset with her when she tries to change the subject.  Jesus allows her to steer the conversation away from her life choices and into the (taboo?) topic of religion and worship.  And this is not just any religion discussion topic…this was THE TOPIC that represented the conflict and strife between the Samaritans and the Jews.  This was the ultimate combination of politics and religion in the area: Should followers of God worship Him on Mt. Gerizim or in Jerusalem?

Look at how Jesus replied:

John 4:21
Jesus told her, “Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”

Jesus answered her deflection question, but not as she expected.  He didn’t choose between her Option A or Option B, instead Jesus chose “neither”.

We’ll look at Jesus’ full answer in future posts, but we need to stop here and address a bias we have.

It would be easy for us modern believers to dismiss their cultural debate between Mt. Gerizim and Jerusalem.  Why get all hung up over where someone sings praise to God?  Why fight (and even kill) someone over where they pray to God?  Why hate and despise a distant blood relative because how they worship?

It would be easy for us to think those things…but it would be hypocritical to do so.  Modern churches have split over the color of the sanctuary carpet.  Modern believers have gossiped and spread rumors about other churches because they made coffee available at their services.  Modern believers have had significant fights over every aspect of worship – hymnals, organs, pianos, clapping, guitars, drums, lights, projector screens, fog machines, visual illustrations…and the biggest one of all: contemporary music vs. traditional music.

Believers have gotten down-right nasty with fellow believers who do not worship with their preferred style.  Old familiar hymns vs new songs has been a hot button topic longer than you and I have been alive.  However, I think our divisions have more to do with preferences rather than the true intent of worship.  Even back in 1908, Marcus Dods made this observation:

Rich music, striking combinations of color and of architectural forms, are nothing to God so far as worship goes, except insofar as they bring the human spirit into fellowship with Him.  Persons are differently constituted, and what is natural to one will be formal and artificial to another.  Some worshippers will always feel that they get closer to God in private, in their own silent room, and with nothing but their own circumstances and wants to stimulate [their worship of God]; they feel that a service carefully arranged and abounding in musical effects does indeed move them, but does not make it easier for them to address themselves to God.  Others, again, feel differently; they feel that they can best worship God in spirit when the forms of worship are expressive and significant. 

But in two points all will agree: first, that in external worship, while we strive to keep it simple, we should also strive to make it good – the best possible of its kind.  If we are to sing God’s praise at all, then let the singing be the best possible, the best music a congregation can join in, and executed with the utmost skill that care can develop.  Music which cannot be sung save by persons of exceptional musical talent is unsuitable for congregational worship; but music which requires no consideration, and admits of no excellence, is hardly suitable for the worship of God…The other point in which we all will agree, is that where the Spirit is not engaged there is no worship at all.

As Jesus told the Samaritan woman, location and politics and religious tradition aren’t the keys to true worship.  That is no longer our road map to encountering God.  Our worship of God should be of good quality, and through it, we should be engaged with God.  Let’s not worry so much about how others’ worship looks, rather we should be asking ourselves if our worship’s focus is on God and our connection to Him.

Keep Pressing,
Ken