Today’s reading is only found in the Gospel of John, like many of John’s recordings of which there are no direct harmonies.  The closest harmony account is that of the Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 but there it is his servant that needs healed and he initiates the “just say the word” request. 

John 4:43-53 “Jesus’ Word Is Enough”

John alone numbers these first two Cana signs. The first sign took place at a wedding, where Jesus turned water into wine and revealed the joy, fullness, and covenant blessing that He brings. The second sign took place under the shadow of death, where Jesus gave life to a dying son by the power of His word. In both accounts, the miracle was accomplished by just the Words of Jesus.  Many commentators have noticed that these two signs intentionally frame this early section of John’s Gospel: Cana to Cana, sign to sign, belief to belief. I would not press the point too far, but I see a beautiful picture here. The first sign reminds us of the joy Christ brought in His first coming the Bridegroom bringing better wine, better cleansing, better covenant blessings. The second sign points our eyes toward Christ’s second coming and the life-giving authority of Christ’s word, the same voice that can heal the dying, raise the dead, and one day call all that are in the graves to come forth (John 5:28-29). Whether at the wedding feast or beside the dying child, Jesus is enough and His word brings life.

The nobleman came to Jesus because he needed a miracle, but he left with something better than just a sign: he left believing the word of Christ. In this passage, John contrasts shallow reception, sign-seeking faith, and a growing faith that learns to rest upon Jesus’ word and brings a whole household along with it.

1. The Danger of Familiarity Without Honor John 4:43-45

“For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.” John 4:44

Jesus leaves Samaria, where He had been gladly received by people who believed His word, and comes again into Galilee, where He is received by people who had seen His miracles in Jerusalem. At first glance, verse 45 sounds encouraging: “the Galileans received him.” But John has already taught us to be careful with a reception that is built only on signs.

John 2:23-25 tells us that many believed when they saw the miracles, but Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew what was in man. There is a kind of “receiving” that is not the same as reverencing. There is a kind of interest in Jesus that is not the same as worshiping Jesus. They welcomed Him as a wonder-worker, but did they honor Him as Lord?

This helps explain the phrase, “A prophet hath no honor in his own country.” Familiarity does not have to be, but can become dangerous. The voice that should pierce the heart may become an old, muffled murmur. The people closest to the truth can become the most callused to it. Nazareth received Him too, until He rebuked them; then “they were filled with wrath” (Luke 4:28). They liked the idea of Jesus so long as He served their expectations, but they would not bow beneath His authority.

That is a warning for church people. We can be near enough to the things of God to know the language, the songs, the stories, and the sermons, and yet become strangely dull to the glory of Christ. The most dangerous place to lose the wonder of Jesus is not always in the far country; sometimes it is in His own country.
Be careful that Jesus does not become common to you. The same sun that softens wax hardens clay, and the same Word that awakens one soul may be ignored by another that has heard it a thousand times.

2. The Danger of Seeking Signs Instead of Resting in His Word John 4:46-50

“Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”  John 4:48

The nobleman comes with real need. His son is dying. He has enough faith to come to Jesus, enough humility to beg Jesus, and enough urgency to travel from Capernaum to Cana (about 20 uphill miles compared to Jerusalem’s >120 mile journey). We should not despise the faith he had. But Jesus exposes the weakness of the faith around Him: “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”

The word “ye” is plural. Jesus is not only speaking to the nobleman personally; He is addressing the sign-hungry spirit of the people. This is the same spirit we see elsewhere:

John 2:18  “What sign do You show unto us?”
1 Corinthians 1:22 “For the Jews require a sign…”
John 6:26  “Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves…”
John 12:37  “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.”
Matthew 16:4  “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign…”

The Samaritans had believed because of His word. These Galileans were in danger of only being impressed by His works. The Samaritans said, “Now we believe…for we have heard him ourselves” (John 4:42). But the Galileans had seen the miracles and still needed more.

That presses a searching question upon us: Is the Word of Christ enough for us?

Have we become so mesmerized by noise, movement, entertainment, and emotion that the quiet authority of Scripture seems dull? Has God’s Word become mere “line upon line, precept upon precept” in the bad sense of Isaiah 28:10-13, repeated but not received, heard but not obeyed? Or is it still “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12)? Is it still more necessary than our food, as Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12)?

Sometimes we want God to thunder when He has already spoken. We want the preacher to yell, the emotion to rise, or the evidence to overwhelm us. But the sheep of Christ are called to hear His voice.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  John 10:27

Naaman almost missed the blessing because he expected Elisha to come out, strike his hand over the place, and dramatically call on the name of the Lord. Instead, he received a simple command: “Go and wash in Jordan seven times” (2 Kings 5:10-11). The issue was not whether the command was impressive. The issue was whether the word was believed.

The nobleman wanted Jesus to come down before his child died. Jesus gave him no visible sign, no journey to Capernaum, no dramatic display. He simply said: “Go thy way; thy son liveth.” John 4:50.   And here is the turning point: “And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.”  John 4:50

This is beautiful: He came wanting Jesus’ presence in his house, but he learned to trust Jesus’ power through His word.  It is a wonderful thing when a child learns to obey at the parent’s word, not because he has been bribed with reward or threatened with the rod, but because he trusts the one who spoke.  Is this not part of how our Heavenly Father trains us? He teaches us not always by showing us everything, not always by giving us the sign first, but by bringing us to the place where His Word is enough.

3. The Blessing of Seeking Jesus for Those We Love    John 4:47, 51-54

“Sir, come down ere my child die.” John 4:49

This man did what every father ought to do: he brought his child’s need to Jesus.

His son was dying, and he could not heal him. His position could not heal him. His title could not heal him. His money could not heal him. His authority could not heal him. So, he went to the One who could.  This is a powerful picture of intercession. He stood between his needy son and the Savior. He pleaded with Christ on behalf of someone he loved.

This pattern shows up repeatedly in the Gospels:

The centurion came to Jesus for his servant and said, “speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed” (Matt 8:8).
The Syrophenician woman came to Jesus for her daughter and would not leave without mercy (Matt 15:21-28).
Parents brought little children to Jesus that He should touch them (Mark 10:13-16).
Jairus came for his daughter, who was at the point of death (Mark 5:22-23).
The father of the demon-possessed son cried, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

Again and again, needy people came to Jesus for loved ones who could not come, would not come, or did not know how to come for themselves.

This is especially sobering for parents and heads of households. We cannot save our children, but we can bring them before the Savior. We cannot give them new hearts, but we can plead with the One who can. We cannot force faith into them, but we can carry their names to the throne of grace.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16

The nobleman’s faith did not stop with himself. When he learned that his son was healed at the very hour Jesus spoke, he “himself believed, and his whole house” (John 4:53). This is the second miracle in Cana, but it is more than a healing story. It is a household story. A father went to Jesus with a dying son, and came home with a living child and a believing household.

That does not mean parents can automatically believe for their children in a saving sense. Each soul must personally believe on Christ. But it does remind us that the faith of one family member can become a blessed instrument in the lives of others. A praying father matters. A pleading mother matters. A burdened grandparent matters.  A concerned friend can make a big difference.  Christians should carry their loved ones to Jesus.

May we love our households and our community enough to go to Jesus for them. May we not merely provide bread, shelter, discipline, education, and correction, but may we carry them often to Christ.

First: Notice the progression of this woman’s understanding of Jesus: 1st He is just a Jewish man, then a prophet and ultimately she finds Him to be the Messiah and her Savior. This is no accident but rather the plan and purpose of God revealed. As we come to learn more and more of our God, as He kindly corrects many of our misunderstandings, we are drawn into true Worship of the One and Only One who is Worthy.

John 4:25-45 - “Come, See a Man”

Here, in one of the most clear and simple ways given in the New Testament, Jesus reveals Himself as Messiah to this Samaritan woman. Jesus did not speak so clearly with the religious leaders who had become too big for their britches. John 10:24 says, “The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly?’” Yet here, to this Samaritan woman, Jesus says, “I who speak to you am He.”

We are reminded that we do not work our way up to find God; God graciously reveals Himself. He revealed Himself to this Samaritan woman. She did not come to the well looking for a sermon, a Savior, or a new life. She came looking for water. But Jesus came looking for her. She came with an empty waterpot, but she left with a full heart. She came thinking about daily needs, but she left thinking about eternal things. Her priorities changed because she had been with Jesus.

That is one of the great lessons of this passage. When a person truly spends time with Jesus, something changes. The things that seemed so urgent begin to loosen their grip. The earthly waterpot does not matter as much when the soul has tasted living water. The shame that once kept her avoiding people had become joy that now led her to share the Gospel with people. She could not keep silent, she had found the Christ, or rather the Christ had found her.

And then the disciples return.

The disciples really did just leave Jesus alone…wow. Focused on their bellies, they lost sight of their Savior.  To be fair, we do not know why all of them had to go, maybe Jesus told them to; but wow, they were missing out.  The disciples were off getting lunch while Jesus was laying the foundation for His house in Samaria. Unfortunately, we do not forget to eat, but we often forget to witness. We generally do not have to force ourselves to physically eat. A natural desire comes from within us to make sure the opportunity arises. Now it must be so with the Spirit. We must make room for and yield to God’s Spirit in our lives so that just as with Jeremiah, His Word becomes a fire inside of us that we can’t hold back (20:9). 

Jesus says in John 4:32, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” The disciples, still thinking in earthly ways, say, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” They were distracted with earthly food while Jesus was filled with the joy of doing the Father’s will. They were thinking about bread for the body, but Jesus was feasting on spiritual provisions.  The disciples were not wrong to think about food, but they were wrong to miss the feast happening right in front of them. Jesus had found meat they knew not of: the soul-filling joy of doing the Father’s will and bringing a sinner to living water.

And we understand this, don’t we? When you have a real opportunity to share Jesus with someone, doesn’t it feel wonderful? Isn’t it often the best part of your day? You may have been tired before it happened. You may have been busy. You may have thought you did not have time. But then the Lord opens a door, and you get to speak of Christ, and afterward your soul says, “That was food that strengthened me. That filled something in me that earthly food never could.”

There is a kind of satisfaction in doing the will of God that the world knows nothing about. There is food that is not found at the table, there is water that does not come from the tap, and there is joy that is not found in any earthly comfort or convenience. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34).  Earlier He told the Devil “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4).

And this brings us back to this Samaritan woman.  Having tasted the goodness of God, she became a “well of water springing up into everlasting life” (4:14). 

She was not qualified because she had a seminary degree. She was not qualified because she had all her theology perfectly arranged. She was not qualified because she had a clean past or a polished reputation. She was qualified because she had been with Jesus. She had genuine interaction with Christ herself. She had heard Him. She had been searched by Him. She had been corrected by Him. She had been loved by Him and had received Truth and Revelation (first about herself but most importantly, revelation about Jesus).  Now she could say, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

So this is where our witness begins; it begins first with time spent with Jesus.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).  The disciples admitted, …”we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20).

Have you ever tried to witness of something you have not experienced, or perhaps have not experienced recently? It is hard to do. It is hard to fake the overwhelming joy and love of Jesus. It is hard to spill a half-filled or empty vessel. Remember, in God’s house He does not sit in the corner, He fills it. If we are not spending time with Christ, we should not be surprised when we have little to say of Christ. But when we have truly been with Him, there will be something in us that wants others to know Him too.

This Samaritan woman was qualified in the same way the man of the Gadarenes was qualified. Jesus told him, “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:19). That man did not need years of training before he could tell what Jesus had done. He had been delivered, and the change told the story.  The miracle revealed the Maker. 

 

She was qualified in the same way the blind man in John 9 was qualified. He did not know everything. In fact, in some ways he was still in the very early stages of understanding. But he knew this: “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25). His testimony was simple, but it was clear. It was not complicated, but it was convincing. He did not know enough to answer every argument, but he knew enough to point to Jesus. 

So it was with this woman. She did not preach a complicated sermon. She did not answer every possible objection. She simply said, “Come, see a man.” That is a wonderful starting place for witness. Come and see. Come and hear. Come and consider Christ for yourself.

Jesus has invited us: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). In John 1:39, Jesus says, “Come and see.” Later Philip said to Nathanael, “Come and see” (John 1:46). The Samaritan woman now says the same thing in her own way: “Come, see a man.” It starts with an invitation.

And notice what she left behind. She left her waterpot. Fishermen have left their nets. Tax collectors have left their tables. This woman left her waterpot. For us, it may not be a literal waterpot, but there is usually something we need to drop. On a small scale each day, it may be time, schedules, sleep, food, habits, comfort, or convenience. On a larger scale, it may be family, friends, jobs, possessions, reputation, or long and strong held fear. The question is simple: What will stop you from telling others of Jesus?

We say we love people. But what greater way is there to love someone than to share the Gospel with them? What greater kindness can we show than to point a thirsty soul to living water? What greater mercy can we offer than to say, “Come, see Christ”? Food can feed a body for a few hours. Water can satisfy thirst for a little while. But Christ gives everlasting life.

The disciples needed to learn this. They were worried about lunch while Jesus was rejoicing over a harvest. They saw Samaria as a stop along the way. Jesus saw Samaria as a field white unto harvest. They saw a woman they may not have spoken to. Jesus saw a soul. They saw a village of Samaritans. Jesus saw worshipers the Father was seeking.

Jesus tells them, “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35). In other words, stop looking only at what is in your hands, what is in your schedule, what is in your stomach, what is in your plans. Lift up your eyes. There are people around you who need Christ.

This little Samaritan detour was no detour at all. It was the Heavenly Highway. Jesus was not wasting time. He was redeeming it. He was not distracted from His mission. He was fulfilling it.  The result was beautiful:

John 4:39 says, “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman.” Her personal testimony, sincere invitation and willingness to speak to others mattered and made a difference. So can ours; not because of us, but because of Him.  Verse 42 says, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

That is exactly what we want. We do not want people’s faith to rest in our words, our personality, our cleverness, or our ability. We want them to hear Jesus speaking. We want them to come to Christ, the WayMaker, MircleWorker, PromiseKeeper, Light-in-the-darkness, My God, that is Who you are.  Tell them: if you’ve got pain, He’s a PainTaker; if you feel lost, He’s a WayMaker; if you need freedom saving, He’s a prison shaking Savior; if you’ve got chains, He’s a ChainBreaker. We may say, “Come, see a man,” but if God gets ahold of them, they will say, “This is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

So here is the takeaway: spend time with Jesus, and then do not be afraid to tell others about Him.

Do not wait until you know everything. Do not wait until your testimony is polished. Do not wait until you can answer every hard question. The woman at the well could speak because she had been with Jesus. The man of the Gadarenes could speak because Christ had done great things for him. The blind man could speak because though he did not know everything, he knew Jesus had opened his eyes.

1 John 1:1-4:  May we hear with our ears, see with our eyes, look upon, and handle with our hands the Word of Life, and then share Him with others, that our joy may be full. May we be less distracted by earthly food and more satisfied with the food of our Father’s will. God our Father loved us enough to share Jesus with us.  Now may the love of our Father flow through us so that other’s might know Him.  May we say with simple faith and full hearts, “Come, see a man.”

 

“If Jesus is precious to you, you will not be able to keep your good news to yourself…” “Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor.” (Spurgeon)

“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” (Hudson Taylor)

 

Digging Deeper:

Just where are we headed, just who are we serving when we are so busy?  Jesus says “Grace and Truth (Martha, Martha), you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary” (Luke 10:38-42).  Have we ever been too busy to do the “one thing necessary”?  No doubt many of us are busied with good and important things; perhaps on a journey as the good Samaritan or headed for Galilee as Jesus.  Nonetheless, when we find ourselves in Samaria we need to minister to Samaria.  While the disciples worried about food Jesus was feasting on the true food of His Father.  Think, all of them left Jesus, the Messiah, the Bread of Life, the Almighty God to get food; further when they came back and spoke to Him all they could think of was food; even more, when Jesus redirected their hunger, it again fell on physical food.  They were not walking in the Spirit, but being led by the flesh.  Contrariwise, Jesus was redeeming the time and “did not depart from the command of His Father’s lips, but treasured the words of His mouth more than His necessary food” (Job 23:12).   

He instructs them and us to understand the importance of the times before us, “the harvest is white”.  There is work to be done.  This little Samarian detour was no detour at all but turned out to be the Heavenly Highway.  Consider the working of the Spirit in Paul’s life/journey:

1. Paul hit apparent roadblocks only to be called over to Macedonia: “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." (Act 16:6-9).
2. When Paul was shipwrecked on Malta it wasn’t downtime, it was the Lord’s time (Acts 28).
3. Being imprisoned at Jerusalem, Paul found it to be a wonderful opportunity for a completely Roman founded Missionary Trip to Rome.

V. 10-14

Jesus here speaks of living water that brings eternal life.  He speaks of Himself as the source of this wonderful water.  This is not an isolated truth:

1. “The Rock that followed them was Christ” and was the source of Israel’s life giving water 1 Cor 10:4; Ex 17:6.
2. Ps 36:9; Zech 13:1 “For with You is the Fountain of Life.”
3. Ps 46:4 “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.”
4. Eze 47:1-9, Zech 14:8 and Rev 22:1 Speak of this amazing “river of the water of life, clears as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
5. We have been invited: Isa 55:1-3; The Alpha and the Omega says “I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost” (Rev 21:6).

This living water is to believe Jesus (John 6:35) and to receive His Spirit (John 7:37-39).  In Isa 44:1-4 it prophesies of God’s Spirit being “poured our as water on the thirsty land” and like “streams on the dry ground.”  Consider Israel, drowning in misguided worship, dry and parched, waiting for God to “pour out His Spirit on their offspring.”

 

 

Downstream Detriment vs. Downstream Dividends: Lessons from Eli’s Fatherhood Failure

Detriment means harm or damage that shows up later as a result of something that happened earlier.

Dividends are returns, benefits, or results that come from a prior investment, decision, or action.

Every father is investing in something. Every husband is sowing something. Every home is producing something downstream. The hard part is that we do not always see the fruit immediately. Some decisions look small in the moment but grow large over time. Some neglect seems harmless today but becomes heartbreaking tomorrow.

That is one of the great lessons from the opening chapters of 1 Samuel. We are introduced to two homes: the home of Elkanah and the house of Eli. One home is imperfect, but there is worship, tenderness, sacrifice, and surrender. The other home is religiously positioned, but spiritually rotting. One home gives Samuel to the Lord. The other home has sons who steal from the Lord, corrupt the worship of the Lord, and finally bring shame on the name of the Lord.

Elkanah seems to be a godly man who, at least in his own mind, is doing what he can to love and appreciate his wife. He takes his family yearly to worship in Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:3). He is able to provide for his family (1 Samuel 1:4–5). He recognizes when Hannah is hurting and tries to intervene with tenderness, which, honestly, is a struggle for many men (1 Samuel 1:8).

But there is one major problem: he had two wives.

Let’s take just a moment to acknowledge something plainly: one wife is plenty, two is trouble, and by the time you get to the numbers Jacob, David, and Solomon had, you can wreck a household and even a kingdom. I am not making the point that these men were divorced, but to put it in a functional context for our semi-monogamous culture today, we should acknowledge that divorce is, and should be, painful. When a couple is considering divorce, they are usually focused on their own current pain, and that pain may be very real. But they may not be considering the downstream detriment: the damage, dysfunction, and heartbreak that can flow into the lives of the children, grandchildren, and the wider family.

Even in outside biblical studies, people recognize that children are deeply affected by the structure and stability of the home. But we do not need this world’s studies to validate the profitableness of what God has already prescribed. Our Creator knows best. God’s design for marriage and family is not random or outdated.  It is wise. It is merciful. It produces downstream dividends when obeyed and downstream detriment when ignored.

Elkanah was imperfect, but he did some things right. In 1 Samuel 1:21–23, Elkanah honors both his own worship responsibilities and Hannah’s vow. Under the Old Testament Law Covenant, a husband could invalidate the vow of his wife when he first heard it, but Elkanah honors the Lord enough to honor the good heart and words of his wife. He could have resisted Hannah’s vow but instead, he supports her surrender to the Lord.

In this way, Elkanah stands as a picture of a good husband and father, especially when contrasted with Eli the priest.  By 1 Samuel, Israel’s priesthood should have been leading the people toward God, but Eli’s house had become marred. What God designed for usefulness had become spoiled and spent. Eli’s house did not encourage worship; it discouraged worship. Eli’s sons did not help people draw near to God but instead made men abhor the offering of the Lord (1 Samuel 2:17).  

1. Eli Heard the Evil, But Did Not Restrain It

1 Samuel 2:22–31  Eli was not ignorant. That is important. Eli heard what his sons were doing. He heard that they were abusing the sacrifices. He heard that they were committing sexual sin with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle. He heard that his sons were making themselves vile.

“Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:12).  This says a lot. If you want to be a man worth something to your family, your church, and your community, know the Lord. These men had religious position, but not spiritual life. They had priestly blood, but their hearts were far from God’s.

Eli honored his sons above the Lord.   Because Eli prioritized his family over God, he ultimately damaged his relationship with both. C. S. Lewis said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you get neither.”  Eli tried to preserve his sons while neglecting the honor of God, and in the end, he lost his sons and dishonored God.

It is fair to acknowledge that Eli was very old. As a nurse, I can imagine some of the difficulty he may have had just managing his own life. He was old, blind and heavy;  but none of that excused him.   The Bible is not being cruel when it mentions those details. When God tells us that Eli was old, blind, and heavy, we see that his physical features match his spiritual state.  Eli’s physical weakness may help us understand the situation, but it does not erase his spiritual responsibility. He may not have been able to physically overpower Hophni and Phinehas at that point, but God still expected him to do what was right.  Just because you have an excuse doesn’t mean you’re excused. 

So what could Eli have done?  Eli should not have waited for God to bring up the subject.  First and foremost, as a good dad, Eli should have placed his son’s needs before the LORD in prayer.  Likely, he could have been more assertive in how he addressed his sons.  Very likely, he could have and should have acquired some extra help; as a Priest he had authority which should have been used to Glorify God and to edify God’s people. 

Here is where downstream detriment begins to take shape. Eli’s inaction became action. His silence became permission. “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil… Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).   Hophni and Phinehas were responsible for their own actions; they would stand before their Maker and give account but Eli was not innocent.

 

“When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned… but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in… the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death” (Exodus 21:28–29).

According to the Law what should have been done to Eli’s sons?

“And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife… the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”  Leviticus 20:10

“Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name…”
“They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it…” Leviticus 22:2, 9

“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father… all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die…” Deuteronomy 21:18–21

So, they were guilty of death at least three different ways.  Eli should have cast the first stone but instead his inaction was enabling his worthless sons.  His inaction was his action.  Now, God would do what Eli was unwilling to do and Eli had it coming too. 

 

2. Eli Accepted the Word, But Still Did Not Rise

1 Samuel 3:11–18   Eli’s sons were grown men making sinful choices, but God still held Eli responsible, at least in part, because “he restrained them not”.  Eli’s sons made themselves vile; that was their sin. But Eli did not restrain them; that was his sin.

Then comes one of the saddest responses in the whole story. Samuel tells Eli what the Lord said, and Eli answers:  “It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.” (1 Samuel 3:18).  There is a kind of submission in those words, but there is also something painfully passive. Hezekiah had a similar lacking response (2 Kings 20:19) and seemed content that the damage done would land downstream.  Later in Jeremiah 2:25, Judah says “There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.”  Well with this type of attitude and reasoning, there really is no hope. 

There is a time to trust God with what only God can do. But there is also a time to obey God in what He has commanded us to do.  A father cannot regenerate his child. Only God can do that. But a father can teach, correct, pray, restrain, lead, repent and set the direction of the home.

Downstream detriment often comes when a man does nothing and calls it patience, says nothing and calls it peace, or refuses to correct and calls it love.

 

 

3.Ichabod = “no glory” for “the Glory Departed”

1 Samuel 4:10–22  Judgement comes exactly as God said.  What a terrible name to hang over a family. Ichabod: the glory has departed.   This is downstream detriment. One man’s failure did not stay with one man. It affected his sons, his daughter-in-law, his grandson, the priesthood, the people, and the worship of God.

Sin’s effects travel downstream. Neglect travels downstream.  A father may think, “This is just my issue,” or “This is just between me and the Lord,” or “This won’t really affect anyone else.” But 1 Samuel says otherwise. A father’s faithfulness or failure sends consequences downstream.

And yet, even here, God’s judgment did not all fall at once. Eli’s descendants continued for a time.

“And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod…”
1 Samuel 14:3

That does not contradict God’s judgment on Eli’s house. It shows that God’s judgment unfolded progressively, not all at once.

Later, in the days of Saul, more of Eli’s priestly line is struck down at Nob:   “And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he (Saul) with the edge of the sword…” but one escaped: “And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David” (1 Samuel 22:19-20).

Then, many years later, Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood:

“So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh” (1 Kings 2:27).

This was approximately 120–140 years after God’s sentence against Eli was proclaimed. God’s judgment may have taken generations to fully unfold, but God’s word did not fail.

“And Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar” (1 Kings 2:35).  The priestly line of prominence now moves away from Eli’s house and through Zadok.

Downstream detriment can outlive the man who caused it. Eli died in 1 Samuel 4, but the consequences of Eli’s house continued for generations.  Thankfully, the opposite is also true. Downstream dividends can outlive us too. Faithful instruction, loving correction, family worship, repentance, humility, prayer, and obedience can bear fruit long after we are gone.

 

 

 

4. What Can Fathers Learn from Eli’s Sad Story?

First, fathers must know the Lord themselves.  A father cannot give his children what he does not have.  If you want to be worth something to your home, know the Lord.

 

Second, fathers should train their children in the way they should go.  “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying” (Proverbs 19:18).

“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him” (Proverbs 13:24).

“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame” (Proverbs 29:15).

“For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.”
“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence…”
“For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.”
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward  (Downstream) it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness…”  Hebrews 12:6, 9-11

There is only one father who never makes mistakes; for the rest of us it is a faith work and a grace work mixed with plenty of love to go around.  

Third, fathers must teach God’s Word diligently. 

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children…”  (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD…”  (Genesis 18:19).

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15)

Somehow, Eli ended up with worthless sons who did not know the Lord. For some reason, he did not restrain them, and they caused great harm.  Yet God’s warnings to Eli remind us that the Lord is not silent about sin; He corrects, warns, and chastens before judgment falls.  This is good news for us dads: It means it is not over until it is over.  We cannot go back and fix everything we should have done, but we can be faithful today.

Eli’s life warns us about downstream detriment. Neglect does not stay small. Passive fatherhood is dangerous but purposeful fatherhood brings dividends.  A father who prays, teaches, corrects, repents, worships, and leads may not see all the fruit immediately but afterwards it will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. 

So, dads, know the Lord. Honor the Lord above your children, so that you may truly love your children well.   It is not too late to be the dad you need to be today, but tomorrow may be too late.

True Worship in the Place God Has Chosen

John 4:9, 19–26

God is not merely correcting the Samaritan woman’s geography. He is drawing her, and us, into true worship. She begins by seeing Jesus as a Jewish man, then as a prophet, and finally as the Messiah. That progression is not accidental. It is the patient, purposeful work of God. As God reveals Himself, He also kindly corrects our misunderstandings. He draws us away from self-made worship, man-centered worship, place-centered worship, and outward-only worship, and brings us to the only acceptable place of worship: Jesus Christ Himself.

The Father seeks worshipers, but He does not leave worship to our imagination. He determines the place, the way, the heart, and the truth of worship.

 

The Woman’s Growing Understanding of Jesus

1. v. 9, At first, Jesus is simply a Jewish man to her. He is someone from the other side of a long and bitter divide.
2. v. 19, Now her understanding has grown. He is not merely a Jewish man. He knows things no ordinary man should know. He has exposed her heart, not with cruelty, but with holy compassion. He has touched the hidden places of her life, and she realizes she is dealing with more than a traveler at a well, He is a prophet.
3. v. 25-26, Now she is brought face-to-face with the Christ. In her understanding, this Jewish man becomes a Prophet, then the Prophet is revealed as Messiah and finally The Messiah becomes her Savior. That is how God works. He reveals Christ, corrects confusion, exposes sin, and draws the heart toward true worship. We do not naturally stumble into true worship. We are drawn there by grace.

 

V. 20 Her statement and/or question did not come from nowhere. She dwelt at the foot of Mount Gerizim. That mountain represented heritage, and tradition. To her, this was not just a theological question but also a personal and historical one. For her this confusion about where to worship had deep roots.

 

First, this confusion about rival places of worship had a long history. Jeroboam had earlier set up alternative worship centers at Bethel and Dan, not Gerizim, because he feared the people would return to Jerusalem and their hearts would turn again to Judah (1 Kings 12:27–29).  This selfish move would plague the northern tribes for centuries to come.  Obviously, fear rooted in selfishness makes for a poor design for worship. Fear asks, “What will keep the people?” instead of, “What has God commanded?”

 

Secondly, the Samaritan claim centered especially on Mount Gerizim, which stood near Shechem and carried covenant significance from Deuteronomy 11.  Gerizim was Israel’s symbolic reminder of God’s blessing for obedience.  Deuteronomy 11:29  “And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.”  Interestingly, God commanded an altar to be build on Mt Ebal but not on Mt Gerizim.  The Samaritan Pentateuch reads differently in Deuteronomy 27:4, placing the altar/stones on Mount Gerizim rather than Ebal (www.thetorah.com)

 

Additionally, after the return from exile, the people of the land (Samaritans?) offered to help rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, but Zerubbabel and the elders refused (Ezra 4:1–3). Later Jewish history, especially Josephus, connects the Samaritan/Jewish breach with Sanballat and a rival sanctuary on Mount Gerizim. Archaeology confirms that a Samaritan sacred precinct stood there by the Persian period but was destroyed long before the woman at the well.

 

The Samaritans did not pick a random hill; Gerizim had history. It had religious weight and ancestral connection. So, when this Samaritan woman says, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain,” we should understand that she is carrying centuries of division away from God’s prescription. She is not merely asking about a mountain. She is asking, “Where is God truly to be approached? Where has God put His name? Who is right? Us or you?”

 

Just because something is historical does not mean that it has divine prescription.  A place can be old and still be wrong.  A tradition can be meaningful and still be misplaced.  A people can be sincere and still be confused.  A worshiper can have emotion and still lack truth.

 

In Deuteronomy 12, God repeatedly warns Israel not to worship however and wherever they please. He says, “Unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek” (Deut 12:5).

Again in Deuteronomy 12:8, He says, “Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.”

Then in Deuteronomy 12:13–14, He says, “Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: But in the place which the LORD shall choose.”

That is the issue. Worship is not governed by what seems right in our eyes. Worship is governed by what God has chosen.  That phrase, “the place which the LORD shall choose,” becomes very important. God would put His name in the place of His choosing.

 

Then in 1 Kings 8:27-29, Solomon prays at the dedication of the temple and says, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built?” Yet he also prays that God’s eyes would be open toward the house “of which thou hast said, My name shall be there.”  Solomon knew the temple could not contain God.   And yet God, in grace, chose to put His name there.

Jerusalem mattered because God had chosen it. The temple mattered because God had put His name there. The sacrifices mattered because God had prescribed them. The priesthood mattered because God had ordained it. True worship has always required God’s prescription.  But now Jesus says something astonishing.

 

V. 21 Jesus does not begin by saying, “Gerizim is right.” Nor does He merely say, “Jerusalem is right,” though He does say in verse 22, “Salvation is of the Jews.” Instead, He lifts the conversation much higher.  The hour is coming when worship will not be centered in Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem. Not because place no longer matters at all, but because the appointed place of worship is being fulfilled in a Person.   God had chosen Jerusalem.  God had put His name at the temple.  But now the true Temple is standing at Jacob’s well.  Jesus is the place God has chosen.  “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

 

Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.”

1 Peter 2:5 says believers are “an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

 

Acceptable worship is still prescribed worship. It is just no longer prescribed through a mountain, temple, and animal sacrifice. It is prescribed through Christ.

V. 22 “Ye worship ye know not what”… Jesus is gentle, but He is not vague. He does not affirm her confusion in the name of kindness. He loves her enough to tell the truth.

The Samaritans had zeal, but their worship was mixed with error. It reminds us that sincerity alone is not enough. A person can be sincere and still wrong. A person can be religious and still lost. A person can be emotional and still not worship in truth.  Visa vera, truth without sincerity also falls short. 

 

Matthew 15:8-9, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”   Matthew 15:11, “Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” 

Jesus brings worship back to the heart.  Man looks at the place, the posture, the sound, the ritual, the outward appearance.  1 Samuel 16:7 says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

• V. 23-24 This phrase is amazing: “The Father seeks such.” We often speak of sinners seeking God, but here Jesus says the Father is seeking worshipers. This Samaritan woman did not wake up that morning understanding that the Father was seeking her. She came to the well for water. Jesus came to the well for her. What a beautiful picture of grace.  Jesus was not trying to win an argument about mountains.  He was drawing her into true worship.  True worship both “in spirit and in truth” guided by a right mind and fueled by a full heart.  

1. In Spirit

Worship is not merely external.  It is not religious theater. It is not a clean cup outside with a filthy heart inside. It is the heart bowed before God.

The word translated worship, proskuneō, carries the idea of bowing, reverencing, falling before, showing homage. Many times in Scripture worship is connected with bowing down.   The wise men “fell down, and worshipped him” (Matt 2:11).  The disciples took hold of Jesus’ feet and worshiped Him (Matt 28:9).

But the outward bow must come from an inward bow. A bent knee without a bowed heart is not true worship.

“Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God.” Joel 2:13

True worship starts inwardly. The heart is humbled and the worshiper is not just moving through motions but is responding to the living God.

Philippians 3:3 says, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”   So, worship in spirit means worship that is inward, living, sincere, Spirit-wrought, and not dependent on fleshly confidence.

 

2. In Truth

Worship must also be in truth.  Spirit without truth becomes emotional error. Truth without spirit becomes cold formality. God seeks worshipers who worship with hearts made alive and minds led in truth.  Truth means we worship the God who has revealed Himself, not the god of our imagination. Truth means we come the way God has appointed, not the way man invents. Truth means Christ is central, Scripture is authoritative, and the heart is honest before God.

 

Why do we come to church? Why do we read God’s Word?  Why do we sing? Why do we pray?    Because we are conscious of God's love and Kindness, we are truly thankful, and ultimately because He is drawing us into worship.

The cup can appear clean on the outside, but true worship comes from the inside. It cannot be faked. It must be worked in us by the Spirit of God and governed by the truth of God.  Some people emphasize prescription but lose the heart. They have order, doctrine, and form, but no warmth, no repentance, no love, no trembling, no joy. That becomes cold religion.   Others emphasize the heart but ignore prescription. They say, “As long as I’m sincere, that’s all that matters.”  David and Uzzah seemed sincere but they did not follow the prescription.  Sincerity does not make disobedience acceptable.  God requires both truth and spirit.

Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Ephesians 3:21 says, “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

God gets glory in the church by Christ Jesus.  We gather as redeemed worshipers.  We do not gather around preferences. We gather around Christ. We do not gather to invent worship. We gather to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  That is why worship must be both reverent and joyful, both doctrinal and heartfelt, both ordered and alive, both humble and confident.  We come to the Father through the Son by the Spirit.   Regarding this Samaritan woman: The Father was seeking her, the Son was speaking to her and the Spirit was drawing her.  She was learning to worship in spirit and in truth.