Rise Daily: March 15

Rise Daily: March 15

THIS WEEK’S THEME & PASSAGE

Public Faith – John 4:27-42

This week’s sermon from the series “Where We are Going: The City and the Mission“

THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE

Memorizing scripture is a way to keep God’s word close to our hearts. Each week we will select one verse of scripture to remember as a community.

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

THE WORD

Each day’s devotion will focus on one part of the week’s passage.

John 4:27–34
27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

MEDITATION ON THE WORD

In our busyness and distraction, it is easy to skim through our reading rather than taking it in. Yet we believe this is the inspired word of God. Take a moment to pause, thank God for the scriptures and ask him to speak to you through them today.

This passage is a study in priorities. It begins with the disciples’ dismay at Jesus’ prioritizing his conversation with the woman at the well. For one thing, she was a woman: stigmatized in that cultural time and place merely because of her sex. For another, she was a woman of questionable morals. And lastly, she was a Samaritan woman of questionable morals–a religious enemy of the “righteous” people of Israel, God’s chosen ones. Why was such a holy man risking his image by engaging a woman repugnant to his society? Clearly in the disciples’ minds, this woman should be the least of his priorities. Yet they never even ask him what they talked about. Instead, they just offer him lunch.

Jesus recognizes this dismissal, and he doesn’t let it go. More fundamental to him than his own personal sustenance was doing the will of his Father. This priority guided him “to seek and save that which was lost,” in this case a woman dismissed by religious society as being among the lowest of the low. This same priority was every day taking him step by step closer to the cross. And this priority would one day be instilled in these same, clueless, disciples.

Jesus levels our established social pecking orders, because they have been established unjustly, upon man’s twisted priorities. As our values are exchanged for his, so will his mission become ours, and we will advance the healing message of the Gospel without prejudice.

THIS WEEK’S RISE REFLECTION

The Rise season is not only a defining moment for Redeemer, it can also be a defining moment for you. We can’t reach a tipping point by making Redeemer bigger, we need a people-driven movement of New Yorkers sharing the gospel in our neighborhoods, workplaces and relationships. Consider how God is calling you to rise and share your faith.

TODAY’S PRAYER

For your Heart: Pray God would open our eyes more to those with spiritual needs. Pray we would not be distracted by societal hierarchies of others or our own in embracing those who thirst and  hunger for the gospel.

For your Church: Pray that Redeemer and all the churches in our city would be a hospitable place for the spiritually thirsty and hungry to come to process the gospel and come to know of his living water.

For our City: Pray for the next generation of pastors and lay leaders, who will serve this city, to be well equipped and trained to cultivate a safe space for those who are doubting and questioning but find themselves thirsty for the true joy found in Jesus.