Mensa Otabil - Don't Take Offence

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We are continuing our study of John chapter 4 as we see Jesus introducing the gospel to the Samaritan woman at the well. In verses 11 and 12, the woman said to Him, «Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do you get that living water? Are you better than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?» That’s an interesting conversation. I’m beginning to like this woman more and more. She’s very confident and very assertive, and she is having a lively conversation with Jesus Christ. However, there are things to note about what is going on.

Now, like Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman misunderstood the terms that Jesus is using. When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, he said a man must be born again. Nicodemus thought a person had to re-enter the mother’s womb to be born, so he misunderstood the terms, the language, and the terminology of Jesus. This woman also misunderstood the terminology of Jesus. When Jesus spoke about living water, she was still thinking about water in the literal sense- the water from the well. So she says to Jesus, «You have nothing to get water from this well, and are you better than Jacob, who gave us this well?» Instead of the woman concerning herself with what Jesus is offering, she’s thinking about Jesus’s method. How are you going to get water out? Because she’s still thinking literally. Many times, people don’t understand spiritual terminology, and that is a very important thing we must learn when we present the gospel to others. The words and terms that we use in the church, which we are familiar with, may be very unfamiliar to others, and their understanding of them may be very different.

If we use terms like " accept Christ,» " born again,» «the sinner’s prayer,» or «altar call,» these may be terms that you are familiar with, depending on the church you attend, but other people may not know them. Therefore, you may be at cross purposes in communication, and that’s what we see here. Jesus is talking about living water, which is God’s life, and she’s thinking about water, which is literal water from the well. So that’s the first thing to note: how to simplify your communications so people don’t misunderstand your terms and are able to explain your terms.

The second thing to note here is that not only did the woman misunderstand Jesus, but she challenged Him. She actually said to Jesus, «Are you telling me that you are greater than Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it?» Of course, Jesus is greater than Jacob, but the interesting thing is she speaks back to Jesus. Even more interesting is that Jesus did not take offense. Remember, she’s a Samaritan; she’s a woman; and Jesus also knows she’s a woman with a very dubious background. But knowing all of that, her confidence in responding to Jesus did not offend Him.

You know, many times, when we are sharing the gospel, we get offended because people ask us questions or sometimes say very nasty things. They may say unpleasant things about the Bible, about God, about Jesus, about Christians, about your church, or maybe your pastor. If we are not careful, we step away from sharing the gospel and start trading insults with the people who are responding to us. But Jesus is our example. He didn’t take offense; he was patient with her. He understood the heart cry that this woman has something deeper within her, crying out for God than what she is saying, and her seeming resistance is simply curiosity to have questions answered.

So, when we share the gospel, we must be careful and mindful that we are dealing with the eternal destiny of a person. Because we are mindful of a person’s eternal destiny and their life, we cannot be bogged down by little questions, rudeness, misunderstandings, and challenges. We still have to stay focused on sharing the love of God, and that’s what we learned from Jesus Christ. First, the terminology must be explained, and secondly, don’t get offended when people challenge you as you present the gospel to them.

Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, give me supernatural love for people. Help me not to be offended when they resist Your word. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»