Do you ever hear a sermon or read a devotional and think - there was nothing there for me. The answer is yes. We have all done that and if you are saying no, not me - well, all I can say is um hmm. I usually read Proverbs 31 Ministries devotional. I like the fact that it is written by women and focuses on the struggles that they go through. I have to admit, that sometimes the devotional doesn't seem to make a connection with me but I have been praying that I would connect on some level with whatever it is that they are talking about.
Today's devotion was on John 4. The story of the Samaritan woman. It was all stuff I heard before Jesus was reaching out to her. . . knew all about her . . . living water misunderstanding . . . yeah, ok but I plowed through thinking that I would learn something more. Now, before you think poorly of me, let me tell you something.
I went to a Christian school for 13 years. I cannot tell you the number of verses that I have memorized (and forgotten). Then I went to Bible college for a year. I have heard popular passages expounded upon again and again. So it is rare that for a popular passage such as this to have something new introduced. Wow. I sound so conceited. Keep in mind, I said popular passages. And I did say I learn new things; like today.
Today, I learned to focus not on the narration but rather on the narrator. In literature, there are 2 kinds of narration - 1st and 3rd person. 1st person means that the narrator is the main character in the story. They tell it from their point of view. 3rd person means that the narrator is not the main character (ie the Gospels are written from 3rd person point of view). Sometimes, in 3rd person, the narrator is a minor character but sometimes the narrator is omniscient meaning not a character in the story but rather someone with a "god" like view of the story (ie they see everything that happens). It is easy for me to take that approach with the Gospels. It is easy to forget that the gospels are told by a minor character; one who is a part of the story.
While we may think that Jesus was having a private conversation with this woman, he wasn't. John was there. He apparently remained behind to keep Jesus company while his disciples went into town. He witnessed everything. Ok, not a big deal. Until you consider this - the men who biographied the life of Christ in the Gospels were witness to more miracles and sermons and parables than they recorded. They generalize the amount by saying things like he "cast out demons" and "healed the sick and the lame" and "preaching and teaching the multitudes".
So what was it about this one encounter that made John want to record it? In 3 years, Jesus' message hadn't changed and I am sure that John heard some version of that message several times. So what is so striking about Jesus talking to a Samaritan and a woman at that?
I don't know. I do know that sometimes we hear the same thing over and over but sometimes the way the message is presented has the impact. It can turn us off or make us sit up and pay attention. Maybe that is what happened to John. I can tell you one thing, whenever I read the Gospels from now on, I am no longer going to think that I am looking in at the story. I am going to keep in mind that the narrator was in the story; not just telling it.
I guess that is the lesson I needed to learn.
(It usually takes me a week to write a blog so this occurred last week. Sorry)
No comments:
Post a Comment