You’re hurting so bad right now, the only thing you know is the churning of your stomach and the pain in your heart. You’re not sure you’ll even make it through the day, so you just sit here in this place hoping you will hear a word – just a word – of hope.
Ancient Hebrew belief considered names important. Knowing a demon’s name gave you power over it. That is why Jesus asked the demon’s name. The name reveals the magnitude of the problem. The man doesn’t have "a" demon but a legion of demons in him.
The woman asks: "Are you asking me to forsake my fathers and come over to Mount Zion?" You'd think Jesus would have said, "Yes! That's precisely what I have in mind." But, no, he said, "Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father."
Even though the Gospels introduce many men and women who met Jesus, few are identified by the word "sinner." But this woman was a special case. She had a reputation.
Grace is like water. It always flows downhill. When it snows at the top of Mount Everest, eventually that moisture flows down to the sea. In the same way grace always goes to the lowest places in our lives. God is seeking the lost to save them.
I ask, "Which are you: the one forgiven little or the one forgiven much?" Jesus died for your sins. Go ahead and admit that you owed much so that you could be forgiven much. Then show your gratitude to God. Don't worry if they call you a fanatic. You know the truth!
You may have heard the Samaritan woman story before, but probably don't know how very it is. In fact, in almost every single verse, this story flies in the face of convention, breaks rules, challenges social morays and violates preconceived standards for behavior.
Even John, who is now in jail, has a reason to rejoice. When his disciples tell him all that they have seen and heard, John can rejoice in the sure and certain knowledge that the savior is at work in the world. Jesus has begun the work that will save us from our sins.
Jesus' words are living water; Jesus is the water of life. Those who drink have everlasting life. He promises to sinful human beings—all human beings—that in Him their sins are forgiven. In Him we have life and salvation. We are one in our salvation through Christ.
Today's reading tells us that many people believed that this teaching was from God. These people see God's salvation breaking into the world in Jesus. Luke specifically mentions the tax collectors who were considered to be the scum of society.