If You Knew The Gift Of God …

John 4:10
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Contemporary English Version
Jesus answered, “You don’t know what God wants to give you, and you don’t know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would ask me for the water that gives life.”

Good News Translation
Jesus answered, “If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water.”

This is an excerpt from the dialogue of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus has just opened the conversation by asking the woman to give Him water. The woman responded by saying that she cannot do that because she is a Samaritan and Jesus is a Jew. Samaritans and Jews had hostilities between them. Tribal issues. Jesus responds to the woman using the words in our text today. If you knew the gift of God…

Jesus tells the woman that she is denying Him the water because she does not know the gift of God. She is clinging to material things because she does not know the gift of God. She considers her material possession her greatest possession because she doesn’t know that what God offers is greater than all she has or will ever have. If you knew the gift of God…

We fail to return tithe and offerings because we do not know the blessings God can pour and multiply to us if we give tithe and offerings. If you knew the gift of God you would not hesitate to give tithe and offerings. If you knew the gift of God you would spend more on God’s work than saving and hoarding. If you knew the gift of God you would not skip worship to pursue wealth. You would not be erratic in church attendance. Your Bible study would be much more robust. You would have less love for the material and more passion for the spiritual. If you knew the gift of God…

If you knew the gift of God you would forgive and let God revenge. You hate and hold grudges because you do not know the gift of God and His power to avenge and make things right. If you knew the gift of God you would love your enemies. If you knew the gift of God…

The samaritan woman plays the tribal card and uses it to deny Jesus water. Jesus responds and tells her that she prefers tribalism because she doesn’t know the gift of God. If you knew the gift of God…you would never use tribalism as means of personal growth. The one you are pushing away using tribalism is much better and would do you much more than your entire tribe. When you stick to your tribe you are the loser. When you let go of tribalism and embrace people from “enemy” tribes you may gain much more than by tribalism. God can make people of other tribes serve you and bless you much more than those of your tribe and race. But because you do not know God can do this, you stick to tribal formulas and sentiments. If only you knew the gift of God…

The problem of tribalism and racism is a sin problem. It is evidence that conversion has not taken place. Tribalism and racism is an indication that the perpetrators and supporters do not know the power of God that tells us that in Christ there is no tribe, race, or even gender discrimination, Galatians 3:28. One writer, Ellen White has quipped somewhere that, to explain sin is to excuse sin. Any explanation to justify the fading racism and tribalism is an excuse to let it persist, it is an excuse for sin. If tribalism and racism are sins, it is sin, with no further explanation, and discussion. It is a lack of appreciation for God’s power. If you knew the gift of God…

If you knew God can do for you much more than your race and tribe can do, you would have long abandoned race and tribe and clung to God. If you knew the power of God. If you knew that after your race and tribe have gained all they wanted, they will turn against each other and destroy each other, you would loath discrimination. If you knew the gift of God…

Jesus said that our persistence in sin is because we are ignorant of the things of God. We do not know God and what He offers. We persist in theft, violence, hatred, pretense, fornication, adultery, etc., because we do not know the gift of God. This is not just knowledge but saving knowledge. The knowledge that triggers belief. The knowledge that never goes back to the mediocrity of sin. The problem is we may know but not well enough to trigger change. The knowledge that doesn’t influence change is as good as no knowledge. If you knew the gift of God…

Dear God, make me know, help me know, know enough to change, know the gift of God. Remind me of the gift of God all the time I am tempted to cling or prioritize materialism. Remind me of the gift of God when I am about to make a poor choice. May I never forget the gift of God, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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