Self-worship is a human disease. We worship what we value, all of us. Sometimes what we value is an object, an event, a person, or even an idea. But, most often what we value most is ourselves. One of the most important encounters with Jesus recorded in the Bible is his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. In Luke 19:10 Jesus states that he came to seek and to save the lost, and in his encounter with the woman at the well we see him seeking, and we see what he is trying to save us from – our self-worship.
When the Samaritan woman arrives at the well, Jesus makes a simple request: “Give me a drink.” But, her response to him shows us that it isn’t a simple request. Not because she doesn’t have a bucket, but because she is empty inside. She asks him why he would even speak to her. Many Biblical scholars say that she is surprised by his request because she is a Samaritan and he is a Jew and because she is a woman and he is a man. But, her real shock is that anyone would ask anything from her. She herself is looking for a drink, but not a physical drink. Jesus knows that before she can have a drink of living water she must be shocked from her own self-worship.
Like most of us, the Samaritan woman’s first thoughts were to satisfy her own needs. When Jesus explains to her that the water he can give her will make it so that she is never thirsty again, the woman asks for this water. Many of us take pride in our ability to do things on our own. We believe that being dependent on anyone is weak. So, even when we know that we are empty we still try to do things on our own to cover up our vulnerability. This is self-worship at its worst and most destructive. The Samaritan woman knew she was empty and only wanted the water that Jesus offered so that she would no longer be dependent on anyone else, including God.
To shock the woman from her self-worship, Jesus asks her to bring her husband to him. Her response to Jesus is that she has no husband. She is right, but Jesus points out that she has had five husbands and that the one she is living with now is not her husband. Some might think it rude of Jesus to point out the woman’s sin so directly to her. But, in reality it isn’t the sin of adultery that Jesus is pointing out. Instead, he is showing her how much she has deceived herself. She believes she is independent and strong. She doesn’t fit into the cultural norms of her society and therefore she must be independent and strong.
But, the Samaritan woman is in fact very dependent. In the very act of her rebelling against social norms, she seeks approval from the men she is with. Jesus’ pointed observation of this dependency helps the woman to turn to the true nature of her problem, worship. But then, she wants to argue about where to worship. Jesus chooses not to argue with her. Instead, he tells her that there is a new story of worship. Jesus points out that all humans are dependent and only when we recognize that truth can we worship as we should. And the truth is, worship is not about a building, a style of music, a particular version of the Bible, or how we dress. Rather, worship is about recognizing our desire to self-worship and accepting our dependence on the God who created us and who, in spite of our rebellion, has loved us, forgiven us, and redeemed us.
