Ricky and the woman at the well

Yesterday, Brooke and I had lunch at Zaxby's after our morning church services were over. At the end of our lunch, I noticed a man walk over from the Waffle House next door. He walked inside the Zaxby's and directly to our table. (I knew from the time I saw him walking from Waffle House that he was coming to us.) He sat down at the table next to us and opened with a typical question that many people in need ask, "Excuse me, can you tell me where churches are?" (Brooke and I both had on our typical "Southern Baptist outfits" on; a.k.a. nice clothes.) I knew this man. This was Ricky.

Ricky comes by my church about once a month for one thing; money. He normally approaches strangers in the parking lot with the same sad story which normally results in unearned money given to him. Ricky then gets into his truck and drives home. On this day at Zaxby's, he wanted money from us. Instead, I wanted Ricky to want Jesus.

We agreed to get Ricky a few times from Publix to help him out. Before we left Zaxby's, Brooke went to use the restroom, which gave me some time with Ricky; 1 on 1. I looked at him directly in the eye and said the following, "Ricky, you know where churches are, you come to mine alot!" His look was priceless. (Ricky's way of getting money from people is to pretend he doesn't know where churches are. When they tell him of where they are, he perceives them to be Christians, and then asks for money...alot of money) I then took the opportunity to encourage him not go to churches simply for getting his physical needs met. I challenged him to be honest with me and to seek Christ. I told him that it was wrong, it was a sin to lie about the church in order to get benefits from the church. I preached the Gospel to him. We fulfilled our promise and gave Ricky what he needed, and then took him home. When we got home, I told Ricky I wanted to see him in church, to worship Christ. I prayed with him in the car and he got out. Pray for Ricky. I want Ricky to want Jesus.

I love helping people, like Ricky. However, I'm drawn more to wanting people to want Jesus. Sometimes people want Christ, or ideas of Christ, or church, or God, or any word they throw out; in order to have their temporary needs met. This morning, I read this passage:

John 4:1-26
1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
The Woman of Samaria
7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? 12 “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” 16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

This passage really struck a chord in my heart! Here, Jesus begins talking about salvation to this woman. He mentions, "eternal life," but her response is only focusing on her temporary physical needs on this earth. He then begins to proclaim His truth to her. She shifts the conversation to "spiritual matters," once Jesus opens the conviction of her soul by testifying to her current sinful life. She wants to avoid the subject, Jesus is the subject. Jesus explains to her that He was sent to be the deliverer of sinners. (v.25). She leaves forever changed, preaching the good news to the village. What a testimony.

We are called to meet physical needs. By all means, help people. During this terrible Economic season, we must be faithful with benevolence. However, above that, we must preach Christ. We must not back down from telling others about the good news of salvation found only thru Him. i pray Ricky will want Jesus like the woman at the well wanted to tell others about Jesus.

Blessings,

Dave