Living water versus lying rumors
“Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.’” – John 7:37-38, CSB
“But some said, ‘Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he?’ … ‘Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.’” – John 7:41,52, CSB
“We weren’t born of sexual immorality… Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan and have a demon?” – John 8:41,48, CSB
“You’re no prophet!”
With growing influence comes growing opposition, and what Jesus now faces in Jerusalem, the center of power and worship of the Jewish people, are attempts at character assassination. Not only does He come from the wrong region, they think, their claims go even farther: He’s not even fully Jewish; He’s a child born of sexual immorality; and He is demonized. “You’re not a prophet, you’re a liar; you’re no Messiah, you’re a demonized Samaritan b - - - - - d.” Whoah.
Draw near & carry on
Is what they are saying true? No. But do they believe it? Quite possibly. Public opinion is not only a very fickle thing, but it’s also easily deceived. With the rumors and false accusations flying, what does Jesus do? He carries right on being who He actually is, sticks to His mission, and keeps speaking the truth. We must learn to do the same. Maybe we’ll address people’s lies head-on, and maybe we won’t, but our wisest action will always start with drawing near to Jesus, and to keep doing what we’ve been commissioned to do.
The best place to turn
When we feel the uncomfortable heat of others’ uncharitable opinions of us, or when we break out in the conflict-induced sweat of downright lies about us or our character, we can find refreshing in Jesus Himself. “Come to me,” Jesus says, “and drink.” He knows what it is to be wrongly accused, and how to find strength in God to continue, so there’s no better place to turn than to Him. What’s really great is that this invitation is offered all the time, not just in times of opposition! We can always come to Jesus and drink of His life, and when we do there will always be enough to overflow for the benefit of others.
Think:
Don’t dwell too long on this, but have you ever been either misrepresented or experienced some form of character assassination? How did you handle it on an emotional level? How did you address it?
How do you personally take healthy advantage of Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and drink from the fountain of living water available through Him?
What practical ways would you recommend to someone else in order to enjoy the refreshing that Jesus offers through His Holy Spirit (John 7:39).
Do you find it difficult to ‘come and drink’ while there is still unresolved outside opposition that you can’t control? In what ways could this be a matter of spiritual warfare, trying to keep you distracted from your Source of refreshing life and effectiveness?
If you are a part of a team or ministry team, what strategy or strategies do you have in place to help the team maintain healthy morale in times of opposition?
Prayer:
“Jesus, I look to You, the Living Water, the source of life and truth. Thank You for inviting me to come and drink, no matter my past, my origin story, my heritage, or my pedigree. When others focus on those things, may I focus instead on You and Your calling in my life. May the streams of living water that flow from Your Holy Spirit water my own soul well, and may they bring life and hope to others in such a way that lesser dishonest streams seem silly.”