John 4:1-26
Discussion Questions
1. What do we learn from Jesus about grace in this passage?
2. How does God's grace lead us to refuse the recognition we believe we deserve? Give an example of how grace might compel us to refuse the rights we believe we deserve? Within a marriage? In the workplace?
3. What cultural lines does Jesus cross in this encounter? Are there similar lines in our own culture (even our Christian sub-culture) that we should cross for the sake of grace?
4. Why is it so difficult to cross lines for the sake of grace and, at the same, draw lines for the sake of moral clarity? Can both be done for the good of the person we are talking to? How?
5. Francis Schaeffer once wrote: “We should not be surprised when someone demonstrates he is a sinner because, after all, we know that all of us are sinners. When someone sits down to talk with me, I should convey to him (even if I do not express it in words) the attitude that he and I are both sinners. And immediately, when I communicate this perception, a door swings open for dialogue. Nothing will help you as much in meeting people, no matter how far out they are or how caught they are in the modern awfulness, than for them to perceive in you the attitude “we are both sinners.” This does not mean that we minimize sin, but we can still exhibit that we understand him because we stand in the same place. We can say “us” rather than just “you,” To project shock as though we are better slams the door shut. Each of us does not need to look beyond himself to know that men and women are sinners.”
What do you think of this statement? How does it relate to this passage?
6. What obstacles keep us from longing for grace? Or learning grace from Jesus?
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