Does God hate art? The second command prohibits the creation of “any image or likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth or in the water under the earth.” Do you have a picture in your living room of a nature scene? Throw it out. How about a decorative statute, maybe even a nativity set? Crush it! Do you have a picture of your dog on a mug…? Sinner! Kidding aside, the church has had a fraught relationship with art throughout history. Early Christian art gives us an idea of what church life and worship looked like, but over time art was embraced as a means of worship in some circles and hard reactions to those situations has led to art being vilified as a false practice.

In this passage we see the heart of Christ to seek and to save the lost and how he extended the offer of everlasting life to her before addressing her specific sin issues and life hardship. This offer of living water changed the trajectory of her life and led to many in her town to put their faith in Jesus as the Christ. This text also challenges our often hidden assumptions about who is most likely to respond to the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ.

Whether you follow Jesus or not, you are a worshipper. This seems counter how our culture emphasizes atheism, self discovery and being a free person. Yet, the Bible puts all people into one of two categories, we either worship God or we worship a created thing. Paul said it this way in Romans 1:21–23, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.