Longing for Home in John 4

Headed into the Thanksgiving holidays, we considered: what makes a home feel like our home? We considered the futility the woman of Samaria had found in seeking love, peace, security, and comfort in 5 homes with 5 husbands and now a sixth home with a man who is not her husband. Christ came into the woman of Samaria’s life to offer her something better: (1) a better relationship with a God who will never leave her or forsake her and (2) home in His kingdom which will be partially realized during this life in his church and fully realized in the new creation. The passage leads us to conclude: no home can fulfill the longings of our heart for heaven, and no person can ever fulfill the longings of our heart to be with God. As author Jen Pollock Michel has written: “Home can be enjoyed in this life—but only as an appetizer of the coming feast.”