“Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” John 4:29
The above quote was made by an outcast woman who met Jesus while getting water at a well on the outskirts of town. She would come at noon to get her water so that the other women, the ones who teased her or shunned her, would not be there when she arrived. They went in the morning to get the day’s water while the temperatures were cooler.
In meeting Jesus, this woman discovered that even though she did not know him, he already knew her. If she dodged a question or changed the subject, Jesus was able to focus in on the truth about her life. It had been a rough life. She was ashamed of how it had gone. She felt safer not letting other people know the truth about who she was.
But Jesus knew anyway. But, instead of shunning her or shaming her, Jesus gave her insight and hope that changed her life. It changed how she felt about herself and in the process, it also changed how she related to other people. Instead of hiding from her neighbors, filled with excitement she ran to them with the news that she had met the Messiah. She was so transformed by the encounter with Jesus that even those neighbors who wouldn’t give her the time of day took notice. In the process, she changed their lives as well.
So here is a question to ponder this week. How has your relationship with God changed you in life giving ways? Wherever this has happened is a place where you can learn from this woman. Therein lies an opportunity to bear witness to the unbelievable love of God – a God who loves us as we are and in the process transforms us into what we are becoming. Part of our witnessing to the goodness of God comes from recognizing where God has touched us, known us and been life giving for us. Where is that place in your life and how can you share it authentically with others?
