Have you ever longed for something as eagerly as that woman and her townsfolk were waiting for the Messiah to come? The One whom God would send to free his chosen people from social, political and economic oppression? In those days, many would-be messiahs preached and fomented revolts, but never the real thing.
This woman of Samaria, this woman with the many lovers – she must have felt she’d met the Real Thing. Leaving her empty water jug, she runs back to town and tells the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’” There’s a little doubt in the way she phrases that – and still, she is willing to put herself in the limelight, she who has had way too much bad press in her life, and risk being wrong about the most important thing in the world.
What was there in this encounter with Jesus that so electrified her? It wasn’t just his saying, “I am the Messiah.” Nobody opens their heart because someone says so. I believe it was because she experienced being seen, deeply seen and known, which is what our hearts hunger for perhaps even more than being loved. To be deeply seen and known and not condemned is one description of being loved.
Only encountering love makes us want to open our hearts further. Only encountering love makes us want to share what we’ve experienced with another. So she runs and tells her community that they’ve got to see this guy. She speaks with such authority, that they go out to that well. “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’”
Our stories about encounters with Love go a long way – but sooner or later people have to have their own stories. So these Samaritans ask Jesus to stay with them and he remains for two days. A Jewish rabbi the guest of a Samaritan town? Wonder what his detractors thought of that?
And more people encountered Love: “And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.’”
This is why we tell our stories of faith, of love – so we can invite others into The Story of God’s uncontainable love for the creation God made and is restoring to wholeness. Yesterday I talked about telling our stories of encounters with True Love. Have you had such an encounter? If you don’t feel you have experienced the love of God in Christ, talk to a pastor or a godly friend – or feel free to email me.
If you have – when have you bumped up against God’s love? Write the story:
What happened? Were there words? Images? Sensations? How did you feel?
What did you do? Has that relationship grown?
Have you allowed the Spirit of God more room in your heart?
Who do you know with whom you might to share that story? Write some names.
Anyone you would like to tell about being known and loved by the God who made the universe?
Anyone you’d like to bring back to that well to introduce to Jesus?
“Come and meet the One who is the most Real Thing in my life.”
I’d want to hear the rest of that story…
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