“Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4: 9-10
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like for Jesus to walk the earth and live among the people that He had created? He would have known everything about all the people that He met. He knew their names, their hopes, dreams, thoughts and fears. He even knew the number of hairs on their head! People were walking around and bumping into the author of life itself and yet they didn’t recognise him. Jesus had called them into being and given them the gift of life yet rather than falling at his feet in worship many passed him by oblivious.
If they knew they would have found hope, if they knew they would have found peace, if they knew they would have found abundance of joy. Jesus came to bring healing to the sick, provision to those in need and freedom to those who were held captive …. but not all received this because many did not perceive who He truly was.
It is these same words that I was drawn to in today’s verse, “If you knew” …. As Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman, he realises once more that she does not understand who she is speaking to. Although she can see him with her physical eyes, the eyes of her heart have been blinded to the light that stood before her. Her existence had become a matter of survival and her head was bowed low. She was not used to being looked in the eye as any attention she normally received was for all the wrong reasons. This lady is defensive, she is sceptical and wary. She doesn’t want to let down her guard and allow herself to believe in a better life because she has been disappointed too many times before.
How often can we behave in this way? We fear that the life that Jesus promises is just too good to be true. We see his blessing on other people but reckon that somehow they are more worthy of God’s approval. That same love and favour couldn’t be available to all, there are just too many mistakes, too many times we have messed up and failed, too many occasions where we have felt passed by and forgotten.
Jesus hung in with the Samaritan woman, he was not easily put off by her dismissive remarks or her detached demeanour. He saw the hurt and pain. He knew she had built a wall around herself to protect her from the cruel words and harsh treatment of others. It was a prison of her own making and Jesus steps in, unlocks the door and sets her free. That is what he does for us today. He steps into our worlds and meets us where we are at. He sees past the brash exterior, the pretence, the facade and He comes to overwhelm us with his love. He pours his living water over our wounds and makes us whole. When we get to know Him and see Him as He truly is, we will never be the same again!
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Who Do You Say I Am Series – Exchange Church Belfast 2020