Jesus Speaks to Women: And Women Speak Too

28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him. John 4: 28-30

We are coming to the end of the story of the Sassy Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus.  What an encounter...what a story!  All throughout it we saw Jesus going out of His way to not only meet this woman, but to engage her in a deep conversation about faith, theology, sin, hope, love and forgiveness.  The amazing part to me is, however, that in this encounter, Jesus allowed a space for the woman to speak too.  There is no instance, in my opinion, anywhere in the story where we see Jesus talking "at" the Samaritan woman.  Quite the contrary, He's speaking "with" her, listening and responding regardless of how touchy the subject might have been or how sassy the woman's replies might have sounded.  It is a true exchange!  Isn't that marvelously unbelievable?!  I mean, this is the King of Kings, we are talking about here, The Lord of Lords! The King of Glory! Doesn't that makes you want to give Him a big hug?  He truly is the Friend of sinners...so even a wretched like me can hope...

I have to pause for a moment here, because it is too much to take in...

Then, another miracle:  the transformation of a life!

The woman we have been following all along this story experiences a change of heart, and we are there to witness it!  Praised be the Name of Our Lord!

Don't you love this part of the narration?  "the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people..." I mean, do you see it?  This woman had gone out of her way to avoid everyone in town so she could get her water, the precious liquid that provides life, in peace...now, this same woman, forgets all about the water, the only reason for her to be there in the first place, and runs to town to speak to the same people she has been so careful to avoid up until then...WOW!

These are the kinds of things that happen when we have encounters with the Living Christ: the old passes away and the new comes in and takes over.  We become a new person.  Suddenly, the things that mattered before, don't matter much anymore, and all we want to do is proclaim Him, the One Who Saved Us by rescuing us out of the pit!

This woman speaks now too!  And she speaks to whoever would listen.  She speaks about Jesus, the One who met her by the well and filled her up with Living Water!  And the people listened to her! And they ran to Jesus too!

There is so much in these few verses we could talk about, but these two points stick out in my mind:

Leaving the water jar behind:  what do we need to leave behind, to drop, to let go of, to forget, to forgive, to get rid of in order to be free to do what we are supposed to do?  What's our "water jar"?  What's weighing us down and slowing our pace on the road to our purpose?

Speaking up even when we feel unprepared or ashamed of our past:  why do we fear proclaiming Jesus to the world?  Maybe you don't, but I do.  I find myself pushing the breaks when it comes to speaking about my faith among people outside the church.  Especially at work, I fear it because I think the environment is not friendly or receptive to what I might have to say, and I might see myself in a position of vulnerability that might endangered my employment.  The words of conviction spoken to me in love by a dear friend, long, long ago come back to haunt me day in and day out:  "you fear people more than you fear God..."

Lord, Have Mercy!

I feel trapped...trapped by the world...a world that muzzles me and keeps me silent...sigh...

I need a fresh encounter with Christ!  The type of encounter the Samaritan woman had.  This encounter erased any fear from her.  After it, she didn't care anymore about what people might say or think about her, because it was not about her anymore:  it was about Him!

That's what I need.  I need to realize, to remember, that it is about Him ... not me ... and then, I won't be afraid anymore.

I love You, Lord Jesus!

A night like tonight, You met with your friends to enjoy Your Last Supper before You gave Yourself as a Perfect Sacrifice for us.  I praise You and Thank You for Your Gift, Lord.  And I pray You will infuse me with Your Spirit and lead me where You have destined me to go.  In Your Precious Name, Lord Jesus, Amen!