Facing the Truth
The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." John 4:25, 26, NKJV.
Go, call your husband" (John 4:16, NKJV). Now that was a bomb! It completely caught the Samaritan woman off guard.
A perceptive command, it completely blindsided her. "I have no husband," she blurted out (verse 17). Jesus agreed with that, pointing out that she had had five husbands and was currently "shacked up" with a man she wasn't married to (verse 18).
That hurt. It may have been the truth but it was uncomfortable. The best thing to do from her perspective was to change the topic to something more neutral: "I perceive that you are a prophet" (verse 19). And in case that didn't work, she could always start an argument about where one should worship (verse 20). Anything but more conversation about her personal life.
Here we are not much different from that Samaritan woman. We will do anything to escape dealing with our cherished shortcomings and sins. As soon as a possible revelation of them comes up we immediately seek an escape route. And any old one will do. The main thing is to put distance between ourselves and our conscience. Change the subject, argue, flee. It doesn't matter. We will do anything rather than face up.
But it is facing up that leads to the kingdom. When Jesus confronted her in His gentle way she might try to play escape games, but her whole sordid situation was now in the open.
Christ's revelation forced her to come to grips with the total inadequacy of her life. Here is an important spiritual dynamic. We never truly see ourselves until we are in the presence of Christ, until we see who we are in relation to God. Then and only then do we feel a need for Him and cry out for the living water that will truly satisfy (verse 15) and the Messiah who "will tell us all things" (verse 25).
A conviction of our personal sin is always the beginning of salvation. After that comes the cry for help. At that point Christ can offer Himself more fully: "I who speak to you am He" (verse 26), the One who can truly reach out and help.
Help me today, my Father, to be honest with both myself and You that You might help me where I need it the most.
The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." John 4:25, 26, NKJV.
Go, call your husband" (John 4:16, NKJV). Now that was a bomb! It completely caught the Samaritan woman off guard.
A perceptive command, it completely blindsided her. "I have no husband," she blurted out (verse 17). Jesus agreed with that, pointing out that she had had five husbands and was currently "shacked up" with a man she wasn't married to (verse 18).
That hurt. It may have been the truth but it was uncomfortable. The best thing to do from her perspective was to change the topic to something more neutral: "I perceive that you are a prophet" (verse 19). And in case that didn't work, she could always start an argument about where one should worship (verse 20). Anything but more conversation about her personal life.
Here we are not much different from that Samaritan woman. We will do anything to escape dealing with our cherished shortcomings and sins. As soon as a possible revelation of them comes up we immediately seek an escape route. And any old one will do. The main thing is to put distance between ourselves and our conscience. Change the subject, argue, flee. It doesn't matter. We will do anything rather than face up.
But it is facing up that leads to the kingdom. When Jesus confronted her in His gentle way she might try to play escape games, but her whole sordid situation was now in the open.
Christ's revelation forced her to come to grips with the total inadequacy of her life. Here is an important spiritual dynamic. We never truly see ourselves until we are in the presence of Christ, until we see who we are in relation to God. Then and only then do we feel a need for Him and cry out for the living water that will truly satisfy (verse 15) and the Messiah who "will tell us all things" (verse 25).
A conviction of our personal sin is always the beginning of salvation. After that comes the cry for help. At that point Christ can offer Himself more fully: "I who speak to you am He" (verse 26), the One who can truly reach out and help.
Help me today, my Father, to be honest with both myself and You that You might help me where I need it the most.
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