I have been reading and re-reading about this Samaritan woman, who was coming out of the city, midday, alone, wearing her shame like the A on Hester Prynne’s dress. The same woman who would soon boldly proclaim her former shame as the very thing which validated this Christ’s identity as the Messiah.
And yet, my mind keeps sticking to what Jesus offered her, other than simply friendship, in a community of folks that loathed her and kept pushing her to the recesses of their more reputable circles. Isn’t that so like Jesus? Always picking low-lives and scoundrels for His companions.
“If you knew the gift of God, and who is is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10). And a few verses later, He expounds and tells her that ‘Everyone who drinks of this water (Jacob’s well) will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
I have sat on this for weeks. After reading the story half a dozen times, I continued on and found this “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” (John 7:38).
I am full of wonder at God and shock at myself. If this is true (and I know it to be so) then I have this very well-spring of life inside of me that is meant to be so filled-to-the-brim with His kindness, affection and life, that if someone should so bump into me, this well-spring would splash all over them as well.
Yet, as it is with all wells, one must draw from them. God has chosen, by His goodness and favor, to place this well deep within my soul. But I must sit and draw. I must live in this posture of nearness to that well.
All too often, I find myself distracted, frustrated, overwhelmed and confused… when all that is necessary is to sit and draw from the Well.
May we all find ourselves, precious people of the Most High God, sitting long and drinking deep. For this Well of living water ought to stir up in us a sense of reverence and appreciation. Our God, as we celebrate this season, left His throne, clothed Himself in broken flesh, lowered Himself to a stable so that He could be adored by livestock and lowly shepherds, rather than angels… and He walked among us. He took on our shame, baggage, brokenness, more suffering than you or I could imagine. He took on homelessness and isolation and suffocation by people that wanted to be near Him for the miracle-show, rather than because they saw a Savior and wanted to draw near. He chose to have His earthly existence sacrificed between two thieves, the more shameful of death, to embrace being forsaken. All so that you and I could become a temple for this Well of life. Let us sit and drink and ponder. And may He fill our hearts with wild wonder over the King of kings that bowed low, “Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy… and also (dwells) with him is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:5)
Merry Christmas, ya’all!
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