Transformed
Imagine going from ignored to adored.
Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" They left the city and were on their way to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 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." - John 4:27-42
The Samaritan Woman came to the well in midday to avoid being seen and harassed by the people in the community.
She was so inspired by Jesus that she put herself out there, going to the people she knew despised her, and sharing her truth with them.
When Jesus revealed everything to her about what he knew of her, suddenly her story was transformed from sinful to joyful.
She could use her past to reclaim her life from those who had labeled her.
When we read this, we discover a woman who became a disciple because of her encounter with Christ, and that is true. But there is something that happened inside her that we miss when all we focus on is her outward transformation.
Inside, she discovered she was not the label society had given her. She was something greater than the sum of her past selves.
That is what Jesus came to show us all. We are not what we have done or failed to do. We are greater in God's eyes.
No matter what lies in our past, we can rise up and use our story to show others God's glory.
Wow!
More to come...