Last time we were together [Yeah, I know, it's been a minute. Welcome to my life of being inconsistently consistent.], we stretched ourselves to read with curiosity, a Christ-centered justice, and the desire to courageously co-create beauty with Him. We focused less on "the answer" and more on considering perspectives and then aligning those perspectives with what we know about the character of God. We are practicing this because, too often in Christianity, we are told what to think instead of how to think. We rush to the conclusion and application and don't appreciate the journey.
So, to recap, Jesus asked the woman to go, get her husband, and return. She confessed that she did not have one, and He told her He knew this: she had five. And the one she was living with wasn't her husband. #micdrop
"Christ has different doors for entering into different people's souls. Into some, he enters by the understanding; into many, by the affections. To some, he comes by the way of fear; to another, by that of hope; and to this woman he came by way of her conscience."
—Spurgeon
Jesus brought forward the repressed shame in the woman's life, not to embarrass her, but so that it could be dealt with in the light of His love. Our natural human reaction to shame is to hide (re-read Genesis 3 for the classic example). God knows this, yet "no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account."(Hebrews 4:13)
This week, we continue with the next portion of the interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
John 4:18-20
Interestingly, the conversation went from deeply intimate (i.e., the woman's marital status, or lack thereof) to whether the Samaritans should worship on the mountain or in Jerusalem. FYI: The Samaritans believed that Moses commissioned an altar on Mount Gerazim, the mountain of blessing — this was their justification for the system of worship on that mountain (Guzik).
The woman (like all of us) may have been dodging the "real" issue, which was what Jesus was there for. It wasn't to remove this stumbling block for her regarding where to worship (although, that may have been an issue also); it was to create an encounter with her to transform her heart.
This is all too familiar as I write this. I am endlessly dodging my sin, shame, and all the yucky emotions I do not have the mental bandwidth to process. It's like I subconsciously say, "Hey, let's not deal with that. That one is tricky, and that __________ (sin) is helping me hold it together. If you take that away, I'll fall apart, so let's get that one the next time around this mountain."
Instead, don't hide it from God when you sin. Hold it before Him with no excuses, no blame shifting, no denial. Be with Him in complete vulnerability...and let God love you as you are. Then, let God love you into what you have the potential to become (Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer).
This sounds good in theory, but it works in reality as we practice it. The more we rehearse this vulnerability with God, the more those life-long strongholds weaken. The more we tell ourselves the Truth by removing our fig-leafed, self-constructed breastplate, the more He gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) — one that is not deceitfully wicked above all else (Jeremiah 17:9).
There is shame in your heart that needs to be "named." As a dear friend wrote recently, what "pretties" do you hold dear that you are keeping from God? The ones you secretly beg God about: “Please not that one, Lord. I will break.”
Here’s a question to ponder: What might talking with the Lord about that sin sound like? We are so quick to name and confess because that is what we’ve been “taught” to do. Yes, we need to confess sin and Scripture is consistent in stating and showing this practice. But, what is sin? Sin (hamartia in Greek) means, “to miss the mark.” But, what is the mark? Is it moral perfection, not breaking any of the commands, loving God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
What if the mark is union with God Almighty? That was the original basis for Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well — to discuss union. So, if we think of sin now as missing union with God, what might it look like to be curious about that lack of union with Him? What is driving that lack of union in your heart? [Hint: Much of the time we are angry at God and just aren’t conscious of it. The Holy Spirit will bring those things to your awareness if you will ponder it with Him.] Maybe there a specific lie you are believing when it comes to thinking your “pretty” will prove to be a better partner than Christ. Don’t inquire of yourself in order to condemn yourself; ask them so you become curious about yourself. You are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and the Lord wants to wonderfully care for you through this process. We are much more likely to find healing as we are curious about our union with God than if we condemn ourselves over missing the mark of union.
Spoiler: This curiosity and discovery will not happen in a single setting. That's why we have to practice vulnerability, and we have a Counselor to help us along the way. It is a Way, and to travel the Way takes time. And sometimes you stop along the Way with Him and rest. He is not in a hurry, beloved, for when He's with you, you're all He sees.
"Father, can you show me why I hold so tightly to __________? I am at a loss. I know this is not your best for our union, yet I don't know how to do it differently. It feels too big. Too overwhelming. Too engrained. Will you reveal to me — because you know and love me — what this is about inside of me and how to move forward with you?"
Now, practice sitting at the well with Him. Amen.