John 4, 5

John 4, 5

Overview:  Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well and heals a man at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem.

"Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done."(4:29)  These are the words of the Samaritan woman as she takes her leave of Jesus at the well and runs with excitement into her village to tell of the encounter she has just had.  I'm a fan of David Blaine.  Not avid mind you, but if one of his tv shows is on late at night, I'm likely to watch the sidewalk magician ply his trade.  Card tricks, levitation and the like.  Blaine's a fascinating guy.  People respond to him with disbelief and excitement - "Can he really do that?"  There is more going on in Jesus encounter with the woman at the well then what happens between David Blaine and his audience.  When she heads off to the village to say "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done", I don't think she has in mind sharing the best card trick she has ever seen.  He next words tell the story, "He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" which of course means she thinks he may well be the Messiah.  What gave her that impression?  I don't think it simply Jesus ability to site events from her past for her - I think what she really feels after this encounter is that, at last, she has met someone who really knows her.  It's not about a trip to the well day after day for water.  It's the thirst that she carries inside, the thirst that is built into each one of us by our Creator for something that food and water cannot touch.  A desire to be known by God.  It is uncomfortable to be this transparent when we spend so much of our time trying to keep our defenses in place.  Here was someone with whom the woman did not need to keep up her guard, he already knew, he already knew her, and he was still there talking.  God already knows us.  It is very good to be known.  And loved.