Words of Life
Restoring Dignity
In Genesis 24:11, we read about Abraham’s servant going to look for a wife for Isaac. Abraham’s servant stops by the well when it was “evening time, the time when women go out to draw water." In the story of the Samaritan woman however in John 4, we find that she goes to the well where JESUS was sitting at the 6th hour – which in Jewish tradition means six hours from sunrise. The Samaritan woman was therefore going to the well to draw water at noon time – a time when it was perhaps hottest and therefore no one was supposed to be there. I think she went at noon time to escape the taunts and from facing abuse from other women if she had gone to draw water the same time when other women normally would. The Samaritan woman to me is perhaps one of the most broken persons in the bible. She had had five husbands, and the man she was living with was not her husband. She probably faced ridicule from the men and was rejected by the women. There is no good reason why she would want to draw water in the heat of the mid-day other than to escape the shame of facing other people. We talk a lot about “divine appointments” – her mid-day trip that day turned out to be so. JESUS CHRIST, The Messiah, The Son of GOD, was waiting for her at the well. In HIS amazing love and grace, HE did not rebuke or chastise her. In the time HE spent with her, JESUS restored her dignity. The Samaritan woman returns to the city and went to the men (probably the ones who constantly spoke unkindly of her), to tell them about JESUS and as a consequence the city was saved, as they came to know the Messiah.
JESUS waits to meet us, unconditionally. An encounter with JESUS is life transforming.
In Christ, there is no shame – he not only took our pain, sickness and sins but also our shame on the cross.
Romans 9:33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of GOD.”
In Christ, there is no shame – he not only took our pain, sickness and sins but also our shame on the cross.
Romans 9:33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of GOD.”
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