John 4:16-18 WHEN SIN MEETS MERCY
Have you ever had a close friend come to your house, bringing gossips about you that they heard from so-and-so? What if that gossip holds some hard truths that you have hidden for the longest time? What do you think you would have felt if you were greeted by such a lovely surprise? Now imagine the whole situation, except it was a stranger coming to you and telling you things that you have done and buried in the memories of your past? How would you handle this conversation? Let's take a look on the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
“Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ The woman answered Him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
Now this happened right after when the woman asked Jesus for the Living Water. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus did not intend to judge and offend her by implying her sins upfront. At this time, the woman is asking for the biggest change of her life. And Jesus is preparing her heart and soul, emptying her out of the things that might hinder her to fully receive the Jesus, the Living Water. The top of this list is her sins. Jesus confronted her sins to lead her into repentance and to search her heart about whether or not she does want to be right with God.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there by any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Jesus, in His divine wisdom, knows everything about us - our past, present, and future sins. He is nothing like a soothsayer and mere gossipers. He knows us to the core - thoughts, intentions, desires, passion, everything. He knows every single one of us so intricately that we cannot hide anything from Him. We can never escape His eyes even at times when we are doing the very things that He went to the Cross for. But even then, none of our biggest mistakes can damage His love for us.
PRAYER
Oh, God of Mercy, we come to You today with our hearts bowed down before You. Just like David's prayer, search our hearts and let us see if we have any sins left against You. We confess them all and we ask for Your forgiveness through Your Son Jesus Christ. We know that our lives are laid bare before You. You know our ins and outs. Would You please cleanse us with the blood of Jesus and make us anew. Give us Your Living Water and lead us into the everlasting life. We thank You for Your endless mercy. In Jesus' mighty name we pray, Amen!