Saturday April 2, 2011

John 4:39-42

"Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in Jesus because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me everything I have done.' When the Samaritans came to Jesus, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, 'We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.'"

So, to one degree or another, all of the defaming of the Samaritan woman can be rebutted (if you like to do that sort of thing) by this verse. Because why would they be so willing to believe her word if she were so outcast?

Or was that just the thing? Was the light in her eyes, the Spirit shining through, so powerful that it erased any preconceived notions of who she was? Of how she should speak? Jesus did this a lot - chose people who we normally wouldn't listen to and trust, and then suddenly we do after He has spoken to them. Because of how they changed.

I think we don't believe that change is possible to the same degree that it is. Or we don't believe that something small could provoke it. So when we see a big change like what happened to the woman, we know there must be a significant occurrence that provoked it.

They weren't just curious, because the people told her, "We no longer believe because of your word" meaning that they did at one point believe because of her. The reason that they came to Jesus, in order to have Him make the same transformation in their lives, in order to have the Son of God complete their creation, was because of what they saw changed in the woman. How profoundly she was changed, how she shone with the light of God.

I suppose the question, then, is if we would run to the source if we saw such a change in the lives of someone - especially someone we thought so lost. I think about ACTS and how people flocked to it, wondering what it was that could effect such change. After all, that's what brought it to Beaumont, what seems to me like a new epicenter of ACTS communities spreading out. My mom saw it in the community that surrounded her brother. The change, and she ran to the source.

But I think the tendency to shy away from such a thing is natural too - and happens far too often. There is a retreat I remember being invited to attend, and when I was told, "Everyone comes out of that place different" I went scurrying in the opposite direction. Mostly because the description of "different how?" wasn't very positive, but mostly because I am happy with my life and self enough that I don't want to be changed - not fundamentally. I can admit there are faults I'd like to fix certainly.

But that's what God asks. Again and again, we must remake ourselves anew. We must renew and remake and rebuild and keep emptying ourselves to better shine with God's light. Purge what isn't working in our life, what keeps us from God, and open ourselves to His presence. To His ability to change us.

We must, when we see the Light of God shining anew out of the eyes of a woman who used to hang her head in shame, ask her where she got this transformed relationship with God (if she isn't already trumpeting it joyfully) and go seek it out for ourselves. And then, if we find it good, if it is the real thing, then we must open our hearts to it and come to believe for what we have experienced ourselves.

We must be willing to change.

Dear Lord, please let me never be so attached to what I think should be that I do not listen for Your will. Please let me always be eager to find new ways to grow close to You and come into Your presence, to improve our relationship. Please show me how You want me to serve You and how You want me to come to You.