It Could Happen To You!

15. November 2007 by BruceSmith.

Redemption Discovered, A Future Begins

Have you ever thought about what led up to the encounter between Jesus and the woman at the well? I mean, what brought her there? Not just there, in the sense of that locale at that time, but “there” in her life. And think of the irony of the scene. This woman was so utterly bone dry, weary, and thirsty of soul, despite going to the waters time and time again (the physical waters of that well, and the stolen waters of corroding relationships).

But how did she get there? Francine Rivers book, Redeeming Love, tells the tale of a woman who wound up in a similar place. In this case, abandonment, sexual abuse, and a life given to finding healing in the arms of others left this “Angel” destitute emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially. Sadly, she spent her life, at least the majority of it, imprisoned by the past, and chained to a present that left few options for her future.

I am tempted to think that, perhaps, this woman at the well arrived where she “was” in a similar manner. Some of her conversation with Jesus hints toward this. At one point Jesus levels with her. Essentially, He says to her, “Woman, your gig is up here today. Though you have hidden what is really going on from all the other men in your life, this Man can see right through you. Today, you have to face reality. From this point on you will be forced to acknowledge your past, present, future and what you have become. What you do with that reality and what you do with your life when you leave here is up to you.” Though the text does not read this way literally, this is the essence of what Jesus said to her that day when He spoke, “You are right…you have had several husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband”. Her response, “You are no ordinary guy, are you?” Jesus, of course, went on to tell her that indeed he was different from all the rest (in so many ways), and He offered her a different course, one which led to renewal, healing, perspective, and purpose. It was the course of redemption, freedom, and wholeness.

Great story, big drama, sex, love, redemption, prejudice, religion…all the big themes are there in this one! This could be a great movie or a great book, no? But what is going on behind the scenes? What are the critical truths that we must catch in this epic tale of redemption? I believe there are a few.

1. The way to a better life, a life with meaning, fulfillment, hope, and purpose begins when we accept our past as our past. There are enormous pains that have been inflicted (by self or others) upon us all. We must acknowledge them, but we must move beyond them. Jesus compassionately reminded the woman of her past, but He brought her to the present moment and offered her an optimistic view of the future. He insured her of the possibility that she could go and sin no more. The past does not dictate our future in the economy of God. Get some help, counseling, friends around you to help you, but sooner rather than later, leave it behind. The same issues should not and do not have to wreck our souls forever. Do not obsess over it for the rest of your life. Part of this woman’s going and sinning no more was her rejection of the constant focus and blame with regard to her past. The methods of dealing with her past, as well as the actions of the past had to be left behind. A new way was opened up. One of grace, truth, and movement forward.

2. The issue is bigger than your issues. This is of great importance as it relates to healing and moving on. In an American culture where “isms” and pathologies of all sort are on the rise despite our power, pleasure, and affluence, it is clear that we are obsessed with obsession. The cultural model, and to some extent the clinical model, seems to be, “If your past wounded you, spend the rest of your life in counseling and continually remind yourself of your past so you can deal with your obsession.” Can we see the fundamental flaw here? We cannot find release from those things which hold us by obsessing over them. I will attempt to explain this further.

Before you misunderstand me and assume that I am a “Praise Jesus, think happy thoughts and all is well” kind of guy, let me allay your fear: I am not. There is a time for counseling, and sometimes even medicines that can assist our healing. But, what troubles me, and this is just as prevalent inside the church as it is outside the church, is that so many just never let go of the past. That warps the present and secures for one a future of more misery. Transformation, the Biblical model for character and life development, is and always will be a process, but it must be a process of joy, hope, and freedom.

Notice, Jesus, did not tell the woman, “You were so mistreated as a child. So many sexually driven men hurt you. Those people who beat you up are carnivores and are to be hated. You have been given a bad draw in the game of life. Shame on your parents. Accursed be those religious brood of vipers.” He could have said all of that. And, maybe all of that could have been proven true. But, and this is a very large but in this case, He seems to focus the attention on, of all people, her. Are you kidding me! People in her place don’t get there because they are so bad! (We might say) Deep down, she is a good person! (We might say) Who can blame her! (We might say) But Jesus did not go that route. Why?

The most compassionate man to ever live, the most understanding and perceptive man to ever walk the earth, and the most gracious figure in all of history, focused the attention on the woman herself. Why? Because, the issue is bigger than the issues. That is to say, always, in the end, its about our heart. And Jesus is capable of healing any heart. He knows that despite the level of mess in a person’s soul, His offer for transformation stands good. That is, after all, the message of God’s redemptive story. This is the fundamental message of Biblical history! Out of all that incest, murder, violence, corruption, lying, scheming, bigotry, polygamy, and all the “isms”, God brings salvation!!!! Despite the tragedies of Biblical history, the theme is always hope! The focus is always forward. That brings release, joy, and passion, not depression.

We must hear this if we are to have a present and a future worth pursuing. Its not about your issues, its about the issue of your heart. It is about God’s heart for you and others. That issue is about transformation. God wants to redeem your life and bring you to wholeness. You get there, not by obsessing on all the ugliness, pain, mistreatment, and mistakes, but by taking God at His word and moving toward transformation and Godliness. This issue then, ultimately, is who God is in Jesus Christ. We must walk in such a way that we acknowledge that He is enough for us and that our loss does not define us. To live any other way is to refuse to embrace the truth offered to the woman at the well that day; Jesus is different from any other man (or woman that has ever lived).

3. This could happen to you. All of us arrive, metaphorically, at the same well and in the same way. We all have attempted to define life on our own terms and in our own way. Either we try self “ism” or pleasure “ism” or hatred “ism” or drug “ism” or religion “ism” or any other host of isms, and in doing so, we widen the gap between us and God, thereby increasing the likelihood of depression, addiction and destructive cycles. It is the story of history and its the story of our lives. When we attempt to fill the void with anything or anyone but God (career, sex, human love, kids, money, fame, porn, poker, pumpkins, or pee-knuckle…) we miss the life God offers. Did I really just writer porn, poker, pumpkins, or pee-knuckle? Hopefully, you get the point.

The great news is this: it could happen to you. You can find your way to the well today and stand before a man who has the ability to tell you everything you have ever done, thought, and hoped for, and you can look at Him in awe and recognize that He and He alone has the one thing you have always longed for. He is our everything.

Our greatest need, beyond sex or even hunger, is to be known and loved. That is part of the divine crafting of God. The reality, however, is that the deep hunger for love is only fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus. That is why God allows us to be unfulfilled with all other loves. Until we find our way to Him, the wellspring of love and life, we shall be thirsty. In embracing the love of this Man, we find our sanctuary, our rest, our freedom from the demons of the past, and the grace to willingly and passionately and purely love others who are in our lives. It happened to the woman at the well. She went on to “sin no more”. That is to say, that she went on to live with a different heart, purpose, and focus. She found joy. She was not perfect from that moment on, but in embracing the perfect One, she found her source, the wellspring of hope. That gave her the passion to pursue others, to live differently, and to let go of the past. For her the future became the prize, a future walking toward a greater understanding of and desire for a life of Godliness. Don’t we all want that?

This Love could happen to you,

Bruce Smith

Optimuslife.org

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