BLAMELESS IN HOLINESS

JOHN 4:16-19

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "Go, call your husband, and then come back here." "I have no husband," replied the woman. "You are right in saying you have no husband!" Jesus exclaimed. "The fact is, you have had five and the man you are living with now is not your husband. What you said is true." "Sir," answered the woman, "I can see you are a prophet."

Gospelthink: In my encounter with the Samaritan woman, I gently guided her to study her life. As I study my life and my choices, am I happy with what I have done?

"I know what it takes to fool this town. I’ll do it ‘til the sun goes down. And all through the night time, I’ll tell you what you want to hear, keep my sunglasses on while I shed a tear. I break down; only alone I will cry out loud. You’ll never see what’s hiding out deep down. I know I’ve heard that to let your feelings show is the only way to make friendships grow, but I’m too afraid. I’m unstoppable, I’m a Porsche with no brakes, I’m invincible. I win every single game, I’m so powerful I don’t need batteries to play. I’m so confident, I’m unstoppable today.”  

One of the interesting incidents to study in the Gospels is part of John's Gospel and the interaction of Jesus and the person that we have come to call "the Samaritan woman." It is interesting to study it with modern songs in mind because most modern songs are about "love" in one form or another. In light of that, we focus on the teaching that comes from the thoughts of the song "Unstoppable" with Jesus's words to the Samaritan woman.

Jesus's words to her at one point of their conversation deal with the way she feels about her present boyfriend. Jesus brings out her inability to stay with any of her boyfriends, and his teaching is about the deep feelings that should be part of her intimate relationships. Making her admit that she had no husband at that point in her life was a statement by her of the lack of a deep feeling in her present relationship. She finally looked at her relationships in light of the deep feelings that should have been part of her love life.

In her song, Sia understands that she is hiding deep feelings. She actually admitted that she had heard that letting feelings show was the only way to make an intimate friendship grow. But, she says, she is too afraid to do it. She then goes into her strong statements that she is quite capable of not showing deep feelings. But such a resolution leads to loneliness, as she sings, "I break down."

What she does not see in her relationships is that she and her partner must share their deep feelings. Without saying those words exactly was what Jesus was teaching the Samaritan woman. Communication is the foundation of any important relationship that we may have, and sharing our intimate feelings is very much a part of that communication.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, it is part of our human nature that we will fall in love. Help me understand that I must be able to share how I feel with the person whom I love.  Be with us, we pray.