Today we see another display of Jesus’ power through the story of the woman at the well.  It is a story that we’ve all heard many times probably...and I am not sure I have a lot to add to the telling of the story itself.  But when I think about the story, it really gets me thinking about this question, “What would Jesus call out in me?”

Think about this story...Jesus sees this woman at the well.  He breaks social norms by engaging with her.  They have a conversation and He brings her to a point where He is going to demonstrate that there is something unique about Him because He is teaching her things that are a little confusing until she realizes that Jesus is not just a dude sitting there at the well talking to her.  So, He calls out her sin about her sleeping around and bouncing from one live-in partner to another, being remarried on several occasions, and He uses that black spot in her life to reveal Himself.  Then He blows past it in forgiveness.  In other words, His calling her out served a purpose...for her benefit, not His own.  So that question again is, “If Jesus were to show up in my life and demonstrate who He is in a similar way, what would He call out in MY life?”.

That’s a challenging question.  That’s a scary question.  But I think it is the question that is being prompted from the reading this morning.  As scary as it is though, it isn’t that Jesus condemns her or scolds her...He is using that sin in her life to help her to understand that He is there, He understands her, and He is the only person who can actually save her from that.  That is so refreshing.  It is refreshing to know that God wants to do that, that God wants to be invited into our lives, to meet us at the well so-to-speak, and to be able to call us out in love.  And, to know that it is for our own benefit, not His...that’s so different than how many of us are treated, where calling someone out on something is done really to make the other person feel better about their self, or to make a point.  God never does that...He calls me out for myself...for my benefit.  That is also a fantastic concept to draw from this.