Space for People in Pain

 

            Read John 4:1-42. No, don’t keep reading this. Come back to this, after, you’ve opened your Bible and read John 4. Thank you for doing that. The Samaritan woman is alone, apart from the community of women doing daily chores together. She lives with a man who wouldn’t even honor her with marriage. Five others have divorced or widowed her. The Samaritan woman lives with deep hurt, real pain. First century society collectively agreed to cast out women in her situation, through no fault of their own.

            In John, it is to her, not the disciples nor the temple or synagogue leaders, but to this Samaritan woman that Jesus announces his identity: the Messiah (4:26). In Mark’s gospel, Jesus is secretive about who he really is (1:34; 3:12). Scholars refer to his tendence, in Mark, to avoid disclosures of his true identity as the “Messianic secret.” That’s in Mark. In John, Jesus announces to a “rejected woman” the Messiahship he keeps secret in Mark.

            She is not rejected by Jesus. But she does know pain. Do you? Are there people in your life who know the kind of pain the Samaritan woman carried, the pain of a damaged reputation, of being reduced in society’s eyes, of being an outcast? Do you know someone in that kind of pain?

            Make space for that person because he or she needs Jesus as much as the Samaritan woman did. The church is the body of Christ in the world today. The church needs to show hurting people what the love of Christ can do for their lives.

            Lent is upon us. Easter is seven weeks away. (1) Make space for someone’s pain in your life. (2) Extend to them the same dignity and grace Jesus gave the Samaritan woman. (3) Commit to prayer for 40 days; in this time prayer lift up that person you know who is hurting so badly. Also, bring your own pain to Jesus and receive the healing he gives.