Jesus Confronted the Samaritan Woman's Sinful Lifestyle

Jesus knew what was standing in the way of this woman moving from temporary satisfaction to true heart satisfaction. She was trying to find heart satisfaction and that sense of significance we all need, in relationships with men. So He gently drew out what had been keeping her back

"Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come here.'"

At first she tried to make her situation look better than it really was by trying to create the impression that she lived alone, that she was single.

Yes, Jesus agreed, that’s technically true. But you’ve already been through five marriages, and you’re actually living with a guy right now who isn’t your husband.

When Jesus brought up her lifestyle choice, she was amazed, but not offended. Jesus had shown Himself to be completely in the know about her sin, but also tender, compassionate, loving and personally interested in her.

* He didn’t condemn her, or try to shame her or ridicule her.
* He didn’t go into a long speech about how immoral that was.
* He didn't go on about how low her standards were, what’s wrong with her, going from man to man.

Instead, without holding back the truth, but with all gentleness, Jesus helped her to see the loneliness and emptiness in her heart.

--> When you and I are in situations like this, talking about spiritual things with people, we also can pray and ask God for this kind of insight, to help people see the truth about themselves, and the truth about God.

Her thirst to be loved, and to find significance had never been satisfied. She knew what falling in love was like, she knew what a hot romance was all about, but she had never yet found true love.

She had found out, again and again, that falling in love only lasts so long – and then something deeper and more real has to take its place, or the relationship will die away. Every time she got married she was looking for a secure and binding kind for love, love that would last a life time. but with each failed marriage her hope dwindled so that finally she had reached a point where she’d given up on the commitment of marriage.

Jesus understood her loneliness, and her fear of being left old and alone. He knew that her search for acceptance and self-worth and love had led her to look for the wrong kinds of love, and now she was a moral outcast. Jesus had two purposes for her at this point.

1) The first was for her to recognize how empty her lifestyle was so she could repent.

[More on repentance tomorrow]

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