Devotional Reading: John 4: 1-26. Morning Psalm–43; Evening Psalm–31

Text: Jesus said to her: I am he, the one who is speaking.” (John 4: 26)

So often the most important things happen “behind the scenes”. Slow service in a restaurant it is not the waitresses fault; she’s at the mercy of the cooks–or chefs, in high class establishments. If a scene doesn’t go quite right in a play, more likely than not–unless an actor forgets a line–it is the fault of the director or one of the stage hands.

The exchange between the Samaritan woman at the well and Jesus gets into a deep theological discussion very quickly; living water vs. well water, where and how “our” people worship, etc.  Finally Jesus says quite clearly Who He is; “I am he, the One who is speaking. (The Christ). That is good to know, but what happens next is arguably more important, and it is off stage of today’s reading. The woman goes back to her village and tells everyone she sees, “I have met the Christ.” She then brings them to Jesus.

Many, if not most, “mainline” Christians know that Jesus is the Christ, but they keep it a secret. We simply don’t tell others; we don’t tell others that we are a Jesus follower but we also don’t tell others how He touched our lives and changed them. It is fine, well and good for us to know who Jesus is, but Jesus says that we have this knowledge because we are His “witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Christ does not want undercover agents but heralds of God’s Kingdom.

Lord, having revealed Yourself to me, show me how to be a witness to Your life-changing presence.  Amen.