Face to Face - Part 4 [Devo]

June 28th, 2022

The Heartbroken Samaritan Woman

Face to Face, Part 4
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I imagine that most of us, seeing as we are all human, have gone through heartaches and heartbreaks, where people close to us betray our trust, hurt our feelings or simply disregard us. I imagine that a lot of that has come through romantic relationships. Being in a marriage or trying to find a spouse — someone to give your love, care, and affection to for as long as you both shall live — is not always as easy or blissful as Hallmark makes it seem.

I have now been married for a little over six months to my wonderful wife, Olivia. I acknowledge, by most people’s standards, I am still considered in the “honeymoon” phase. And that is fine with me, because it is phenomenal.

However, there was heartache and heartbreak before I married the one whom my soul loves…. both in relationships I had before her, and in the natural conflict that comes when two imperfect people come together to become one.

Having your heart broken can lead you to have an increase in insecurities and a decrease in trust… it can lead you into seeking love from others in unhealthy ways, in hopes of filling the void that the last person left. I believe that the Samaritan Woman that Jesus spoke with at the well in John 4 knew that feeling all too well.

As we find out in John 4:18, she has had five husbands, all ending in divorce, and she is currently with someone who is not her husband — a man who is, by implication, someone else’s husband. And we discover this not because she is open about it and presenting her hurts and sin to Jesus, but because Jesus brings it up. Now why would Jesus bring this up, knowing it would be a painful subject? To shame her? To embarrass her?

I would agree with Pastor Tim on the answer he gave on Sunday, “I do not believe people will turn to a savior unless they are willing to acknowledge their spiritual brokenness."

Jesus was pointing to her need. He was pointing her to her broken heart, not caused by these men, but caused by her ongoing rejection of God.

Our human hearts without God are described by Jesus in Mark 7:21-23:

“For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

That is why Jesus is after our hearts, because our hearts naturally reject Him and lead us into sin, and sin leads to death (Romans 6:23a). Despite our sin and tendency for evil, our Lord is gracious, merciful, and loving and meets us where we are, even in that sin.

Because He knew for any real change to happen in this life and the next, He would have to be involved. Jesus did not wait to tell her about eternal life, the “living water,” until after she went back into town and broke up with the man with whom she was having an affair. He shared it with her at the well, right where she was at. Jesus knew for any real change to happen in this life and the next, He would have to be involved.

Jesus knew for any real change to happen in this life and the next, He would have to be involved.

That is why Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8–10:

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

This week, allow God to be involved. Invite Him into your heartache, your troubles, your sin, and allow Him to be your Savior. He has already paid the price for your salvation, He is simply waiting on you to accept it.

By: Ian Young, Middle School Director

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Posted in ian young