“The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’” (John 4:25)
We know her only as the Samaritan woman. Jesus was resting at the well when she came to draw water. She must have been very intelligent, to move so quickly from the task of drawing water to the spiritual discussions about living water, prophets, true worship, and the coming Messiah. This was no common encounter. Her heart was seeking answer and Jesus offered them.
Jesus provided light for a new path. The woman became one of the first missionaries. She urged the people of her city to come with her to see the man who must be the Messiah they were waiting for. A revelation had come to them!
How do you prepare for the revelation of Jesus in your life? How do you share the meaning of the coming Messiah in your community and world?
This message is adapted from a devotion written by Mary Ingram Zertner for Women of the ELCA in 1997. Today we remember Francis Xavier, missionary to Asia, who died in 1552.