We are redeemed

Have you ever heard the story of the woman at the well? It is a simple, yet beautiful redemption story of a Samaritan woman who was a bit of an outcast in her community. She had a messy past, but Jesus didn’t care about that. He only cared about her heart and her willingness to believe in him. Her faith in Jesus redeemed her in the end.

I have a pretty messy past too.

My parents divorced when I was six and my dad left for good. Their relationship remained bitter and strained for the rest of my mom’s life. There was fighting and chaos every time they were in the same room or on the phone. Eventually, my dad stopped coming around at all and I went years without seeing or hearing from him. Meanwhile, my mom remarried, but my stepdad was not a good man. He had a terrible drinking problem and got violent every time he drank. He was abusive to all of us, and throughout their entire marriage, I lived in constant fear of him. Despite longing for a father’s love, I had a lonely childhood and found none.

An emptiness developed inside me. I felt a void inside, even before I could define it or put it into words. There was a longing inside of me that I tried desperately to satisfy. By the time I was 13, I had developed an eating disorder and was very overweight. Later I would turn to drugs and alcohol and eventually, even men. I seemed doomed to repeat the mistakes of my mom. I bounced from one abusive relationship to the next. Time after time these earthly men just let me down.

Jesus has redeemed us, even you.

I wonder how many other women have a similar past. How many women are still in the midst of that pain and heartache? I wonder if anyone reading this has felt that same emptiness left by parents who didn’t protect or love them. Perhaps even you have felt the pain of domestic abuse, divorce, or drug and alcohol addictions. Sometimes, when we have a messy past we start to believe that there is no redemption for us. But, Jesus has redeemed you; you are not beyond hope or too deeply engulfed in sin. We believe the lie that not even Jesus could save us. But, friends, he has already done the work.

Now, back to the woman at the well.

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well it was about noon. You might be wondering the significance of the time. In those days everyone had to go to the well outside of town for their drinking water. Everyone would rise early and go before the heat of the day. They also went early to have water for breakfast, cleaning, and other daily tasks. Because of her past, her community shunned her, forcing her to visit the well at the most inconvenient time of the day.

She was seen as shameful and unclean by the community because she had been divorced five times and was living with a man outside of marriage. Others in the community wanted nothing to do with her. To avoid ridicule, or worse, she waited until the most inconvenient time of day, when no one else would be there, to go to the well.

I cannot be redeemed; I’m too far gone.

I can’t tell you how many years I spent longing for friendship, community, and fellowship in the church but wouldn’t go because of shame. My shame kept me from going to church and even from praying. My father abandoned me and my stepdad abused me. I was sexually assaulted, I separated from my first husband, and I was a single mom. Satan whispered to me every time I looked in the mirror that I was too dirty, too messy, too complicated, and too full of sin to turn to Jesus.

I imagine that’s exactly how the Samaritan woman felt that day as she ventured to the well. She couldn’t work in town or sell her goods because no one would allow her to work for them or buy anything she made. Other women in town couldn’t be her friend because associating with her would make them dirty too. She was poor and lonely. What a terrible place to be.

Now, as if all of that wasn’t enough, Jesus was a Jew and she was a Samaritan. In Biblical times Jews and Samaritans did not associate with each other; they despised each other. Furthermore, Jesus spoke to her first; which was against Jewish customs because she was a woman. It is also worth noting that Jesus specifically asked her for a drink, even though using her cup or vessel would make him unclean as well.

When things seem like they can’t get any worse, Jesus reminds us that we are already redeemed.

But, friends, he spoke to her anyway! Jesus asked her for a drink from the well. He then told her that he was the living water and that if she believed in him she would receive the gift of life.She learned that despite her ugly past and her current sin of living with a man she wasn’t married to, he, the son of God and Man, had forgiven her sins. She had met the Messiah and was so overwhelmed that she went and told everyone about it. He used her, this broken, messy, outcast woman, to tell her entire village about God.

If Jesus would take the time to extend his love, grace, and forgiveness to a woman like her he can certainly extend it to you as well. There is nothing in your past that is too messy or complicated for Jesus. Jesus loves those of us with the dirty, painful pasts.

Through Jesus, you are redeemed.

He has always hung out with the outcasts and downtrodden. Jesus loves a great comeback story. Some of the greatest heroes in the bible started at the bottom of the social ladders back in their day. Rahab and Mary Magdalene were prostitutes, Jacob was a cheater, Noah was a drunk, David was a cheater and a murderer, Moses was also a murderer, Joseph was abused, Elijah had suicidal thoughts, and so many more had the same problems we all face today. He rescued each and everyone of them and made them great!

He is waiting to pull you up out of that pain and shame of your past too. It’s time to start your comeback story!

Sisters, we are redeemed. Let that sink in for a bit.

Redeemed. Forgiven. Ransomed. Liberated. Delivered. Reclaimed. SANCTIFIED.

Jesus has sanctified us. He has ransomed us. He has paid our debts and taken our burdens. Allow yourself to feel that freedom.

If God has forgiven all your sins, past, and imperfections… why can’t you forgive yourself?

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