John 4:28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and *said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.
Remember the context, this is a woman who had been married five times and was now living with a man. Moses had included in the law that a man could divorce his wife, but a wife could never divorce her husband. It is not likely that all five of her husbands died. Instead, at least several must have left her. What is obvious, is that she was not willing to risk the public disappointment and humiliation again, therefore she was living with a man instead of marrying him. I would assume that it took a number of years to go through five marriages; therefore she had experienced many years of hurt and shame. I would also imagine that if she is like me and you, she probably was experiencing at some level a lot of resentment and bitterness. She probably often thought of the things that HAPPENED to her, and the things that people HAD DONE TO HER. That’s the way we cope with our broken lives; we blame others, or we blame circumstances and God Himself. When she encountered Jesus, she probably for the first time, talked to someone who knew everything about her and yet didn’t reject her, or condemn her. When Jesus finished releasing His love to her; harvesting her heart to be a true worshiper, and filling her with living water, she was prepared to go back to her hometown and tell everybody about her encounter with Jesus. I want you to notice what she said to them; “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I HAVE DONE.” She didn’t say that Jesus told her about all the things that had happened to her, or been done to her; instead, she simply said, “he told me about all the things that “I HAVE DONE.” In light of his unconditional love she was able to own her own stuff, which was a key to her healing, and filling. As long as we blame others, and circumstances for our brokenness we can never be healed, or filled with the living water of the Holy Spirit that Jesus offers. Yet, it is in His presence where we are loved unconditionally that we can be honest, and let go of our shame, and our bitterness. How many times over the years had she made excuses for her life, when she talked to the people of Sychar, but here she is owning her stuff, even to them, because she was freely forgiven, and filled with the love of Jesus.