Shadows of the Cross. Craig Cashwell

does he ask of you?

      Jesus broke several cultural taboos of his day in this passage. He not only spoke to a woman in public; he spoke to a Samaritan woman! As a Jewish man, he should never have asked her for a drink because any water vessel she carried would have been considered unclean and the passage specifically tells us that Jesus carried no vessel for water. Biblical scholars disagree about what it means that the woman had five husbands (4:16–18).

      Nonetheless, it is clear that Jesus was reaching out to someone with whom, for many reasons, he should not even have been talking. Yet, it was to this very woman that Jesus first revealed he was the Messiah. Also, this passage is the longest account of a private conversation between Jesus and anyone in the New Testament. Whatever her past, she mattered to Jesus. So do you.

      The Parable of the Prodigal Son

      Jesus was a storyteller. Often, he communicated his message through stories. One of his most famous parables is the story of the prodigal son. The word "prodigal" means wasteful, reckless, and dissolute (engaging in vices or overindulging in physical pleasures to a point that is considered immoral or harmful). Sound familiar?

      Read Luke's account of this parable (Luke 15:11–32). Now, reread the story slowly and heartfully. Where scripture refers to the younger son, substitute the word "I" to help you imagine what an encounter might be like with Jesus.

      Now, reread verse 20 from this first-person perspective: "So I got up and went to my Father. But while I was still a long way off, my Father saw me and was filled with compassion for me; He ran to me, threw his arms around me, and kissed me."

      Read these words of the first-person perspective several times, out loud if possible. Read slowly and breathe as if you could literally breathe these words right into your heart.

      If you are questioning whether you can still be a Christian and be forgiven, remember that God's love, compassion, mercy, grace, and forgiveness are all far deeper than we can fathom.

      You are a child of God, cleansed by the blood of Christ and, accordingly, you are far better than the worst thing you have ever done. In recovery, you can begin to acknowledge that this is the Truth, directly from God's word. In this profound knowing, there will be a deepening of your inner peace and contentment. You will learn that you are drawing upon a Life that is bigger than you could have realized. No longer must you question whether you have enough or whether you are enough.

      You are a child of God.