This whole idea of covering up our brokenness is seen in John 4 when Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well. This is a pretty famous story of how Jesus was someone who crossed cultural and gender barriers, at that time, to speak hope into this woman’s life. A really cool and inspiring story, however the very fact that this woman lies to Jesus is usually glossed over.
In verse 16, Jesus tells her to go and get her husband and come back. She simply replies, “I don’t have a husband.” As blunt as Jesus can be he says back, “You’re right, you have had five and the man you are with now is not your husband.”
This woman purposefully evades the truth in fear and wanting to hide her brokenness from this man, who is the Messiah. During this time, being married multiple times as a woman was disgraceful. It is understandable that she would try to lie about it. But Jesus shows his unfiltered love to this lady who was an outcast and a social pariah. He sees past the brokenness and the shattered perceptions and he still offers her eternal life.
In the midst of our brokenness we have redemption. We have a saving grace that is given freely to us by a man named Jesus. Christ brings us this beautiful redemption as he brought to the woman at the well. It is a daily decision to accept the grace and mercy Christ gives us.
We need to know that God loves us despite our brokenness. Even when we come to Christ with our hearts closed, trying to hide our flaws, He loves us anyways. That is the beauty of the redemption found in Christ alone. It’s simply a matter of us accepting our brokenness and allowing God to restore us in Him.
“May the rich blessing of the Lord attend us, and grant us all remission of sins. May the Lord graciously protect us from all evil and mercifully preserve and keep us in all good, and May He who created and redeemed us preserve us for Himself unspotted to the end.” Amen.
(The Mozarabic Psalter)