Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine.
— Isaiah 43:1
Jesus, in His interaction with women was always the Perfect Gentleman. In His encounter with the Samaritan woman (John 4), He initiated the conversation fully knowing who she was. Unheard of at that time, Jesus challenged the cultural norm by engaging in conversation and drawing the woman to Him. The Samaritan woman has had five husbands and the pain of rejection and shame would have broken her spirit. Even in Samaria, having a series of relationships such as hers was frowned upon. Yet, Jesus, the Lover of our soul, engaged in conversation, the immoral, shameful and very lonely woman. In so doing, He led her to Himself and filled her with Living Water.
Jesus showed the same defiance against the Pharisees and was the Perfect Gentleman when He defended another sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50). Infamously labeled by the community as an “immoral woman”, Jesus did not cringe when the woman wept and wiped His feet with her hair. He also did not slide away when she anointed His feet with perfume. Instead, Jesus defended her against the condemnation of the Pharisees and extended His forgiveness — and gave her His everlasting love.
Consider the Samaritan woman, that she fetches a jar of water from a distant well in high noon. Consider the immoral woman who silently slips inside a private dinner and hurriedly crouches behind Jesus’ feet. These women are so ashamed of themselves that they have to slip and slide in public. But consider again how uninhibited and expressive they are when in the company of the Perfect Gentleman. Their actions reveal the character of the One they are with: no raised eyebrows, no snide remarks, no whispered accusation or condemnation of the heart, but simply, acceptance, mercy and fullness of love.
Women of today are very much like the Samaritan and immoral woman in that they seek love, self-worth and security in the wrong places. What could be more miserable than to be in a relationship yet feel so lonely and empty? How could we expect a flawed man to fill the empty space in our flawed hearts and ‘complete’ us?
Jesus, the Perfect Gentleman invites you to a loving and fulfilling relationship. His invitation is always open and standing. Ever the Perfect Gentleman, Christ is just waiting for you to accept His invitation and open the door of your heart to Him. No accusation, no condemnation, just forgiveness and everlasting love. A relationship that in every sense, ‘completes’ you. Won’t you accept His invitation today?
Aya's Life 