Come see a man who told me everything I have done. (John 4:29)

Nobody likes admitting their sins. Whether you have broken a window or gotten a speeding ticket, you know how embarrassing it feels when someone points out what you have done wrong.

That's why today's Gospel reading is so striking. When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman about her sin, she didn't respond in fear. She didn't even seem ashamed. Quite the opposite, when Jesus told her that he knew she has had five husbands and was living in adultery with a sixth man, she was in awe. Their conversation then compelled her to run to her neighbors and tell them all about him.

Why did she respond this way? She was touched by the mercy of Jesus and transformed. Let's look at how this happened.

First, Jesus reached out to her, and his love moved her heart. He knew everything about her, the bad as well as the good, and he welcomed her. He does the same for us. Before we even admit our sins, he knows them, but he never stops reaching out to us. He waits for us, just as he waited by that well.

Second, Jesus offered her living water. It's quite possible that this woman had been living in guilt and shame. She likely came to the well at midday to avoid meeting everyone else, who would draw water at a cooler hour. But Jesus saw her as a child of God who needed to be set free. He offered her his love and presence, the water of life that would fill her and change her. And it did-she left her water jar behind because her encounter with Jesus gave her a new source of life.

Jesus is ready to fill you with the living water of the Holy Spirit today. He is reaching out to you with compassion. Ask him to fill your heart and change your life.

"Jesus, thank you for welcoming me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, and change me.