John 4:10

Jesus seizes the moment. “If you only knew.” he replies, “If you only knew the gift you are being offered, and recognized who it is asking you for a cup of water, you would be the one asking, ‘Please give me water.’  And he would certainly give you some—and not just any water.  He would give you living water, without any hesitation.” John 4:10 EFP

All Jesus needs is an opening.  Once the woman replies to his request, even in a resistive tone, Jesus cuts to the chase.  One second he is asking for a cup of water, the next he is talking about a gift of God and living water.  How does he do that?

He completely turns the conversation around from the request for a thirst-quenching cup of water for him to a reference to a gift of living water being offered by the one who had initially asked for a simple cup of well-water.  The key words in this text for me are, “If you only knew….”  Wow!  There are so many things that she doesn’t know.  So much she has overlooked in her life filled with the clutter accumulated through the years of rummaging through relationships, disappointments, the heartaches that inevitably come into all our lives.  But knowing whatever it is she has overlooked is going to make all the difference.  It will turn things around.  Life will look differently, if she only knew.

That’s the point, isn’t it?  I live my life seeing things through my human eyes and from my limited perspective.  My life commandments inherited from family, friends, and foes become my marching orders.  They define my life and how I interact with it.  But Jesus entreats me, “Ruben, if you only knew….”  He reminds me when I lose hope, “If you only knew….”  Knew what?  Number one, if I only knew the gift that is mine through Jesus Christ.  Secondly, if I only knew the one who is asking me “If you only knew.”  Jesus is telling me, if I only realized the Gift and the Giver are mine already, I would be asking for more and more of the Gift from the Giver of all “good and perfect gifts.” (James 1:17)  If I only knew…Him!