“Come and see a man who has told me everything I did.
I wonder if he is the Christ?” John 4 : 29
I wonder if he is the Christ?” John 4 : 29
Jesus stayed with the people from the Samaritan town of Sychar for two days after they had responded to the call of the woman at the town well to “come and see”, and their personal meeting with Christ brought them to the knowledge that he “really is the saviour of the world”.
Today, the people in the United Kingdom are complying with a decree issued by the British Government to complete a census. It will provide the authorities with much personal information and enable Government to plan for the future. One hundred years from today, this personal information will be put in the public domain and the people of that time will be able to research the information on a need-to-know basis.
Joseph and the Mother of Christ responded to the census call of Caesar Augustus at the time of the birth of Jesus. It wasn’t a local census but one for the whole of the Roman Empire. Scripture is not clear if Jesus was registered on this census. But even if he wasn’t we know where he was born (Luke 2) and his ancestry (Matthew 1). And also in scripture Jesus reveals his Father (John 14), and his mother and brothers in the most unusual way (Mark 3). In fact, the whole of Scripture reveals Jesus as the Word of God. Far more is revealed in Scripture about Jesus than possible with any census. God is all revealing – of himself and all things.
In today’s Gospel, we see that the Samaritan people of Sychar had knowledge of God, but not the complete truth until they met with Christ, the saviour of the world. And so it is in our own time. Many have knowledge of God but “worship what they do not know”.
Scripture teaches us that every hair on our head has been counted (Luke 12) that God counts our every step (Job 31), calls us by name and that we belong to his house (Isaiah 43).
So should we be surprised, like the Samaritan woman at the well, that Jesus knows everything about us, and desires to reveal himself to us and the world in most wondrous ways?
There is a section on the UK census form that asks: What is your religion? The question is voluntary – the only voluntary question on the census.
At first it appears that religion plays no part in Government planning but if we look at it another way it is a wonderful opportunity to tick the box marked Christian, and so confirm the name of Jesus on the census, to let the world know that Jesus has a place in our household and in our life. When we tick the box ‘Christian’ we reveal that Jesus is still alive. Our Redeemer lives. Emmanuel. God is with us.
May we be blessed that Jesus be a permanent resident in our home. May his name always be recorded on our heart.
In her messages from Medjugorje, the Mother of Jesus also reveals who God is. She confirms that she comes to tell us that God exists, that Jesus is not just some historical account registered on a census but actually exists, and that he knows us in truth.
My Son, who is Life, loves you and knows you in truth. To come to know and to love yourself, you must come to know my Son; to come to know and to love others, you must see my Son in them. July 2, 2010
Also today I call you, in this time of grace, to pray for little Jesus to be born in your heart. May he, who is peace itself, give peace to the entire world through you. November 25, 2010
Little children, love bears everything bitter and difficult for the sake of Jesus who is love. June 25 1988
Little children, decide for God who is freedom and love. March 25 1996
The way to my Son, who is true peace and love, passes through the love for all neighbours. September 25, 2005
He who is the King of Heaven and earth, he is your peace. December 25, 2006
God desires to convert the entire world and to call it to salvation and to the way towards himself, who is the beginning and the end of every being. June 25, 2007
Pray and work so that your heart yearns for God the Creator who is the true rest of your soul and your body. May he reveal his face to you and may he give you his peace. July 25, 2008
