Deep Secrets

I often overhear my girls exchange their biggest secrets amongst each other.  “I promise I won’t tell anyone!”, one assures the other.  

And then…shortly later, I overhear the same bribing the other, “I knew I shouldn’t have told you!” Please…! I’ll do whatever you say, just don’t tell anyone”, she begs.  

Early on in Jesus’ ministry, very few if any knew the truth about who he was and his true identity.  And Jesus intentionally didn’t spell it out for them either.  

He spoke in carefully crafted sentences and in mysterious parables.

However, he does reveal the biggest truth about himself on very few occasions.

The first being a woman, labeled with a sketchy past. 

To her, he spoke directly and straightforeward...

The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming... Then Jesus told her, “ I Am the Messiah!” (John 4:25-26 NIV)

Not to an important Jewish religious leader, not even to one of his closest disciples.

Why did he choose her of all people? What distinguished her from the others?  Why didn’t her past disqualify her?

My study Bible labels her “the lowly”.

Jesus first reveals the biggest, deepest secret about himself to a woman with the reputation of the lowest member of her society. 

Notice how she exalts him while abasing herself…

 How can a Jewish man like you ask a Samaritan woman like me for a drink of water?" (Jews, of course, don't associate with Samaritans). (John 4:9 GWT)

In other words, how can someone so important as you talk to someone as insignificant as me?

In the same way, Jesus presently wants to reveal the deepest truths about himself out of the word. (Reveal divine revelations).  

But he chooses the lowly. 

The ones who simultaneously exalt God while humbly positioning themselves before him as one of no reputation. 

Again, it was her posture of elevating him while putting herself down, that made her the perfect candidate to receive his deepest secret.

Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; (Ps. 138:6 NIV)

"Man approaches God most nearly when he is in one sense least like God. For what can be more unlike than fullness and need, sovereignty and humility, righteousness and penitence, limitless power and a cry for help" - C.S. Lewis

Supporting Text

but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom once hidden [from man, but now revealed to us by God, that wisdom] which God predestined before the ages to our glory [to lift us into the glory of His presence]. (1 Co. 2:7)

with the lowly is wisdom…(Pr. 11:2 KJV)  

He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. (Matt.13:11)

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. (Ps.25:14)