Brokenness: 3 Circle Gospel Conversation

We are all broken, meaning, we live in a broken world, with broken relationships, broken worldview, broken everything. The only thing that makes us whole is Jesus. He is the One who restores.
May 5, 2021

Brokenness: 3 Circles Gospel Conversations

Have you ever spent time building something only for it to get broken? For example, a child may spend many hours working on a Lego set only to have their pet kick it off the table. You are easily angered by how fast your creation was broken. In fact, the truth is that the amount of time spent building your set was in no way compared to how fast your pet wreaked havoc upon it. Jimmy Scroggins asks, “Have you ever spent a long time building something only for it to break? How did it break? How did you react?” We have all experienced this feeling before.

We are all broken 

As noted in previous posts, God had an original design for humanity, however, humanity sinned. Because of that, brokenness is a consequence for our sins. Most importantly, our relationship with God is broken. We sinned against Him and brought separation between us. Our brokenness is overwhelming, but God meets our needs. Moreover, God also provides a way for us to be restored to Him in a right relationship through Jesus Christ.

God meets our broken needs

In the book of John 4:4-10 and 4:11-18, the Bible tells us about a Samaritan woman, who was broken and in need of Jesus. Jesus meets this lady, one whom Jews would not have even spoken with, at well in the nearby city. In the story Jesus confronts this lady with truth about Himself and herself. In all honesty, this lady’s reputation was not good, so much so, that she “didn’t want to see other people, which is why she went to the well when most people typically didn’t go…her guilt, shame, and brokenness motivated her to hide” (Scroggins). Her life was marred by mistakes of broken relationships and dysfunction. Moreover, the brokenness she experienced was deep and lasted for quite a while. “This woman was so broken that it affected the way she lived her daily life. She walked to the well alone in the middle of the day, dripping sweat, unlike the other women who all went together in the cool air of the dawn” (Scroggins).

No amount of brokenness or hurt could push Jesus away. He talked with this Samaritan woman at the well, and, as Jimmy Scroggins states, “Jesus addressed her wounds.” She came to the well a sinner, broken, and in need of the Savior’s love. God does that for any who come to Him broken.

The Good News

In John 4:21-29, the Bible tells us how the Samaritan woman was changed, and how she helped lead others to Jesus (John 4:39-42). The Samaritan woman left the well changed. She was not her former self, rather, she had been with Jesus and had repented and believed in Him.

Questions

How did the woman demonstrate that she was changed by Jesus? (See John 4:28-29)

How have we been changed by Jesus?

Who are we leading to Jesus?

Resources

3 Circles: Gospel Conversations For Life by Jimmy Scroggins