“The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)”
John 4:9
The story of the woman at the well brings to mind many things: relationships between religious and ethnic groups, politics, and gender are near the top of the list.
Jesus broke the cultural norms. Not only was He speaking with a woman, a disreputable woman, but he was also asking for something from a Samaritan.
I’ve heard sermons and read studies that look at all these aspects of the story. What strikes me now, though, is that Jesus began the interaction. He speaks to the woman. He asks her for water. And it shocks her.
Jesus knows who she is. He knows about her religious and ethnic heritage. He knows about her five husbands and her current relationship with someone who is not her husband. But he doesn’t look away from this woman or shun her. He asks her for a drink.
Too often, in our world, we cannot see others beyond our differences. They worship differently, vote differently, or have different priorities from ours, so they become the “other.” Even if we are right. Jesus says clearly that the Jews were correct and the Samaritans were incorrect in how they worshiped. But Jesus still reached out to this woman.
He showed love to this woman.
There are times when that is hard for me. There are some groups of people that I find so frustrating. There are some individuals whom I find frustrating. There are those who make me feel uncomfortable.
Do I avert my eyes or look them in their eyes? Do I lean into my frustration, or do I show them the kind of love Jesus showed?
I can’t say I always make the right choice. But in a world where many seem to willfully view people as “other” rather than with the love of Christ, I am reminded that I need to try.
I need to initiate the conversations that lead to grace.
Jesus did not wait for this woman to prove she was worthy before He shared with her that He was the Messiah. He spoke to her and showed her grace, knowing that while she was not worthy, she was loved.
Maybe we… maybe I… spend too much time worrying about whether others are worthy before I behave like Christ and show them love. If I am waiting for them to prove their worth before extending love, I am not behaving like Christ.
A Quote to Consider:
“I want the liberals who despise the Bible to take it more seriously, and the conservatives to do more than massage it for their own interests.”
-Rev. Peter J. Gomes
Perhaps my favorite thing about this quote is that it makes people on all sides of the religious spectrum uncomfortable.
I’ve seen people who consider themselves liberal bothered because they don’t feel they despise the Bible. I have also seen religious conservatives frustrated with the quote suggesting that they “massage” scripture to suit their own ends, rather than just plainly reading and following scripture.
It isn’t that I just like challenging people with uncomfortable ideas, though there is a bit of that in me. I think we should all be made to feel a little uncomfortable by Scripture.
By that, I don’t mean that we should be scared by the Bible. Rather, I think that if we love God, we should want to know Him more, and, from my perspective, scripture is the best way to do that. But it is also easy for us to take the Bible for granted. It is easy not to take it seriously, and it is easy for us to simply make the Bible fit our interests. That reality should make us uncomfortable.
It is hard work to take scripture seriously without twisting it to reflect our hearts rather than God’s.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
My heart is quick to judge and slow to love. Teach me to take the first step toward grace, and to love as You loved—without conditions.
Amen.
Image: Pamela Reynoso
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