A story from the Bible has been on my mind for a while. I believe it truly captures Jesus’ love perfectly.
It’s the story of the Samaritan Woman at the well.
A Samaritan Woman Meets Her Messiah
4 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria.
5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
Let’s take a look at the story. The Samaritan people were despised by the Jews. By talking to this woman about salvation, Jesus showed that He loved everyone and that He was sent to save the World not just the Jews. Also it was a cultural shift, this is one of many times the Bible shows the value of women in a time when women were considered second class. Women are loved just as much as Men.
The woman was even immersed in sexual immorality. Jesus wanted to save her despite this. How often do we as Christian shun out sinners? How many of us are first in line to cast a stone when someone you know sins?
This is unacceptable.
Jesus said it was the sick who need a physician not the healthy. If you see someone stuck in sin, then they need to be in Church more than ever. They need the love of God more than ever. We dare not shut them out.
Especially since God sees your own sin. He knows we aren’t perfect. That’s why the Son came. God wants us all to be saved. He showed that in how He changed what we associate the word Samaritan with.
It’s amazing how much the term Samaritan has changed. Now it’s a positive word. We all remember the story of the Good Samaritan. Now people refer to those who help others as a Good Samaritan. There is even a great organization called Samaritans Purse.
God shows that He loves us all and can change not just how we live but can create an entire culture shift.
He can turn something despised into something admired.
Who right now out in the World is despised? Who just by saying one word, people react negatively to? God can change that entirely. He can turn whatever is negative into positive.
To some parts of the World the word Christian has a negative connotation.
Let’s change their opinion of us. Let’s show God’s love, let’s not just have God change us, but the World.
Follow The Way, today.
-Have a blessed week,
Chris
The Good Word 