Don’t Be Too Close-Minded For God

Don’t Be Too Close-Minded For God

samaritan-woman-at-the-well

“1 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, ‘You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’

10 Jesus replied, ‘If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.’

11 ‘But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,’ she said, ‘and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?’

13 Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.'”

– John 4:1-13 [NLT]

I’m using the story of Jesus with the Samaritan woman to illustrate how close-minded we can be when interacting with people outside of our comfort zone. Jesus lived in an era where Jews and Sarmatians weren’t allowed to mingle with each other. Jesus was willing to go to people who were the outcast of society in order to fulfill his mission as the Messiah. Jesus primarily focused on full-breed Jews, but he interacted with both Gentiles and Samaritans. Jesus loved all kinds of people and hated to see people get mistreated. He came to this Earth as someone to be looked down upon so He could better relate to average ordinary people.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in a person’s race, gender, nationality, or political affiliation. The world likes it when we play politics, but Jesus never played favoritism. He treated everyone the same. The very same person you look down upon can be the same person who can save your life. Never let personal prejudices keep you from mission God’s best.

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