There is a story found in the Gospel of John. It’s the story of a Samaritan woman at a water well. This story is popular in the church because it displays Jesus’ compassion for those who may consider themselves outsiders.
Long story short, there was significant tension between the Samaritans and the Jews. Jesus goes out of his way on His journey to minister to this Samaritan lady. She was, by many standards, an outcast to not only His people but to hers as well.
I love that Jesus ministers to those who seem like a waste of time. He gives value to those who appear to be overlooked in society. Jesus finds value in those who have been devalued by everyone else. He has the ability to do this because He went through life with a heavenly perspective and not a fleshly one.
Viewing life through a spiritual lens is difficult for us. It’s effortless to pass judgment based on what we see physically rather than to adjust our eyes to a spiritual view.
So, this Samaritan woman is at the well, at the time of day no one should be there, and she finds Jesus. Jesus sees her and asks her a question. Side note: If Jesus asks a question in the Bible, He isn’t clueless; He’s God and knows everything. Jesus asks questions to reveal something in the heart of the person He speaks to.
He asks the woman, “Will you give me a drink?” The question starts a conversation that reveals the tension between their people and allows Jesus to point out her real need. The woman has a thirst, but the thirst she has cannot be satisfied through physical means. It’s something that can only be seen with spiritual eyes.
Confused, the woman asks Jesus for a drink of the “Living water” He speaks about in their conversation. She says, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
If you’ve studied this passage, you realize Jesus has her right where He wants her. We find out the woman doesn’t want to keep coming back to this place to draw water because she is ashamed.
We discover that this woman has five husbands. One thing is clear: she would definitely fit the description of a sinner. Because of her lifestyle, she is an outcast and not to be associated with.
She is drawing water in the middle of the day, under the scorching sun, to avoid encountering anyone she knew. Everyone else in the village would come in the morning. Maybe she was insulted or bullied by the people in her town, and the thought of facing one of them was more painful than going to the well in unbearable temperatures.
This woman didn’t want to keep coming back because she was full of shame, and Jesus saw that. Jesus has a different perspective than everyone else. His spiritual perspective allows Him to minister to this lady and free her from her shame.
What perspective do we allow to lead our lives? Do we see past the layer of physicality and behavior in people to see what is really going on? Are we taking the time to see the God piece of every human being?
Jesus did.
I love the end of this story because after Jesus ministers to this lady, she goes back into town and tells everyone she knows. Her testimony of Jesus brings the entire village to the well, ultimately leading to the town’s salvation!
Jesus saw value in the one that no one else valued. Jesus has a way of finding the Imago Dei (image of God within humanity) in every one of us.
Find a heavenly perspective so you, too, can see the important parts of people. Until you do, you will always miss the buried treasure in humanity.
Chad Fagundes is Men’s and Outreach Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. He can be reached at chad@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.