John 4:28-30 - Love Modeled

Today, something in a few verses really struck me that didn’t really stand out yesterday. Let me go back to v28-30.

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭4:28-30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, we have the interaction with Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Remembering, the woman came at an odd time, and she went to the well alone. This tells us something was off with her, more than likely she was a cast out, not very welcomed by her community, driven to travel to the well alone and at a time when she would not see others. We also know that Jesus told her everything she ever did.  Well, if she was a cast out, and not welcomed...we know she had five husbands, this list of everything she ever did would have been a long list. 

As I process this interaction, an interaction with a Jew and a Samaritan, we see Jesus act, speak, love in a way that first moved this Samaritan woman to leave her water jar. This journey to the well was solely to get water, and she ultimately left her jar. Second, we see this woman who is a cast out, not embraced by her community, and she returns to this same community and invites them to meet Jesus. This is crazy to me; Jesus told her everything about her life, all the things she was ashamed of, embarrassed by, and the things that caused her to be a cast out. And these are the very things she returned to the town sharing Jesus knew. This had to be a moving and transformative interaction between Jesus and her. Finally, she must have been pretty convincing; the Bible tells us, they came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus. Remember, this is not a very honorable woman, and they immediately left to see Jesus.

Why does this stand out now, what about this interaction is different today? Well, as I process this today and think about what is so unique and interesting is this is how our lives should look. The interactions we have each and every day, representing Christ, being lead by the Holy Spirit, our interactions with others should shock and move people in a way that they do not expect. What, unfortunately, is more typical from the Christian community I see online, in social media, and in certain clicks is more judgemental, narrow in view, and argumentative. But Jesus' interaction with a Samaritan woman was so moving that she immediately invited others to meet him, some and see this man who knew all about me. 

This, to its core, is loving others, a central and core message that Jesus delivered.

““Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”” - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:36-40‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So much so, that we read that the entire Old Testimate can be summed up into saying, Love God and Love Others. Jesus, as a Jew, stepped into a race and culture war in Samaria and extended love, and grace. This...this is our model. Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ is the way, the model, and the Lord!