The Man at the Well
Who did Jesus have his longest conversation with in the Bible?
Now, you might think it was a powerful politician, right? Or maybe one of the "religious elites" of the day—the billionaires and celebrities, or even the powerful rabbis of first-century Judea.
But it wasn’t. It was a woman.
A Samaritan woman.
Someone who had been married five times, going on six. She was an outcast among outcasts.
But see, this was Jesus’s "brand." He didn’t spend his time climbing social ladders; he spent it crossing social boundaries. He sought out the people who were sincerely open—people who were thirsty for a deeper spiritual life, even if they didn’t look "the part."
His ministry—and by extension, our ministry—is about doing the same thing: being peacemakers and healers. It’s about the radical idea that everyone is included in God’s plan. No exceptions. No fine print.
So, I have to ask myself—and I’m asking you, too:
How are we bridging the divides in our own lives?
Who are we seeking out for real, honest friendship?
Are we cultivating relationships with people who think, vote, or live differently than we do?
Instead of assuming, mocking, disparaging, the other side, are we actually trying to have a conversation with them?
We learn everything we need to know about Jesus by looking at who he sat down with. And honestly? We learn a lot about ourselves when we look at the same thing.
How can we try to be a little more like the man at the well this week?
