5TH MARCH
John 4:7-9
“A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?’ (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans)”
When developing a missional lifestyle, you must learn to take the first relational step to open up conversations with people!
Jesus was certainly thirsty, but in asking for a drink, both he and the woman knew that he was expressing much more than thirst. He was expressing an open-hearted attitude toward the woman, where she expected the opposite.
Jews despised Samaritans as compromisers and half-breeds. John, writing this story, tells us why Jesus’ request surprised the woman—“Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” That’s why Jesus’ simple request for a drink meant so much to her. It told her that Jesus didn’t want to keep his distance. He didn’t want to look down on her. He was stepping outside of the norm. She wasn’t used to a Jew treating her with respect and openness. His attitude opened her heart to him.
Jesus is challenging you today that if you want to live his lifestyle of sentness, you must have an open-hearted, warm attitude toward people (even people you would not normally get along with). It doesn’t mean you have to change your personality, but you may need to change your attitude!
MAKE IT PERSONAL:
Who is God bringing into your mind right now! How will you reflect Jesus’ open-hearted, warm attitude to him/her today?