Have you ever read a story that completely messed you up? You know, the type of story that rocks your world. Changes your life. Makes you want to be like the hero. Makes you want to improve the world.
Sometimes the stories are painful. Sometimes they are filled with hope.
That's one of the many reasons I like Jesus. The stories in the Bible where He is involved will totally change your world. This week, I'm going to share four of my favorites, and why they will mess you up.
Story 1 - A woman and a well
This may be my favorite story in the entire Bible. I like it, not just because of what Jesus does for this woman, but all the underlying messages The Messiah sends. And, every single one of them are applicable today. This story has never lost it's meaning, message or impact. And all of it will mess up the way you look at your world.
This story begins with Jesus doing something no "good" Jew in His day would do -- He crossed to the other side of the tracks. John 4 tells us that Jesus "had" to go through Samaria to get to where He was going. The truth is, He didn't have to. He chose to.
If you don't know anything about the relationship between the Jews and Samaritans, I'll give you a quick summary. Back in the days when Israel was in exile, the superpowers used relocation as a tactic to subdue the people they conquered. They would exile a nation to a different part of the conquering empire, and move another conquered people into that land. Such was the case for Israel when the Jewish nation was captured. Babylon sent most of the people packing east, and replaced them with other displaced people.
In the course of time, these rulers of the land allowed some Jews to return to their homeland, but not enough to cause any trouble. In an effort to re-establish some form of religious order, the returning Jews mixed some of their faith with the religions of the people who now lived in their former kingdom. They also inter-married with these people.
The end result is that when the rest of the Jews were returned to their homeland, they found this group of people living in the area around Samaria who had created a hybrid Jewish race and religion. Because the Samaritans had compromised their faith and also inter-married, they were looked down on and despised. They were viewed as half-breeds, and worthless.
Suffice it to say that in the few hundred years between these events and the time of Jesus, a great hatred and distrust had built up between Jews and Samaritans. We'll go ahead and call it what it was: Racism.
John 4 tells us Jesus had to go through Samaria. I think he did this in part because he was trying to get away from the religious hounds in Jerusalem, but it also demonstrates that Jesus isn't hung up on racial stereotypes and the junk that comes with it.
That, in itself, is earth shattering, especially when you consider that it wasn't that long ago when America was going through similar strife between whites and blacks. Had we put into practice what Jesus was showing us, America's racial tensions never would have happened.
AND THAT'S JUST THE FIRST FOUR VERSES!
The bulk of the story centers around Jesus' interaction with a woman from Sychar. Most of this event takes place around a well that Jacob, also known as Israel, the father of the nation, had dug around 1,700 years before.
In this one event, we can draw a multitude of life applications. Here we see Jesus honoring women (something that was NOT done in society). He was also talking to and helping a woman (also taboo at this time). This event also occurred in the middle of the day. Judging from her story (married and divorced five times and currently shacking up), this woman could only come to the well during the hottest part of the day, because she was viewed as the scourge of the community.
Put that into perspective. Jews viewed Samaritans as trash, and this woman was viewed by her own people as trash. Had she been a celebrity, her life story would've headlined all the tabloids and some network newscasts. She would've been given a cruel name by society, like Hexa-Whore (re: Octomom). THIS is the woman Jesus meets. THIS is the woman Jesus cared enough about to stop and share God's love. THIS is the woman who's world is rocked by Christ.
Now, if this story wasn't good enough, this woman is so radically changed by Jesus that she no longer cares for her dingy reputation. She sprints back to Sychar, tells everyone she may have found The Christ, and brings the townspeople out to meet Him.
The Bible tells us that because of the woman's testamony, many people in that town became Christ-followers. The scourge became the hero. And, it happened through the life changing meeting with Jesus.
It doesn't matter who you are, or what you're background is, or what you've done in life. Jesus is STILL interested in you. He STILL cares for you. And, He STILL wants to offer you the same life change that the woman at the well experienced.
That's one story that messes me up every time I read it.
What's a Jesus story that has changed your life?
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