One of the most fascinating pictures of Jesus given to us through the Scriptures is Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well. We get to see Jesus crossing cultural barriers to announce the coming of the kingdom of God to this woman and later her town.
It is what happens when the disciples rejoin Jesus that has always challenged me. The disciples come back and are shocked to see their Teacher talking to a Samaritan woman (In those days, it was unusual for a religious teacher to speak with a Samaritan or a woman in public). Jesus crossed cultural norms to announce the kingdom of God and the coming of the Messiah to this Samaritan woman.
The disciples, like us, often saw what was happening right in front of them from their worldly perspective. No wonder they were confused! Christ, God and man, saw things from a heavenly kingdom point-of-view. In order for the disciples to see things as God does, something needed to change. Jesus told his disciples, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest?’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for the harvest.”
Just as Jesus’ disciples needed their worldly perspective transformed, so do we. How often do we see cultural, political and other barriers and allow them to prevent us from sharing the Good News of new life in Christ? How often are we more focused on the day-to-day challenges and forget to work the harvest that God has sent us into?
Dear Lord, you’ve redeemed us and sent us in to reap the harvest of eternal life. We know that we are not out there on our own.Thank you for giving us others to work with and promising to be by our side. Open our eyes and help us see the fields! Amen.