Lesson at the Well: Build Bridges

John 4:5-9
He came to a town in Samaria. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"

The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)


Teacher,
Thank You for the lessons I learn when I take time to sit with You at Jacob’s well in Samaria. From the time I was little I was taught to separate myself from the world. I’ve been warned about places I should not go and people I should not be seen with. Surely, prominent people would judge me by the company I keep.

The lesson You teach me at the well is not to discriminate based on race, religion, gender, or government. This woman was from a dreadful place, a despised race, and living a disgraceful lifestyle. Under no circumstances would a respectable Jewish man talk to such a dishonorable character. You could have haughtily turned Your back on her saying, “I don’t relate to people like that.” But, instead You risked Your reputation to approach and speak to her.

Your Word says that if I have faith in You I will do what you did and even greater things. Surely, You will judge me by the company I keep. The truth is You didn’t keep company with outgoing, good-looking, or successful people. Even though You were a King, You associated with the forlorn, the friendless, and the forgotten. In order to do great things I’m going to have to radically change my mindset.

Jeopardizing my social status, I’ll have to force myself to spend time in places I never dreamed of going, with disreputable people. I’ll have to set aside my prejudices and proactively look for them where they are, relate to them as they are, and walk with them – stride by stride toward You. Please open the eyes of my heart and energize me with holy courage and compassion to intentionally go into unnatural and uncomfortable social settings for the explicit purpose of building bridges to the kingdom of heaven in Jesus name. Amen

How are you willing to risk your reputation to keep company with the kind of people Jesus associated with? What radical changes do you need to make to your lifestyle?

Surely, we will be judged by the company we keep. There’s nothing wrong with hanging out with good and godly friends. The problem occurs when they’re the only people we choose to associate with.