Black lives matter. That is a fact. That is not an opinion. That is not just a movement. That is a factual statement that demands a call to action. Asian lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. Yes, white lives matter. All lives matter. Why? Because God loves us. He created us and He loves us so much He has sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and give us eternal life if we will simply believe.
JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Please understand something, racial division is prevalent in this world, but it is also prevalent in our churches. It is not white people against black people. It is not black people against white people. It is not about one nationality against another. Those are distractions from the enemy. It stems from not operating from a place of love.
I have friends who are not white; some are Hispanic, some are biracial, some are Italian, some are African American, some are Native American, some are Indian. I love my friends. We have found things in common that draw us to each other. One thing we should have in common with others in the Christian community is love for Jesus and love for one another. It is His commandment.
JOHN 13:34 A new commandment give I unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Let's look in the Bible at John chapter four and see how Jesus handled the situation with the Samaritan. For a little background, Jews did not associate with Samaritans. They did not like them, they did not speak to them, and a Jewish man would definitely not speak to a Samaritan woman. So, how did the Son of God handle this situation? There was racial tension. It was not neat and pretty and tied with a bow. Let's read what happens.
Jesus left Judaea to go to Galilee. In order to get where Jesus was going he had to travel through Samaria. He went to a city called Sychar, to Jacob's well. This is the well Jacob gave to his son Joseph. The disciples went to town to get something to eat and Jesus decided to stay at the well. Along came a Samaritan woman and Jesus speaks to her, "Give Me a drink." And this is her answer:
JOHN 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
She drew the racial line in the proverbial sand. She asks why He is speaking to her. She is a Samaritan. She reminds Him that Jews do not interact with the people of Samaria. Jesus knows she is a Samaritan. He knows she is a woman. That does not change the fact that she needs a Savior. He came to die for this woman just like any of the Jewish women. Jesus knows her worth. She does not deserve salvation, none of us do. God loves His creation so much He does not want any of us to die without Jesus as our Savior. So here is the Son of God loving this Samaritan woman out loud.
Their exchange does not seem loving. There is a request for a drink of water and immediately racial tension rears its ugly head to divide these two people. Let's look at Jesus's response to the woman.
JOHN 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water."
Instead of discussing how different they are, or how society says they should behave toward one another, the very picture of love is staring at her and essentially says to her, "I am so much more than a Jewish man. I am so much more than a thirsty person asking for a drink. If you knew the gift of God, and who I AM, then you would want Me to give you My living water."
Many people do not know who Jesus is. They grew up hearing stories and people's opinions of who He is, but they have yet to experience Him for themselves. This lady is having an encounter with the Man who will change her life and her future.
Like most of us, she looks at her situation. She is skeptical. "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. Where do You have this living water?" She goes on to ask if He is greater than her father Jacob who gave the well and drank from it himself along with his children and cattle.
Jesus does not ever respond to the natural. He is supernatural and His answers are always about eternity and the condition of our souls. He tells her, "Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again. The one who drinks the water I give will never thirst and in them will be a well of water springing into everlasting life."
This woman at the well is thirsty. She is intrigued that He can give her water that she will never thirst again. She asks Jesus to give her the water so she will never be thirsty and she will never need to go to the well again. She thinks in the natural and Jesus speaks to the supernatural. He says to her, "Go get your husband and come here."
What? She literally asked Jesus for the water that would forever quench her thirst. Why did he mention a husband? What has that got to do with anything? It has everything to do with it. Jesus loves her enough to point out her mess and her mistakes so He can cleanse her. She says, "I don't have a husband."
Jesus tells her, "You're right. You had five husbands and the man you are with now is not your husband either." He was acting like her husband but they were not married. They were sinning. That was the essence of what He said. That was all it took to get her attention. She perceived Him as a prophet. She said her forefathers worshiped in that mountain and questioned Jesus, "You say Jerusalem is the place men ought to worship."
Again, division in where to worship and who to worship. Jesus says, Woman, believe Me, the time is coming when the Father will not be worshiped in the mountain nor in Jerusalem. The true worshipers must worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth."
The woman tells Jesus the Messiah is coming and He is Christ. "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus plainly tells her, "I that speak to you am He." He literally introduced Himself as Jesus the Messiah. She runs to the city to tell the others. The disciples are now back. They see the exchange Jesus was having with the woman and no one questioned Him, but they marveled. They could not believe it. Even the disciples knew the racial rules and not to cross them. Jesus came to tear down racial divides.
The Samaritans came to see Jesus and they urged Him to stay with them, so He did. Jesus stayed with them two days. Many more believed Jesus because of the things He said. They came to meet Jesus because of the woman's testimony but they believed in Him once they heard Jesus speak. We must continue to share our testimony with everyone because we never know who will hear and be converted as they experience Jesus for themselves.
JOHN 4:41-42 (41)And many more believed because of His own Word; (42)And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Second Corinthians 3:17 says "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." The woman at the well found freedom when she met Jesus. The Samaritan people who came to see Jesus and hear Him for themselves found liberty from the captivity they were in. For two days Jesus was able to set the captives free.
GALATIANS 3:26-29 (26)For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (27)For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29)And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
You see when Jesus redeems us and frees us from the penalty of sin and reconciles us to Himself, we are no longer a white person, a black person, a male, a female in God's eyes. We are all one in Christ Jesus. We are all made in His image and we belong to our Heavenly Father.
This scripture does not imply we should forget who we are. We are still unique individuals. The things that are different about us should make our relationships richer not divide us. But we are no longer defined by our nationality or gender alone. Our identity is hidden in Christ Jesus.
We are put on this earth to shine as beacons of light. We need to come together in unity and in love. Let's stop listening to the world's view that says we have to "stick to our kind." We have to stop the division. Cross the lines and find out what others think, how they feel, what they struggle with. We need to help one another Home.
The world is in division right now. The church is in division. We must come together and let Christ be the central focus of all we say and do.
PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11 (9)And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment (discernment): (10)That ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ: (11)Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
In conclusion of today's study, let's love one another. Let's use knowledge and discernment and approve excellent things. May we be sincere and not offensive to one another. We can do that when we are full of fruits of righteousness by Jesus so that all we say and do will honor and praise God. I hope something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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