One Story at a TimeSample

Breaking the Cultural Norm

In the busy town of Sychar, during the heat of the day, there was an encounter that took place that demonstrated the remarkable love and transformative power of Jesus. This particular story unfolds with Jesus, weary from His journey, sitting by Jacob's well. A Samaritan woman approached, coming to draw water. This encounter may have seemed normal until Jesus started speaking and revealing His knowledge of her heart, and her longing for something more. I imagine I would feel a little thrown off if someone came up to me and started expressing knowledge of my past in ways nobody else knew. You see, Jesus broke cultural barriers by even talking with this woman. Samaritans and Jews didn’t hang out. But Jesus spoke to her with compassion, revealing to her His understanding of her broken past and her present struggles. He offered her living water that would satisfy her deepest thirst.

This encounter revealed the heart of Jesus, who looks beyond societal divisions, prejudices, and cultural norms. He saw this Samaritan woman, not as an outcast or an outsider, but as a real person with a real story, a person worthy of His attention and love. Jesus saw her pain, her longing for meaning, and He offered her the hope and salvation she desperately needed.

When this woman felt seen and loved, she recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the only One who could bring true fulfillment and purpose. Filled with awe and excitement, she left her water jar and rushed to share the good news with her community, becoming a witness to the transformative power of Jesus.

Jesus is not indifferent or distant to the real needs of real people in your school. He sees each of them as unique individuals, with struggles, hopes, and desires. Just as Jesus reached out to the Samaritan woman, He desires to reach people in your school, through you. No matter how lost or broken people around you are, Jesus seeks to reach them. He knows the intimate details of all our lives and offers the living water that quenches spiritual thirst. He longs to bring healing, restoration, and purpose to our lives.

When you show someone that you are there for them, you love them, you’re going to pray for them, and you’re going to treat them with respect, they will feel seen. When you show someone with a complicated story that Jesus loves them no matter what, you reveal His heart. When those people experience the love of Jesus in a new, profound way, it’s possible that like the woman at the well, they recognize Jesus as the only one who can bring true fulfillment and purpose.

Who are the Samaritans at your school? What group(s) of people have become ostracized from the circles you’re in? Think about what God can do if you show them love. The Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus not only transformed her own life, but also ignited a fire within her to share the good news with those around her. Likewise, when we experience the life-changing love of Jesus, we are compelled to share it with others, becoming agents of transformation ourselves.

Jesus reaches out to individuals. We can change the world, one story at a time. His love is personal, and His desire to transform lives is unwavering. May we open our hearts to His touch and allow His transformative power to work in us, and through us.

Prayer:
God, help me be a conduit of Your love today, reaching out to those around me with the hope and salvation found only in You. Help me to have the strength and the boldness to have conversations with people that are different than me. When I encounter others, help me to speak with love and compassion, just like You did. I want to see my world changed, so help me to see this happen one story at a time. I trust You to open the doors of conversation. Help me to walk through every door You open. In Jesus’ Name, amen.