Westside Church of Christ

No one ever looked at the world like Jesus. His eyes penetrated the visible features to see the interior. We observe height, weight, skin color and physical characteristics. He sees hearts. Our assessments are superficial. His are not. He recognizes qualities of individuals that lay hidden beneath the scabs and scars of life. His view is different.

Jesus was tired, hungry, thirsty and alone when the woman came to fetch water. Culture demanded that He keep His distance. Jews and Samaritans did not mix and mingle. They were not lunch buddies, but then He doesn’t look at her like typical Jews would. He had facts that she needed. He dared to ask for a drink. Little did she know that it was a request that would change not only her life but also turn her city upside down.

Her limited vision only saw a Jewish man, and His approach startled her. The Lord’s x-ray vision saw that she knew neither the gift of God nor who He was. She had trudged out to get a bucketful of temporary relief, and He spoke of a permanent satisfaction for a much deeper thirst. He had her attention and her eyes began to open.

Then the Lord dug a little deeper and asked about her husband. They had never met. How did He know about her personal life? It became clearer that this was no ordinary man. No, He was a prophet. That brought her to ask about worship which opened up another door. Her people worshipped a God that they didn’t really know. If she only knew. From beginning to end, He was aware of and exposed her lack of knowledge. He knew what she did not know. She didn’t.

His explanation of the nature of worship rocked her world. She was concerned about geography. God seeks a people not a place, ones who worship in spirit and in truth. Both are absolute necessities. That brought her to a whole new level of understanding. This might be, could be, possibly is the long-awaited Messiah. Yes, He said, He is talking with you right now. Off she went to tell her whole city, a messianic messenger who began the day with a chore and

ended with the Christ.

Imagine Jesus seeing her like everyone else did. A woman from the wrong side of the ethnic tracks, someone to avoid. There were a lot of roadblocks that Jesus busted through to converse with her. We’ll never know her name, and her subsequent life is lost in the dustbins of history. We simply know that she met the Savior face-to-face in a most unexpected time and place. It happens when we stop judging on externals and pay attention to souls. He came to save the weak and wayward. They often appear to be unlikely prospects, but looks can be deceiving.