John 4
A young blonde lady complained about a
dig she had heard about people with blonde hair. As she fumed at the unfairness
of it she said, “I think some people are just racist against blondes.” I laughed, knowing she had chosen those words
in a joking way as she is a smart young lady and knows that “blonde” is not a
race at all, but she was playing off the stereotype of the “dumb blonde” by
intentionally misusing the word.
What the young lady was dealing with was
prejudice - a sinful attitude that negatively “pre-judges” a person. It is, sadly,
a real part of life in this world. Prejudice is often based on their ethnic
background, gender, or sexuality, but can even be based on something as silly
as hair or eye color. It is unfair and unloving, and does not reflect the way
God deals with people: on the basis of their own sin and Jesus’ forgiveness.
Jesus dealt with prejudice in John 4. The
culture He came from held strong prejudices against women and Samaritans, and sexually
scandalous lifestyles. The woman fit all three categories. He had every reason,
from His culture’s point of view, to totally disregard this woman, but He didn’t.
If anything, it seems like the woman tried to get away from Jesus, and He
pursued her, touching those key areas of her life in which she had experienced
prejudice. He drove the conversation to the point where she brought up the idea
of the Messiah, at which He lets drop for the first time, “I who speak to you
am he.” (The Greek has the intriguing
formation to say, “I AM, the one talking to you.” Perhaps Jesus is invoking God’s
name for Himself, “I Am who I Am.”)
It was a beautiful thing that Jesus did
as, in His grace, He swept the prejudices aside, and brought the grace of God
into this woman’s life. She, in turn, was used by God to introduce a whole
village of Samaritans to Jesus, and they believed in Him. Talk about breaking
prejudicial barriers! Not only that, but look at the way God takes the woman
from being cast aside to being the messenger of salvation!
We too were pre-judged, but rightly so,
as sinners. We were excluded from God’s love and His presence. But what Jesus
did for this woman, He has done for us. He took our stigma and shame away, and
welcomes us into the Father’s presence, cleansing us with His blood. And He
makes us messengers of salvation to our communities!
Lord Jesus, thank You for breaking the
barriers of sin in my life. Amen.
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