When we look at people, we should see exactly JUST that—a person in the image of God who needs a relationship with the Son of God. Nothing more. Nothing less. As we look, we must not allow the distractions of the “things” to keep us from seeing what is truly real, really important, and really necessary.

How do you view people? What lens do you use when you look around at others? If you are walking down the road or through a store or across the foyer at church, how do you see the people around you? Not just “how” but also “what” do you see?

Our culture generally is so divided! Let me suggest a few things that people see…

Political agenda

Race

A particular sin (alcoholic, drug addict, adulterer, immoral, etc.)

Outer wear

Body manipulations (of all types, including tattoos)

Body size and shape

Economic status

Marital status

And many more…

As a Christian, what should you see?

Follow Jesus’ Path

Jesus saw people as people. Several stories tell the tale on how Jesus saw and treated people, but few capture it as well as the woman at the well in John 4. Here Jesus walks toward Galilee through Samaria. John explains how Jesus sits at Jacob’s well in Sychar while the disciples walked into town to gather food since it was lunchtime. A Samaritan woman walks up and Jesus asks her for water. Her response helps you understand her shock that Jesus spoke to her.

⁹ Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. (John 4:9)

The disciples’ response upon their return from town also demonstrates how shocked they were as well.

²⁷ And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” (John 4:27)

What was the big deal?

Jesus looked past several factors related to this woman that shocked both the disciples and the woman herself. Let me reveal a few of those for you.

First, Jesus talked to a Samaritan.

The Samaritans lived north of Jerusalem and south of Galilee. Years before, shortly after King Solomon’s reign, the Assyrians conquered them and took many of them captive. The Assyrians left the worst of the worst behind in the area and sent many people down from Assyria to populate the area as well. Jews and Assyrians married each other. Therefore, Jews considered all of them half-breeds because they were multiracial.

Second, Jesus talked to a Samaritan woman.

In this day, men chose not to talk to women in public like this—especially a woman by herself at a well. The Jews saw this as inappropriate (although it was not) on many levels. They viewed it as inappropriate because she was a woman initially, but also because they were at a well. Men often went to wells to pick up a woman (in the spirit of other Old Testament stories where a woman was chosen at a well). Jokingly, a friend suggested we create a dating app called “The Well” for Christian men and women since this was a known common practice.

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