Who
Do You Exclude?
The
Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can
you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) – John 4:9
Would you
have asked her for a drink? Would you even have spoken to her? Or would you
have turned away because of her reputation? Would you have cast her aside
without even trying to know her?
The other
day a woman admitted that her Sunday School class is a clique. It excludes people.
It’s self-involved. No excuses. It’s just how it is.
Another
woman spoke of her young daughter who is being bullied. She is heartbroken and
yet unable to fully protect her beautiful child from the ugliness of others.
Does anyone
see a connection here? When we exclude people, badmouth them, cast them aside
as unworthy to be a part of our group, our children are watching and learning
how to behave. Sure, there are always exceptions but don’t fall too hard on
that old excuse. Look at your own behavior.
Then look at
Jesus. Have you ever noticed that Jesus didn’t hang out with the wealthy? The
religious elite hated Him. He spoke truth that made Him even more unpopular. He
wasn’t focused on acceptance. He was focused on saving the lost. He ministered
to the hungry and the desperate and those the rest of the world had cast aside.
God’s always
done that. He’s a God that looks at the heart and not the pocketbook. He’s the
God that Hagar declared saw her. He sees those who are cast aside, those who
aren’t included, those who are bullied and broken. So why do we think it’s okay
to exclude the very people Jesus came to save?
The
Samaritan woman was an outcast. She was of mixed race, had been married
numerous times and was living with yet another man. She’s the one most of us
would have gossiped about and excluded from our gatherings. Not Jesus. And
because of Him, her life changed and so did the lives of so many others who
believed her story and sought Jesus for themselves.
The next
time you get ready to exclude someone, invite them to join you instead. Don’t
just say you love Jesus. Actually be His hands and feet.
