A five-part series on Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:7-45 and what it teaches us about gospel harvesting.
Part 2: Seeing People as God Sees Them
When you look at the field of people in the world, what do you see? Do you see people in categories by religious or political affiliation? Do you label people based on their heritage, upbringing or address? Now think about how God sees people.
John 4:9 shows us the world the woman lives in when she asks Jesus, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” In her world Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. They were not equal. Yet God makes no distinction between Jews and Samaritans. He sees all people as created in his image. This is what Jesus expresses in verse 10: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
In God’s Kingdom it doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from, you are equal to everyone else. God shows no partiality, no favoritism, no bias toward Jews or Samaritans. God offers living water to everyone. All you have to do is ask. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).”
It is essential that you see people the way God sees them — as made in His image. We must be willing and able to offer living water to anyone who asks us for it. The Samaritan woman only knows religion, not “the gift of God” or the Messiah. She only knows that it is taboo for her to associate with a Jew. Yet her unsatisfied thirst longs for living water.
© 2020 CGThelen
Next Friday, Part 3: Never Thirsting Again
140 Character Christian 
Judging people on their ethnicity or even appearances is a sad reflection on humanity, and we all do it at some time. As children of God we need to ask our Father to open our eyes to see folk as He does.
“Dear Father let me be the Light of Your Love to all people each day, Amen.”
May God give us the eyes to see people as he sees them. Thanks for the comment. Blessings.
Well said, Alan. I had planned to comment along these lines, but yours says it best! Blessings.