Scandalous Grace
Sometimes the similarities between Biblical stories and modern life are haunting or at least a head scratching mystery. If you take a look at John 4:4-30, you may see my point.
Jesus goes out of His way to run into a lady by an ancient well. On the surface this doesn’t seem like much but there is so much more going here.
This “chance” meeting is curious to say the least. It would be better said, that this meeting is on the edge of scandalous. This is where context shines such a bright light and gives us wonderful insight on what Jesus was all about.
This unnamed lady is a Samaritan which is viewed as a racial mix-up. She is racially looked down upon. Then there is the fact of her questionable moral standing. In today’s America neither of these are huge red flags. But things were a lot different 2000 years ago.
Think about the most socially and culturally uncomfortable situation you could imagine. A situation you would do anything to avoid. Now you are getting close the the situation Jesus says He as to walk into.
In our current culture, there is so much similarity. Wear a mask. Don’t wear a mask. Get vaccinated. Don’t get vaccinated. Sexual identity. Gender identity. Racial divides. Economic gaps. And the list could go on. We live in a time of potential social and cultural uncomfortableness. You may find yourself immersed in it all the time or you may just stumble into it randomly.
Here is what I am getting at, Jesus walked right into a messy situation and had to talk with a “hot mess” of a person. He used that conversation to spark the first missionary movement in the New Testament. Jesus went a big step further by telling this lady who He really is!
So, if Jesus would do this for a lady by a well, wouldn’t He do the same today for you and me? (Luke 15) Jesus wants nothing more than to tell you that He is God. And He loves you beyond our imaginations!
No matter what mess you find yourself in today. Jesus is there. Allow Him to shower you with love. Be a victim of scandalous grace.