Monday: A Lesson in Acceptance
By modeling for them what it meant to see each individual from a new perspective, Jesus taught His disciples how to see people through heaven’s eyes. His view of people was radical. He saw them, not as they were but as they might become. In all of His interactions with people, He treated them with dignity and respect.
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Often He surprised His disciples by the way He treated people. This is especially true in His interaction with the Samaritan woman.
The Archaeological Study Bible makes this interesting observation about the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans: “The rift between the Samaritans and the Judeans dates from an early period. According to 2 Kings chapter 17 the Samaritans were descendants of Mesopotamian peoples who were forcibly settled in the lands of northern Israel by the king of Assyria in the wake of the exile of 722 B.C. They combined the worship of Yahweh with idolatrous practices”. — The Archaeological Study Bible (Zondervan Publishing, 2005), p. 1727. In addition to these idolatrous practices, they established a rival priesthood and a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. Considering such theological differences with the Samaritans, the disciples must have been perplexed when Jesus chose the Samaritan route to Galilee. They were surprised that Jesus did not allow Himself to be drawn in a religious debate. He appealed directly to the Samaritan woman’s longing for acceptance, love, and forgiveness.
Read John 4:3-34. How did Jesus approach the Samaritan woman? What was the woman’s response to Christ’s conversation with her? What was the disciples’ response to this experience, and how did Jesus broaden their vision?
The eternal lesson that Jesus longed to teach His disciples and each one of us is simply this: “Those who have the Spirit of Christ will see all men through the eyes of divine compassion”. — Ellen G. White, The Signs of the Times, June 20, 1892.
| Who are people whom, due to the influence of your own culture and society, you tend to view disdainfully or with lack of respect? Why must you change your attitude, and how can that change come? |
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We often think of ourselves as somewhat better than the great unchurched multitude and avoid having meaningful conversations with them. After all, haven't we been told to "come out of her, my people." In some respects, the secular society are the Samaritans of our theological world. We are better than they are. We speak a different language. We don't go to places they go to. We don't spend money on things they spend money on.
I once asked on Sabbath School Net (the old email version) how we approach unchurched folk, and someone replied that she asked them first of all if they believed the Bible and if they didn't she refused to have any further conversation with them because they had nothing in common. Apparently her great mission in life was to convince those who believed in the Bible that they had misinterpreted it and her mission was to correct that interpretation. Those who did not believe the Bible were beyond redemption.
Jesus interacted with "outsiders". While many of his conversations were naturally with Jews, his interaction with Samaritans, the Caananite woman, tax collectors, publicans and others are worth studying to remind us that Jesus meaningfully interacted with those the Jews considered "outside the fold".
In my own interaction with the unchurched folk of this world, I have often found myself as a listener. Typically they do not want to hear a lot of religious talk, but rather have a problem in their lives and want someone to listen to them. Is it possible that the Holy Spirit can work through our listening?
Hi Maurice,
I can understand your friends position. It's very hard to convince someone when there is not a common basis of belief. It is not they are beyond redemption how to give the gospel is confusing without the bible.
I am glad you have illustrated an answer how to reach the unchurched. Listen to the need of the people and God himself shall open the way for you to teach them about Christ. The emptying of their heart will allow for the flowing of the Holy Spirit into their heart.
Thank you for your postings.
Dear Newbegin, I understand your point and I used to think that way too, till I have been told (and accepted) that "our mission is not to convince people, my friend. If it were so, why would we need the Holy Spirit for? We can't convince anyone, even ourselves. The seed in the soil, only God can make it grow, watering it or not."
From that day my eyes were opened and saw that "we must preach with all our strengths, with all our biggest arguments, and make our best 'to convince' people, but only God can touch, convince and change people by His Holy Spirit."
Having the Bible in common is like "50%" of the work "done", and make it "easier" to preach. But if we look at the full picture it would be discouraging to see that more than 80% of people in the world (without including "christians" that don't believe in/use the Bible) don't have that common ground.
As human, we have almost everything in common (life, nature, experience, conscience,...); We can use them like a "starting common ground" to preach, and at the right time God will give the opportunity to use the Bible.
God bless You, my dear friend! 😀
The most difficult atheists to reach are those that are not having trouble in their lives. They are successful, happy, and content. They reject God and the Bible because they think it is a fairy tale. From what they can see, the fairy tale only brings judgment on the believer and as for God Himself, He is a self-serving brutal taskmaster. These are a challenge to reach. Maybe I’m in the right spot because I happen to enjoy the challenge. It takes a lot of patience and reasoned thought. In the end, it is God’s hand that will save, not mine.
Maurice, I have been thinking along the lines of being a better listener as well. In my work I have been studying leadership skills, and many of them also apply to witnessing. I believe listening is one of the most important skills in witnessing, because it's how we learn what others' concerns are. When we know what they want and need, we are better able to help them from this point of understanding. We can't build relationships as Jesus did without truly listening from the heart.
Sandwiched between Galilee and Judea is Samaria so that you would not easily avoid Samaria on your way to Galilee from Judea. The relationship between the Jews and Samaritans had strained and the two communities would not get along. Prejudice and religious bigotry had grown to their fullest. Jesus comes to breakdown this wall by passing through Samaria since he had seen therein a soul to save. When we see others with God's sympathy, every barrier is brought down, there's no more separation because we see them as potential citizens of God's kingdom. And sometimes, we may not subscribe to their cultural, traditional, political, religious and doctrinal idea, but we should always strive to love and want the best for them.
John 4:5-42 teaches me how Jesus interacted with someone who worshipped God differently to His community of faith.
He crossed the established social boundaries, He lowered Himself by asking a favor, then used the literal current topic of water to start a spiritual discussion. He created an atmosphere where she was comfortable to start a discussion by asking a question that was on her mind. She said why does your group tell my group what we believe is wrong?
He didn't give her a long discourse on who was right, He said I have some exciting news to share with you - the Father we both worship is seeking people no matter their previous affiliations to worship Him in spirit and truth. Jesus said "I am the promised one of both our groups".
She said to her group, come and see, this could be the Christ! Many in her group believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised anointed One, the Saviour of the World.
What have I learned? One way for an introvert. In everyday chats about the weather or the state of the world slip in a comment that shows you are thinking of spiritual things and leave it to them to ask (or not) a question on their mind and then be prepared to answer. 1Peter 3:15
The eternal lesson that Jesus longed to teach His disciples and each one of us is simply this: “Those who have the Spirit of Christ will see all men through the eyes of divine compassion”.
The way how Jesus treated the samaritan woman show us that any of us can do difference between people and people.He could listen to her and talk to her dispite of the hate there was between judeans and samaritans. Jesus wishes teaching us that it doesn't matter who is the person or what it has done , we have to see them with the heaven's eyes and tell and show them what He has done in our lives. We Usually judge people according our thought about them, but we have to ask to Jesus take off this pre-judgment of us and help us to see the people like Him.
Posted from Brazil.Sorry my grammar mistakes brethen!
Hi Simone - It is so wonderfully spiritually and emotionally refreshing to find God's Spirit moving in the same way all over the world! I live in Alaska, we have never met, but our thoughts and desires are the same; we are sisters in the Spirit of Jesus - is this not incredible!! 🙂
I agree with you, the most important difference in our spiritual life is that we can ask Jesus to "take off the pre-judgment of us and help us to see the people like Him".
I want to go a step further - Jesus' blessing is not only in what we ask for, but that He has changed us and given us the desire and capacity to request this in the first place!!
God bless you and yours!
What Jesus came to teach was the heavenly, sanctified perspective. We cannot see from this perspective unless like Christ, we become sanctified by the truth. A study of the beatitudes will demonstrate this. As Jesus taught, “except a man be born again, he cannot see...” as God sees.
Jesus approached the Samaritan woman at the well with meekness and lowliness of heart, meaning, not as one superior to her, but as needful of her help, thus disarming her suspicion and prejudice. This was startling to her as her response reveals. Then Jesus drew her into a meaningful conversation that led to her seeing what He is for sinners. Only when filled with the Holy Spirit(Acts 1:8) will any be capable of such insight and effectiveness as Jesus' witness.
Regarding the final question for Monday's lesson, for any who harbor such views of their fellow man, only by being “born of the water and of the Spirit” can this be remedied. The word of the Lord is: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit”. This is Jesus' message to all who would live as He lived among men. Those who abide in Jesus will bring forth "much fruit".
“Those who have the Spirit of Christ will see all men through the eyes of divine compassion” (EGH, The Signs of the Times, June 20, 1892.) That's a phrase for today! In a world of racism and prejudice, besides so many things that can block the free communication among people, we should be looking for a better understanding of equality among all human beings! We are symbiotic creatures! Can anything differentiate us when we die? Why do we struggle with that while living?
Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble Ps 41:1
“Blessed is He that Considereth the Poor”
That is the heading for the reading from 'The Signs of the Times', June 20, 1892.
This reading has few, few things to say about the spiritually poor. It speaks mainly of the physically poor. How those of us in our congregation who have can help those who do not have.
Many times people are so fixated on money that they thought to help the poor always has to do with money. But money also plays a part in the big plan.
Things will get worst but we who are called by Jesus will return to the place of the disciples in the days of the 1st apostles. Let us cont in good works.
No church should become so lifted up that its members shall feel above the poor, and the poor feel that they cannot enter freely into the house of God. A church that is too rich for the poor to feel at home in is too aristocratic for Jesus to make one in its assembly. {ST June 20, 1892, par.5
There are many rich congregations among us. I like traveling during vacations. I have seen some huge congregation buildings. I said buildings. If I should put all the people together they will occupy a quarter of the building. There are also many rich folks out there. What does Jesus think about us, are we playing our part?
No church should become so lifted up that its members shall feel above the poor, and the poor feel that they cannot enter freely into the house of God. A church that is too rich for the poor to feel at home in is too aristocratic for Jesus to make one in its assembly. {ST June 20, 1892, par.5
There is in society an increasing tendency to separate the rich from the poor, to set them apart in distinct, definite classes; but this is not at all after God’s order but after the policy of Satan. {ST June 20, 1892, par. 3}
God will work for us just in accordance with our faith. {ST February 8, 1892, Art. B, par. 1} Is our faith big/large/enormous/gigantic? Is our faith small/mini/tiny/little?
The woman at the well had both spiritual and physical needs. Physical needs have to be fulfilled before spiritual. To be love and belong. The Jews because of who they were thought themselves very high of themselves. The Jews were physically rich but spiritually poor. They did not know they needed a Savior. Are we the same.
The Samaritans were considered second class to them. Poor and outcast because of who they were. A class of people who brought to the table a different type of music, dress, and worship. My Jesus is no respecter of person. He loved those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Let us all encourage ourselves and others to do our part. Christ is coming soon.
"A Lesson in Acceptance"
It takes baptism of the Holy Spirit to manifest in ourselves. We are all born with that tendency to always regard ourselves better than others.
Phil.2.4 - Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. -- null
Phil.2.5 - Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. -- null
Phil.2.6 - Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God.
Phil.2.7 - He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form.
Phil.2.8 - And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.
Jesus was not controlled by the boundaries. This approach enabled Him reach the least expected in the society then.
We need to emulate the example of Jesus in reaching others around us.
How to have a purposeful conversation? This was a great example. It is useful in our present experience with others. How do we answer the questions? 'You folk keep Saturday, don't you? or Why are you still separate? Jesus had the skill of answering the question without becoming bogged down in a debate. She was not dismissed, her question was answered, but was told that the question would, in the future, become unimportant. How many of our questions are in that category? Let us share the Living Water, rather than try and answer all the questions.
There is nothing more refreshing to me than to meet a 'like-minded' person in Christ. The immediate familiarity always feels like a 'reunion' with a beloved family member. Sadly, with my own family I cannot share this familiarity, even though we are 'family'. The flesh does not provide the intimacy of familiarity as does the Spirit.
Matt.10:32-40 - 'A lesson in acceptance' cuts both ways. We, the Christians, are called to accept all in the spirit of brotherly love. The world will not be able to do the same with us, though.
I come, as probably many of you, from outside of the US. We that live here, came from all over the world to a country that offered liberty of thought and expression. The less bureaucracy, the better I feel. But what is needful in such a free country to remain free, is that each one of us needs to govern themselves first. If we do not accept to do this with our moral and physical expressions, the law of the land will impose its restrictions on us.
Jesus shows us the law of liberty in the spiritual realm. He knows that in God's eyes, we are all equal. The world is always striving to find the equilibrium so all can feel 'at home'. We know that this world's 'home' is not our 'home', but to the people of this world, this is the only home they know. We can help make them a 'better home', at the same time knowing that the more comfortable they become in this material world, the less they seek the comfort of the spiritual.
The Samaritan women and her people were no different from all the peoples of this world. There does not need to be made a distinction of race, culture, historical background or political affiliation. We, the spiritually guided, all face the same dilemma - will our help include both aspects of living - the material as well as the spiritual.
John 6:44 - I have come to a point of peace within my mind when I decided to pulled back from the notion "to be the general manager of the Universe'. Now, my interaction with all people is based on knowing that we are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of God according to the flesh, in the process of becoming brothers and sisters in His Spirit. Our Heavenly Father is going about the work to gather the members of His family together.
We are called to express the love that we were given toward those still out in the fields of the harvest wandering about without knowing the way to come to the Father.
I encourage all of us to be mindful to use these God given talents when going into His fields as His workers.