Just Walk Across the Room – Talking a Genunine Interest (Part 5)
How does this story relate to us today … and the idea of just walking across the room to connect with people … and even share the love of Christ with them?
Put yourself in the story at the well …
If you were there at the well – hot and tired, how would you relate someone who is quite different than you? Would you break though the walls that may be up? Would you be willing to risk love and walk across the room to them? Walls keep relationships nice and tidy … nice and neat — but love takes the risk to break down the walls and enter into the story of someone’s life that may be messy – that’s OK — if it truly is love.
In this story … love, honesty and compassion all weave together to meet someone in their pain and help them out of the mud and mire of their lives — into a new life with Jesus.
Just walk across the room … people are there like this woman — all around us …
Simple Steps We Can All Take …
… to touch the lives of people in emotional and relational pain.
Walk-across-the-room people are people who live life taking a genuine interest in others.
Are you ready to do that?
~ Be willing to take a risk to love others who may be in emotional pain.
~ Be more aware of those right around you who may be suffering alone.
~ Take a genuine interest by listening to their story.
~ Connect the love of Christ to their story in ways that click for them.
It’s true: the single greatest gift Christ-followers can give to the people in their lives is an introduction to the God who created them, who loves them, and who has a purpose for each of their days.
By taking a genuine interest in the lives of others, Christ-followers find that the mission Jesus lived and died for can be fulfilled in their lives too: people who bear the name of Christ can be God’s loving hands and active feet in a world that desperately needs to know of God’s cure.
Maybe you’re hoping that someone will take the time and genuine interest to walk across the room to you. Maybe you feel like the woman at the well in this story … you’re hurting like here … you’re depending on things in your life to fill the void that you feel … Jesus says — Follow me and I will give you the life that you’re longing for … won’t you give your cares, your hurts, your pains and your life to him? He’s alive and well … right here – right now with us.
If that’s you … reflect on God’s love for you … open your heart to Jesus today – won’t you?
Just Walk Across the Room – Taking a Genuine Interest (Part 4)
As the encounter with the woman at the well continues in John 4, notice how she responds to Jesus … she changes the subject and starts an argument … she’s running, evading — she’s desperate … she’s hiding from the truth – she doesn’t want to face her pain inside … Why? She feels guilt and shame when she faces the truth. (4:19-20)
Jesus then shows compassion again … and lets her go off the subject — he’s focused on her … and let’s her share — he listens and even answers her argument … (4:21-24)
Then, he connects with her heart in a huge way — by talling … I am the Messiah … (4:25-26)
She immediately leaves Jesus and runs back to her village … Come and see the Messiah!
That’s the story of one of the most incredible compassionate encounters that Jesus had with someone that was very different than he was … yet, he was able to walk across the room to her and take a genuine interest in her as a person that God loved.
What about you? As you walk across the room to connect with someone different than you who needs Christ, are you truly interested in them as a person?
Just Walk Across the Room – Taking a Genunine Interest (Part 3)
As the story continues, in 4:9, — the woman responds back to Jesus something like this — “Mister, what in the world are you doing?
Jesus draws her in — he engages her in conversation and arouses her curiosity … “I will give you living water …” (4:10-12)
Jesus must have realized by now that this woman probably had a tough life … she was all alone at the well … she was single now … she probably lived in isolation — maybe no friends … no one who genuinely cared for her. But here’s Jesus – reaching out to her — giving her hope again … loving her … helping her experience joy and love again … with his offer of eternal life … (4:13-15)
Jesus then takes the conversation deeper … why did he do this? Why did Jesus bring her adultery and sexual sin right out in the open? Up to this point – the living water in her life has been men. If the source of her satisfaction in life is men – then no matter how much Jesus shows compassion toward her – he won’t be able to help her because she is bent on a false source of life – men. She finds her source of life in the many men that she’s had … But, have men satisfied her? NO … she keeps trying new men … and she won’t even marry this last one. (4:16-18)
SIDETHING: When we make something an idol in our life – sex, money, power – it never truly satisfies … the woman in this story had been drinking out of a dirty welll – a well that would never satisfy her soul … her story was one of insatiable desire and a desperate struggle to find love … But Jesus is really saying … “How can I give you living water if you keep drinking from wells that don’t satisfy?”
Jesus sees her … feels for her … and he loves her just the way she is – but her refuses to leave her the way she is … Jesus extends compassion – but she has to receive it.
Just Walk Across the Room – Taking a Genunine Interest (Part 2)
Jesus demonstrates how we can show genuine interest in people as we walk across the room to them in the story of his encounter with the woman at the well in John 4.
BACKGROUND (John 4:7-ff): A woman approaches from the town of Sychar, water jar on her head, implying that she was poor (since she didn’t have a servant to get water for her). Think about it for a minute – two singles – one a divorcee and the other never married. Now this was an very unusual encounter … For one thing, in the Ancient Near East — it was typical for a group of women to come together to a well like this to get water. So, why was this woman alone? Maybe the women of her village have shunned her.
Jesus is physically close to her but they’re separated by several walls: The Samaritans were a group of people who didn’t relate with Jewish people. So it was unusual that this woman would even talk to Jesus – especially since she recognized that he was a Jew. Then, for Jesus to talk to her was also unusual because ancient Jewish tradition tells that men just didn’t speak with women in public.
In a world that tells Jesus to distance himself from this woman – Jesus gives her dignity and respect – and is genuinely interested in her. Now, it doesn’t mean that he approves of her immorality or religion – he just loves her as a fellow human being.
His request of her to give him a drink – penetrates the massive barriers between them – religion and sexual roles.
Just Walk Across the Room – Taking a Genuine Interest in Others
Everyone we meet has a story … sometimes that story is a story of triumph and success … and sometimes that story is a story of hurt and pain and failed dreams — here’s the question for us — are we paying attention to the stories of people that we come across in our everyday lives … are we getting into their life shoes to feel what they’re going through – or are we too pre-occupied to even notice that this encounter may not be a coincidence at all or, do we show that we care by getting up out of comfort zone in life to walk across the room to hear the story of someone who may be hurting and in pain?
Are you noticing the people right around you who may be hurting and struggling – and who need Christ. Are you really seeing them like Pam’s mom saw this young man —
Just a few steps, a friendly hello and a listening ear may be all it takes to change someone’s life—and their eternity! And the good news is, it has more to do with taking a genuine interest in another person and listening to their story than it does with making sure that you say everything just right — especially when it comes to spiritual things.
We can all be walk across the room people – to love people, to share own lives and our own stories with them — and to share the story of Christ’s love for them.
