A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (John 4:7 esv)
Jesus broke a lot of taboos while He walked this earth. One huge cultural faux pas was when He spoke with the woman at the well. In this single act, Jesus actually broke three taboo rules that good Jewish men did not break: He traveled into Samaritan territory, He spoke to a woman in public, and He interacted with a woman who had a “reputation.” But the fact is, Jesus was always more concerned with reaching out to those in need than in dodging man-made social taboos.
Let me ask you a question. Are you willing to reach out to those who are different from you, culturally, socially, and morally? Students, are you willing to reach out to that person who’s often left out, maybe a classmate who’s on the fringe? Adults, are you willing to reach out to those folks at the office who are different, maybe the office rabble-rouser or the known homosexual, or—heaven forbid—the conservative Republican or liberal Democrat? Or is observing cultural taboos more important to you?
Are you willing to reach out? Jesus certainly was. He broke one social taboo after another so that He could reach out to people in need. If you call yourself a Christian, are you willing to be like Jesus?
