Breaking down barriers for the sake of the gospel
by Jordan Moore
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Jesus answered [the Samaritan woman], ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water’ (John 4:10).
Read John 4:5–42
Water is something we all need to sustain life, and this woman of Samaria would have been acutely aware of that. In an era without plumbing, who knows how many trips she made each day to collect water for her household? How heavy it must have felt on her back, and how hot the journey back and forth. Many Australian farmers can likely relate to this desperate need for water, as we again face year after year of below-average rainfall.
But when she spoke to Jesus, what did she truly need? An encounter with the Messiah – the one who would speak truth to her and offer eternal life.
What is fascinating about this story is how it unfolds. The woman comes to the well to draw water. Jesus asks her for a drink. He tells her about living water, and she asks for it. Everyone is focused on water, yet in the end, none is drawn from the well. Instead, after speaking with Jesus, she leaves her jar behind and returns to the city to tell others what she has heard. The significance of who Jesus is overtakes every other need.
It was so important for Jesus to make himself known to the people of that city that he disregarded the cultural barriers between Jews and Samaritans, as well as between men and women, to meet her in faith.
What barriers exist between us and others? They may be cultural, socio-economic or political. In our increasingly polarised society, there are many people we choose not to engage with. Yet the ‘other’ is still someone created by God, someone who needs to hear the good news about Jesus. What barriers might God want to break down today?
Dear Jesus, you broke down the dividing wall of hostility between sinful humanity and the Father through your death on the cross. Break down the societal barriers between us, so that all people may have the opportunity to hear the good news. Amen.
Jordan Moore lives in the northern suburbs of Brisbane with her husband Thomas and two young children. She is a stay-at-home mum and part-time pastoral studies student at Australian Lutheran College. In her spare time, she enjoys solving variant sudokus and doing Irish dancing.
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