Does it Matter What Society Thinks?

 

           Scripture link for today's blog  - John 4 

         Do you worry about what society thinks of you? Of your beliefs? Of your friends, family, and worldview? 

       If so, you're not alone. It can be very nerve wracking when all eyes are on you because of the choices you make. You know how being "politically correct" seems like a big deal in society now? Well it was also a big deal 2,000 years ago. For example, Jews didn't associate with the Samaritans. So if you were a regular Jew wanting to fit in, be politically correct, blend into society, etc... then walking right through Samaria in the middle of the day was probably not the best approach. 

  And yet it was exactly what Jesus - the Messiah, the Son of God, and a Jew -  did. 

   But he didn't just "walk through" Samaria. He also talked to an outcast of a woman, a woman who went to fetch water from the well in the middle of the day just to avoid people - and regarding her circumstances and life choices, it wouldn't have been hard for people to start gossiping. 

   However, Jesus didn't care. He approached her without fear because what He had to say would be of far more importance than the opinions of men. 

  Jesus asked the woman to get him a drink from the well. I imagine her looking at Him with wide eyes as she said, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" He went on to tell her that whoever drinks of this water will eventually become thirsty, but whoever drinks of the living water will never thirst again. She asked Him "Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob?" 

  Jesus didn't answer that question directly, but instead asked what may be deemed as a random request - "Go call your husband and come here." Why would He ask this? Because He knew of her life's  circumstances. She had had five husbands and the man that she was now with was not her husband. She answered Him with the truth of her situation, and He said that she was right in answering in a truthful way. She was amazed that He knew about her life and assumed that He was a prophet. She said that she knew that the Messiah was coming, and Jesus responded with, "I who speak to you am He." 

 What does this have to do with "caring what society thinks?" Let's discuss. 

(1) Jesus did not care what society thought. If Jesus wasn't afraid to speak truth in boldness, then we shouldn't be afraid either. His Spirit now lives in us as believers, and that power equips us with the strength we need. 

(2) His Word brings boldness. The woman at the well cared very deeply about what the world thought of her. (She probably wouldn't have fetched water at noon if she didn't.) However, after hearing the wonderful news from the Savior Himself, she left all fear aside. She ran into town, leaving her water jar at  the well. She told those she came in contact with about the man she had just met.  His truth changed everything for her, and that truth still changes everything for us today. 

(3) Because of the woman's testimony, many came to Christ. She approached the same society that she avoided day after day with the amazing news of the Messiah. What if she had kept it to herself? After all, she could have looked like a fool. There can pretty much be only one explanation for her new-found boldness - Jesus. After speaking to the Messiah, how could she possibly care about what mere men thought of her? That couldn't matter any less! 

  People are fleeting and change their minds, but Jesus is still reaching the world with the exact same truth that He shared with that woman. He is the living water. It doesn't matter if society doesn't like you, if you look like a fool, or if you don't fit in because you will never grow thirsty in Christ Jesus. If we lived for the approval of man, then we could never possibly be satisfied. We would always be thirsty, always dry, always empty. 

  Jesus didn't die for society. He died for the individual person - you, me, your best friend, and that person you just don't get along with. His grace extends to anyone who calls on His name, and with that amazing grace comes fullness of life. Living for Christ and not men means obeying His Word and seeking His approval, not man's.  

  After all, Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We don't have to worry about going thirsty. 

  "For am I seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galations 1:10