Why are you willing to talk to me?

​Some of you know one of my favorite bible stories is about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.

As the story goes, in his travels, Jesus stops at a well asking a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. The woman is caught off guard, because Jews and Samaritans were two people groups who didn't do well together. Additionally, Jews had less than ideal appreciation for women at that time.

So when Jesus asked the woman for a drink, the woman responded:

“You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?”

In the context of these scriptures, you'll understand what she was really asking here is, why is it you are willing to talk to me?

In today's times, I think more than ever, even more than back in the days of Samaritans and Jews coming together at that well, we strongly identify with our own people groups. Whether those groups are separated by color or religion or political affiliation or professional network, we are a people who love clinging to OUR people.

It's where we find our comfort.

Yesterday, while I was running, I saw a motorist with a flat tire. Three bicyclists had stopped their ride to help. For an instant, the scene struck me as odd.

First, motorists and bicyclists don't always play well together. Additionally, the motorist was a young black woman; the bicyclists were all white men. It was a scene that made me briefly pause and wonder, why are all these differences working together?

Jesus got that all the time. People often quietly wondered and even at times asked out loud - sometimes it was his most loyal followers - why is he hanging out with those people?

Sometimes I think Jesus accepted those questions as a badge of honor. I think the more people wondered why he was talking to someone, the more fired up he got to talk to more of those someones.

I think in Jesus' mind, the more times people questioned why he was talking to people in a different group, the more opportunities that gave him to demonstrate that he didn't divide people into groups.

Jesus loved the chance to say, I have one group: people.

Jesus was about getting so radically involved in ALL lives - sometimes going out of his way to end up at a well in Samaria where he didn't need to be, to engage with people most thought he shouldn't be anywhere near - that he never once had to say the words all lives matter.

I think Jesus is challenging us with this story - who is it that needs to ask you - why are you so willing to talk to me?

The beautiful thing about that story - because the Samaritan woman was so intrigued by why Jesus would show the kind of interest in her no one else would - she listened to him. She put value in what he was saying. Because Jesus took time to know her when no one else would, she wanted to know all she could know about him.

Too often we surround ourselves with people who will allow us to believe we know all there is to know. With this story, Jesus is reminding us we have a lot to learn, and it probably starts with someone asking you - why are you willing to talk to me?