In John 4, Jesus stops for water in the land of half breeds, Samaria. Jews viewed Samaritans as impure and mongrels. Jesus has a talk with this questionable woman. This woman’s soul was exposed by Jesus with some probing, insightful questions. He exposed her heart about the futile promises of prior relationships. True satisfaction is found only in He Who is living water. She was so transformed with the living water of knowing Jesus, she left her water jar behind to go tell people she had met the promised one.
With today’s media managers, Jesus would have been told with whom to be seen, where to appear, how to phrase an “acceptable” politically correct message so to get the most favorable exposure.
He cared not for the fleeting fame of men…He cared about the eternal soul of this woman.
Think about it. In the past, when people saw this woman in the streets or the marketplace she was looked at and talked about as “that one”. Perhaps she was the party animal of OldeTown Slidell or even the French Quarter. She was a “Girls Gone Wild Mideast Spring Break”, “Real Housewives of Sychar”. She had been marred 5 times and was living with someone without the benefit of marriage.
What an unlikely choice for someone to share the good news about Jesus.
But, are we really surprised?
Look throughout the Gospels at who Jesus hung out with. Look at the twelve He chose. Cursing fishermen, IRS agents, revolutionaries, people prone to violence, traitors. Gutless wonders after the garden arrest.
Imagine this woman going person to person and perhaps door to door to say I have found Him. Considering she lived among the half breed Samaritans, it was one outcast going to another to tell them she had found mercy and acceptance.
Isn’t that what evangelism should be today?
Why did they come to see this Jesus she talked about? He told her all she had ever done. She was changed. She probably had a glow and urgency about her. She was on fire with a love for Jesus.
Where are those people today? Not just those who say they are “on fire “for the Lord in the comfort of their church buildings, but actively, intentionally and urgently go into the community to tell others “I have found the one!”
People are fascinated by changed lives.
It gives them hope for the mess their lives are.
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