The Woman and the Rabbi
“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did'” (John 4:39, ESV).
There they sat, the rabbi and the woman. Her life had been wild and self-indulgent. She had been married five times. No doubt in her village she was the subject of lurid speculation. As the young people would say these days, the encounter was “awkward.” She had enjoyed all there was to enjoy from life – wine, men and song. No doubt she was at the well in the heat of the day for a reason – she was an outcast, the subject of hurtful gossip and innuendo.
Yes. She had been hurt. Had her life been one of sinful selfishness? Certainly. But she had been hurt by the “righteous,” the moral pace-setters in her community.
There was little chance that these people could draw her back to God. There was little chance that they wanted to do so.
So the last thing she wanted that day was to converse with a preacher! And she probably wanted to discuss her personal life with this man as badly she wanted to meet a crew from 60 Minutes!
When Jesus came to Sychar, he did not consult a manual on evangelism technique, nor did he follow some “Church Growth” model that was all the rage. Mission methods often suggest converting prominent members in society – chieftains or patriarchs, who will in turn affect those over whom they have influence. So Jesus made contact with the village’s most scandalous figure.
Why did he do this? Probably because she was the first person in that town he met! She was not a Church Growth technique; she was a person, created in the image of God, and whenever Jesus comes into contact with someone, that person is elevated!
Ancient Church Father Tatian observed: “Jesus came to the fountain as a hunter … he threw a grain before one pigeon that he might catch the whole flock.”
It might be nice to convert the CEO of General Motors or the president of our nation, but in the meantime we might consider doing what Jesus did: Why not befriend the young person in the pew beside you? Why not talk to a lonely neighbor about coming to church? Why not speak to a visitor to worship, standing over there by himself and looking a little, well, awkward.
You never know; a whole village might be converted.