Tuesday, February 1
Reading: John 4:39-42
As I read this portion of John's gospel, I am reminded of the power of the spoken testimony to bring people to faith. We have, of course, seen this already. It was John the Baptist's testimony concerning Jesus that caused some of his own disciples to seek out Jesus. It was Andrew's testimony that helped lead Peter to faith, and Philip's testimony helped Nathaniel find the road of faith. Here in this passage the Samaritan woman believes because of all the things Jesus not only knew about her, but shared with her. Thus, it was both His intimate knowledge of and verbal testimony about her life that brought her to faith. Intially, many of the Samaritan's believed solely on the testimony of this one woman. Later, her testimony was combined with Jesus' own testimony to solidify their faith and bring even more to faith. So, the spoken testimony is of amazing power.
However, many people shrink back from publicly testifying of Jesus. Maybe they are afraid of what people will think of them. Maybe they fear losing their jobs or losing a friend. Maybe they are afraid that people will reject their story, or just disagree with it. But whatever the reason, if we allow ourselves to be silenced we allow the enemy to remove from society one of the best ways that faith is shared and spread...the verbal testimonies of people. So, let us have the courage and boldness to share our faith. Let's certainly do it without seeking to convince or convict people...let's make sure we are trusting the movement of the Holy Spirit more than our skills and methods...but let's share how the gospel has changed our lives. In doing so, we can become conduits through whom the Spirit might change the world.
I found it interesting (and a bit amazing) that the Samaritans from her town even listened to her. Back then, women weren't credible witnesses, so their stories/accounts were typically dismissed. Second, the woman was probably a social outcast because of her lifestyle. So the fact that they actually acknowledged her presence and listened to her is even more amazing.
ReplyDeleteThis just shows that it doesn't matter your station in life, your education level, or your ________ (fill in the blank with your own insecurity), God can - and does - use you if you're willing to share your testimony.
Very true. It's difficult to know for certain how "questioned" the average ladies words were in the days of Jesus. It is true that with the "legal court system" that they were not officially allowed to be witnesses. However, within the context of a local village or neighborhood, there is evidence that the voice of a righteous woman was actually respected and valued. Still, this woman does not appear to be a "righteous woman" from the hood...so to speak. So it is pretty amazing! Could it be that Jesus knew that without His own appearance and testimony that they would have doubts about her words? Could it be that Jesus therefore not only validates her testimony, but begins to restore her to community? I don't know, but it would be just like Jesus to do that. Very good insights Ellen...and good encouragement to us all to put more faith in the ability of the Spirit to use our truthful testimony than it is to be from a high position or status. Pretty cool!
ReplyDeleteI've just often wondered whether we've given this woman a bad rap. Our assumption is that she's had 5 husbands because she's a woman of license and that when Jesus says she is "with" a man that is not her husband that she must be living / sleeping with him.
ReplyDeleteThe fact of the matter is that women couldn't seek divorce back then, and men could divorce them for any reason. Plus, if she were an adulteress, she would have been put to death. The text doesn't even say "divorce" though so she might be a widow several times over like the woman in the Sadducee's question about the resurrection in Matthew 22.
Adam Clarke's commentary suggests that her being "with" a man that is not her husband may refer to being contractually obligated to him. In other words, she'd been married 5 times and is now betrothed to another. It's interesting that Jesus provides no reproof of her rather just reveals what he knows about her. Maybe it's because she hadn't done anything wrong?