The Female Evangelist
Why did they believe the Samaritan woman?
Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" They left the city and were on their way to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world." - John 4:27-42
Jesus elevated this woman from a life of isolation and disgust to become the first woman missionary.
She was believed by the people of her town, even though she came to the well alone to avoid them.
Jesus knew all about her. That alone convinced her and those she spoke to that he was the Messiah.
It took strength and courage for her to go to the people in her town who despised her. We assume she was despised by them because she is alone and she has a past.
These are the troubled souls that find their way to Jesus, the ones who have no one else.
We may not experience Christ in person because we are not as troubled. We are the ones who are not sick, according to Jesus himself. He is the physician in that regard.
But when we need him, regardless of who we are or what we have done, he is there for us.
Our job, those of us who don't have an immediate need for him, is to be him for others.
Just as the woman went to her people to share what she knew, so should we.
The worst that could happen is people laugh at us and ignore us.
Our egos can handle that, right? Remember the playground?
More to come...