Digging Deeper: Tell Your Story
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him . . . 39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 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 indeed the Savior of the world.”
John 4:28-30, 39-42 (ESV)
TELL YOUR STORY
As the disciples return from their grocery shopping, the woman heads back to town, leaving her water jar behind (v. 28). I find this an interesting dichotomy. On one hand, she may have wished to lighten her load so she could quickly return to share the good news. On the other hand, if I were in her position—with what I assume was a not-so-stellar reputation around town—I wouldn’t be in a hurry to engage in conversation with the locals. Fortunately, I am not God, and Jesus had a precise plan already in motion.
The Samaritan woman and Mary Magdalene (Matt. 28:7-8) have two things in common: both heard the good news about Jesus and quickly shared it with others. And although they were believed initially (which was unusual in their culture), those who heard them still had to see and hear for themselves (v. 39, 42; Lk. 24:10-12). No matter who plants the seed, God is the source, and His will is always done.
How did this Samaritan woman of questionable morals become such an influential messenger of the good news? She simply told her story. She met a man at a well who told her, “all I ever did” (v. 29, 39). She knew the Messiah had been promised long ago, and her heart was open to the possibility that this man was who He claimed to be. All her past sins and failures—though still a factual record—no longer defined her. Jesus defined her!
Barclay’s Study Bible notes:
“This very desire to tell others of her discovery killed in this woman the feeling of shame. She was no doubt an outcast; she was no doubt a byword; the very fact that she was drawing water from this distant well shows how she avoided her neighbors and how they avoided her. But now she ran to tell them of her discovery. A person may have some trouble which he is embarrassed to mention and which he tries to keep secret, but once he is cured, he is often so filled with wonder and gratitude that he tells everyone about it.”
Do you wish to quench your burning thirst? Seek the One who provides eternal living water. Do you know someone who is thirsty? Tell them about the Man you met—the One who knew all your faults, yet loved you still. Only He can satisfy a thirsty world.
Diggin Deeper (er):
Psalm 34:4-5; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 3:15
Phil Meade is a father of three, and grandfather of five. He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NorthStar Church. He recently retired after 33 years as a pilot for Delta Airlines.