Start Them Asking Questionsby Dale Harcombe | More from this Blogger 05 May 2009 03:50 PM
John is the only one who picks up this encounter with the Samaritan woman and sees the significance of it. When we look at it in context, we see it comes just after the encounter Jesus had with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was an upright man, a Pharisee, a religious person. How different is the person in this encounter? John tells us firstly Jesus 'had to pass through Samaria,' John 4:4. Jesus knew there was a reason to go there. Someone needed Him. Have you ever had a feeling you ought to pray for someone or visit or ring someone? We need to respond as Jesus did, in obedience to God's promptings. At that time of day you could expect the well to be deserted. Water was gathered from the well in the cool of the morning or the cool of evening, not the middle of the day. Jesus sat by the well and along came a woman. That she comes at this time of day tells us the woman is an outcast, shunned by society, Jesus shows no surprise at seeing the woman appear at that time. Ignoring custom and protocol Jesus spoke to her and asked her for a drink, verse 7.To say she is surprised, when he speaks to her, is an understatement. Jesus broke more than one convention by talking to her, that of a man talking to a woman and a Jew talking to a Samaritan, verse 9. Jesus piques her curiosity about Him, and what He can do for her, verse 10. That's a good approach for us to use in evangelism, because he certainly gets her attention and starts her asking questions. It's far easier to tell others about Jesus when they are the ones asking questions. So we need to get people to that point. Why not try this week dropping a few teasers that provide openings for people to ask questions about your faith? Join me next time for more thoughts about this passage. Bible verses from New American Standard Version Related blogs Learn more about Dale Harcombe  Dale has a passion for books and writing. She writes in various forms, from articles to poetry to fiction for children and adults. Relevantchristian tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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The encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman in John 4:4-42 is one of my favorite stories. Why? It clearly shows us that that the gospel message is for all people. It demonstrates the truth of John 3:16, that salvation is for 'whoever believes in Him,' not just for a certain few.
