In writing about evangelism, authors often take their readers to John 4 (Jesus chats with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well). Here, they attempt to mine tips, hints, and clues to answer the centuries old question: How can one be a good witness for Christ? After all, what better model could we have than Christ himself? In His conversation with this woman, the authors show how Christ used riddles (as He often did), brought up her problem of sin (as He often did), told her that her religion was wrong (as He often did), invited her to trust Him (as He often did), and offered eternal life (as He often did). And in so doing, we learn that Christ was an effective, consistent, bold, and gentle evangelist for Himself.
Now, if you’re tempted to think that I’m not digging very deeply into the model summarized above, you should know that I’m simply giving those authors a nod before I look at something else in the passage. They’ve done the work, they’ve written the books, commentary, and blogs, so you can find that model expanded all over the place. What I’d like to do is look more carefully, not at how Jesus was the evangelist, but at how the woman he talked with was the evangelist. Why? Just look at the results of her work:
From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42
This woman, by sharing what she took from the conversation with Jesus, somehow convinced “many of the Samaritans” to believe in Jesus (believe at least enough for them to beg Him to stay, and to give Him a good listen). And what exactly did she take away from the conversation with Jesus? We don’t know all that she took away, but for some reason, John, the story teller, described her message as “He told me all the things that I have done.” She didn’t wow them with creation evangelism, or with cool effects and technology. She didn’t wait to share till she “knew enough.” She simply shared that some guy knew about her messed up life, her errant religion, and her very real thirst/expectation for a savior. And the results are in the passage above. Many believed in Him because of her.
What if you or I want to be serious about sharing our faith? What can we take away from this passage about a woman who, in a matter of an afternoon, became an on-fire evangelist for Jesus, and a successful one at that? How can we translate her experience into our experience? I’d like to suggest 2 principles for sharing our faith with watching world:
1. She shared to point people to Jesus. She wasn’t out to be liked or respected. She was a pointer. It was about Him, not her.2. She shared Him in the context of her sinfulness. Rather than hide her sin from others, she made it an intrinsic part of her message about the One who would save her from that sin.
It seems today many of us believe that if we’re nice enough, and friendly enough, then people will love us. Thus they’ll come to love our Jesus. But that’s not the model here.
It also seems today many of us believe that if we confess the sins of other Christians, we can gain agreement with those unhappy with the church. When they realize that we’re “on their side” they’ll come to our Jesus. But that’s not the model here.
The model here is that the Samaritan woman became humble enough to admit that she had a messy life, that she needed a savior, and that she found One who saw her nastiness just as it was, yet still loved her and offered to save her.
Father, we want to bring others to You. We know that You’re the only Savior who can truly save. Protect us from that nasty “holier than thou” mindset that comes from us judging others and from comparing ourselves with others. Help us compare ourselves with You, and help us see our broken-ness and our desperate need, even today, for a Savior like Your Son, Jesus. Help us show the same grace we’ve been given to those around us. Help us point to You and Your Son with the story of our lives. Help us show your saving power by letting them see how badly we need You, and how wonderfully You meet that need.
