It is pretty amazing that the first community revival happened in Sychar. For the people in Israel, it was a bit of a slam. But John, in his account, reminds us that the message of living water poured out at Jacob’s well spread through the community. It was not started by Jesus, Peter, James, or John…It was started by the woman that Jesus “just happened to meet.”
I imagine the disciples were amazed that the Samaritans were so open to the Gospel. They were mixed breeds, after all. Then to be led by the broken woman, shunned by the very community she told is…beyond amazing. Still, the entire community was changed by that one hot day in the middle of Samaria.
We must never be the ones judging whom God chooses to use to spread the Gospel. History reminds us that it is rarely who we would have picked. We must always be ready to give an account to anyone that will listen.
The story is often reshared of the tent revivalist that was at the end of his career and preached his heart out one evening only to have one person give their life to Christ. At the end, the preacher left disheartened and defeated.
What he did not realize was that one young man, Billy Graham, would later follow in his path and carry that same Gospel literally around the globe and to countless presidents, kings and world leaders.
If we will remain faithful to share the Gospel, the harvest will follow.
God Bless You
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Walking With God 