Vs. 39-42
The woman testified, and the people
believed. So when they arrived to meet Jesus, they urged Him to stay with them.
I can only imagine, but perhaps they were saying in their hearts: “We want to
experience You the way this woman did. Stay with us, so that You may teach us
and touch us.” So Jesus stayed there for two days. Remember that He was
originally on His way to Galilee, but He seized the moment of this “interruption”
to minister to a despised people. I believe that many opportunities for
ministry occur as “interruptions” to our plans and daily life. As a result of
His staying and teaching, many more believed.
Look at the transformation of a single
woman that spilled over to the salvation of a city. In his book Jesus Among Other Gods, apologist Ravi
Zacharias made this comment on the story of the Samaritan woman:
“The
transaction was fascinating.
She had come with a bucket. He sent her back with a spring of living water.
She had come as a reject. He sent her back being accepted by God Himself.
She came wounded. He sent her back whole.
She came laden with questions. He sent her back as a source for answer.
She came living a life of quiet desperation. She ran back overflowing with
hope.”
I would like to add: She encountered the
Christ spiritually barren, and she returned to Him with a multitude of
converts. She said to the people, in essence, “See for yourself.” And they saw.
And they heard. And they believed all the more.
“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.”
Blessings,
Nathanael Chong