Have you ever stopped to wonder why
Jesus was so patient with the Samaritan woman?
Here's my guess: Jesus understood that He wasn't dealing with an
evangelistic project; He was dealing with a real person who had real
needs. He knew that before she could
begin dealing correctly with her sin issues, she had to become a believer
first. Because He had His expectations
set correctly, Jesus was able to treat her with dignity and encouragement
instead of judgment and condemnation. As
the second person of the Trinity, Jesus had access to the entire universe of
information about this woman that you and I wouldn't have had. But despite His knowledge of the
problem-laden past, He didn't rub her face in it. Instead, He chose to fan a future flame in
her. "The days ahead don't have to
be the same for you," He probably said.
Evidently, it was just the glimmer of
hope she needed. The text says that once
the woman received grace, she ran back to the village to tell all of her
friends about this man who "knew everything" about her. In her haste, she left her water pot there at
the well -- significant because water was such a precious commodity in those
days. Here she was, a sin-scarred woman
who had been freshly converted. Now,
more than anything else -- even ensuring her water supply for the day -- she
desired to tell everyone how Jesus gave her a new future and a new hope. Despite countless details the Bible could
have given us about the mental, spiritual, and physical state she was in when
she first received grace, all we learn is that she dropped everything and ran
off to tell her friends her good news.
Christ's patience paid off, wouldn't you agree?
You and I have been redeemed and
restored for a similar purpose -- a purpose that is just as notable as spending
eternity with God in heaven. You and I
are expected and encouraged to share our salvation with others so that God's
ultimate agenda is served -- that all people would come to know Him as
Father.
-- Bill
Hybels in Just Walk Across the Room
#3993
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