this was my devotional today...sharing the salient

[evanovitch]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> The woman Jesus met at the well was no saint. Several obviously painful life experiences led her to be an outcast in her hometown. She hauled water all alone in the heat of the day because no one would have anything to do with her. Or perhaps she simply wanted to avoid confrontations and humiliation. Because of her reputation, she possessed no influence or authority with her townspeople.

One day, she returned to the community so excited that she couldn’t contain her enthusiasm. She was so persuasive that the entire community went out to meet Jesus.

Did she have to exaggerate to get their attention?

Did she have to dress up in an outrageous costume?

Did she offer coupons or a discount on laundry to get the community to listen?

No.


All she did was tell her story of how Jesus knew her, cared about her, and told her everything she needed to hear. Jesus changed her life with his words. This woman became the instigator of revolutionary change in her entire community through her story. Once her town met Jesus, they were captivated and changed forever by his words.

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[rudemonk]

Re: this was my devotional today...sharing the salient

I like that story out of John.

KJV

John 4:7-42 (King James Version)

7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

39And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

41And many more believed because of his own word;

42And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

[DC]

Re: this was my devotional today...sharing the salient

I must say, I liek this passage too. It;s actually one of my favorite recorded 'Jesus' encounter because of the lessons taught in 'evangelism', and lessons taught in how to approach others in your every day encounters. Jesus' example sets the bar for evangelism in this story, in my opinion. Unfortunately, it was not clearly followed in times past by his followers:

He connected with the woman on a 'human' level. The conversation began on the 'ordinary; things that humanity face-thirst. The woman understood what it is to be thirsty. That was the connection. Jesus got to the extra-ordinary/supernatural later in the conversation, and only because the woman introduced the messiah into the conversation. He revealed himself then, according to the passage.
Regretably, in the past, the church has taken the opposite route when it comes to the 'approach'. Which is why most would say the 'church is not relevant', or they are so 'superspiritual' they cannot connect on my level', 'they are so out there' etc. All being said however, the rigt steps are being taken in this direction, but we still have long ways to go. lots to learn...

True evangelism starts with acts of humanity, ie, being ordinary/being yourself, and that is what god uses to reveal himself, when he is ready to do so. Sometimes I think we try too hard to get to the 'reveal' (extra ordinary)we forget how to be 'human (ordinary) IMHO

The lessons learnt on how to approach prejudicial concern is another matter in this story. The prejudicial attitudes of the Jewish people is clearly noted in that passage ( and other passages of scriptures), but there is a lesson taught from Jesus' actions that also exemplifies how we should approach these concerns, knowing that prejudices in all forms still exists in our society today, in and out of church


mi two cents...

<span style="font-style: italic">thanks for sharing evanovitch </span>