It was noon in Samaria. Passing through on His way to Galilee, Jesus was tired and alone while His disciples got lunch in the nearby village. Suddenly and unexpectedly in the heat of the day, a woman carrying a water jar approached the well where He sat.
A lot of things could have happened at this point in John 4. Jesus could have said nothing – in fact, that was the expectation. After all, the woman was coming to draw water, not to see Him. A Jew speaking to a Samaritan was unfathomable, much less an unmarried man speaking to a lone woman. Centuries of ethnic strife and social customs of the time made quietly resting His most rational option.
Yet Jesus spoke. He spoke, and through His words helped produce a tremendous change in this woman’s life and in her village. How did He do it?
Jesus made the first move. Respectfully asking for a drink, Jesus startled the woman by even speaking to her (4:7-9). Even more so, He spoke words of comfort and hope to her. Jesus said if she had known who He was, she would have asked, and He would have given her living water (4:10). Then He got her involved. Already knowing her personal life was a mess, He told her, “Go, call your husband, and come here” – gently leading her to reach her own conclusions about the state of her life rather than harshly condemning her (4:16-18). Through it all, He was focused on her well-being. He wasn’t concerned with what His disciples or anyone else thought of Him speaking to her (4:27). His only concern was inviting her to quench her thirst with God.
Jesus saw the potential: “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35). With an encouraging heart and gracious words, He turned the smallest moment into one with eternal impact. We can, too. He shows us how: make the first move, speak words of comfort and hope, involve them, and focus on their well-being. As we follow Him, we will start to see the potential, too.
Ready to examine how you interact with others to become more encouraging? Listen to our sermon series “Selfie: What Our Words Say About Us.”