John 4 - What Causes People To Believe?

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.”

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As human beings we love to be with people we feel accepted by.  With these people it is easy to talk about what is really going on in our lives.  One of the reasons you feel comfortable talking with this kind of person is you know they won't judge you.  Importantly they listen to you empathetically and don't try to solve your problems but allow you to be transparent.  

Guess what?  Jesus was that kind of person.  We see it all throughout the gospels, but especially in this story where he meets the Samaritan woman at the well near Sychar.  Sychar was an ancient city called Shechem in the Old Testament which was the site of many important stories including about Abraham, Jacob and Joseph and God's provision for the Israelites.  So its history had religious significance.  By this time though it was made up of Samaritans who were despised by religious Jews because they intermarried with Gentiles.  This is why the Samaritan woman is so surprised Jesus would even strike up a conversation with her, especially in a public place. 

But as the conversation continued the woman is very curious about the man who would choose to engage her and even ask her for a drink of water because he was thirsty. This prompts a conversation where Jesus uses the image of water to show that water is not just for quenching physical thirst but also spiritual thirst. He calls this kind of water, "living water that bubbles up to eternal life". In ancient times they called "spring water" "living water", as it appeared to bubble up from the ground and be a continuing source of divine providence.  Since the woman is still thinking merely in physical terms she says give me some of this water so I won't have to come back here again. 

Here is where things get good.  Jesus tells her to go get her husband, and she responds she has no husband.  Jesus reveals to her that he knows she has had many husbands and the one she is living with is not her husband.  But you can tell that he does not do it in a judgmental way but a tender way which I am sure shocked her.   It is perhaps because of his insight that she changes the conversation to a argument between the Jews and Samaritan about where true worship takes place and on which mountain. When the disciples return she gets up and leaves and goes back to her hometown and testifies about the man who told her everything she ever did.  The connection between the living water and the man who knew everything she ever did led her to believe Jesus might be the Messiah.  And she told everybody about it. 

And then what happened, all the people were so amazed by her testimony that they went to go see Jesus too.  Perhaps they too needed to have a drink of this living water. But rather than just taking the woman at her word they not only went to check it out, but the key part of the verse is, "we have now have heard for ourselves and we know that this man is the Savior of the world!

As we meet people in our lives may we show the same kindness, mercy and unconditional love that Jesus showed the Samaritan woman. Maybe then people might want to see for themselves what this Jesus we believe in is like and to listen to his words.