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Reachout Trust 24 Ormond Road Richmond Surrey TW10 6TH England Phone & Fax: 0845 241 2158 E-mail A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, number 4162936. A registered charity number 1087085

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The hurdle for many people in witnessing is the idea that some people cannot be reached because they are hopelessly steeped in sin, or embroiled in deception, or otherwise irredeemably far away from God. Perhaps they should not be reached because they stand especially condemned before God. Read John 4:7-26.

All the World?

When Jesus said "go into all the world and preach the good news", lets be honest, perhaps he didn't know some of the people we would encounter. Let's face it, there are some we are simply reluctant to speak to for fear, sometimes, of mortal peril. Then there are those we would simply rather not be associated with because of their reputation. Given a choice, which of us would eagerly witness to the woman of Samaria, or to Saul the persecutor in Acts 9? Jesus witnessed to both in a surprising way and with amazing results. When we consider these two conversations we see lessons for us from the way God works.

The first is that God is no respecter of persons and doesn't judge things as we do. Who would have gone to that much trouble to speak to a woman of such low reputation that her neighbours wouldn't be seen at the well with her? We have all seen how society treats the "outcast" and perhaps too often we have reacted in the same way. Who would dare approach a man who would hold other's coats while they stoned you for being Christian? Jesus would and, therefore, so should we.

The second lesson is that people come to faith in different ways. Conversion, of course, is always supernatural, a work of the Spirit. However, some come to it by words and reason, some by visions. Some come suddenly, some gradually, some reluctantly, some eagerly. Our witness must meet the needs of the individual and there is no formula for "getting them in".

The third lesson is that we should expect the unexpected. Who would have expected this woman to intelligently discuss issues of faith as she did? She knew the history of her people (v.12). She understood about the conflicting claims of Jews and Samaritans (v.20). She knew about, and seemed to live in expectancy of, the coming Messiah (v.25). Finally, although she perhaps didn't understand it all, she recognised the importance of this encounter for everyone (vv. 28-29). How surprising!

Now you would have expected to have this conversation with Paul perhaps, and surely the vision should have come to the Samaritan woman to shake her out of her sinfulness. But it was Saul of Tarsus who had to be knocked off his self-righteous pedestal by a vision and the woman of Samaria who was ready to listen to a reasoned defence (although, of course, this conversation was just as miraculous in its way, v.18). But how unexpected! Lets not prejudge as we witness because we don't know who might, like the woman at the well, be better prepared than we think to talk about the things of God. And who knows what God might be preparing to do with the Sauls in our lives.

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