I’m afraid that more people will be like the disciples in this text than the woman when it comes to outreach for lost souls. The disciples were busy. They follow Christ obediently. They thought they were being considerate for the needs of Jesus when they entered the town. On the other hand, the woman was sincere. She was well-meaning. She was convincing before she realized who Jesus really was. The ways the disciples and the woman separately entered the city depict extreme attitudes toward outreach. Consider the contrast between the disciples’ way versus the woman’s way when they entered to find versus to share with others about Jesus.
As each of them went, the disciples and the woman both had an encounter with Christ. The disciples were engulfed in the material things while the woman was involved in the spiritual matters that she wanted to eagerly share with those who lived in the community. They all had one thing in common – that was to get. We can say this is true of ourselves if we have a heart burdened for souls versus the busy work of the church. Only people who are praying become truly successful people. Only those who step out of their normal path will be those used by Christ. Notice, the disciples were task oriented while the woman was oriented toward people.(Verse 8) And the disciples went to get something, the woman went to get others to know what she found in Jesus.(Verse 28)
As they stayed at the point of their destination there was a distinction among them. Unfortunately for the disciples, they had been with Jesus a while, they made presumptions about him, they acted on their own conclusions. On the contrary, the woman went to the well to fetch water not knowing that she would receive spiritual water which was more important and that which she could not wait to share with others. When the disciples went into the town, there is no record of them providing a witness to the local citizens. When the woman went into the town, she could not wait to share what she discovered in her newly found relationship with Jesus.(Verse 29; Jeremiah 20:9) The woman did not have to be encouraged to witness. It was a natural part of her spiritual birth.
As everyone returned to Jesus there was a definite difference. The disciples thought they were returning to Jesus with their goal accomplished but yet confused as to why he was talking to a Samaritan woman which normally would not occur. When the woman returned to Jesus after witnessing to her community, she brought many people with her to Jesus. This is a stark contrast between how people value their born-again experience. Again, referring to the words of Jesus in verses 35 through 38, there is a contrast. Jesus spoke about instructing his followers to reap a harvest however, the woman was in the process already of reaping because she valued so much her encounter with Christ that she wanted to share it with as many people as possible. When the disciples returned to Jesus, they brought things. When the woman returned to Jesus, she brought people. It is so easy for even the seasoned believer to engulf himself in activities that seem spiritually related but are not. The woman had only one mission. She valued her experience with Jesus so much that she could do nothing else but share it.
How interesting it is that both the disciples and the woman were successful in what they did. The disciples brought food. Jesus’ reply was that he was more hungry for things that they had no concept within their thinking. The woman’s success was quite significant because some of those in the community said they came out at her bidding, but they were convinced because they had a personal encounter with Christ themselves. The answer is obvious as to which is the better. Would not the woman have been very selfish if she benefited only from her experience with Christ and not share it? Would the disciples had not been better students of Christ if they had witnessed to those in the city as they made purchases of food? Let us be careful that we do not distract ourselves in the busyness of what it is called Christianity when the real harvest is that of souls.
Christian Writer 