Magnolia Tribune column cites ‘Woman at the Well’ as model for outreach

A commentary published on Magnolia Tribune argues that the Gospel of John’s account of the “Woman at the Well” calls Christians to enter hostile places and pursue spiritual relationships, the column said.

The column summarizes John 4, noting that Jesus “had to go through Samaria” to a town called Sychar and stopped at a well, where a dialogue with a local woman led many in her village to believe Jesus was the “Savior of the world!” The commentary cites the Gospel of John for those details.

The writer also quoted a member of a discipleship group who said the time of day is significant. “Time of day is really important in this story,” the group member is quoted as saying, adding that Jesus met the woman at the sixth hour, or noon, when the sun is overhead and the water in the well is clearly visible.

The column notes that Samaritans and Jews were typically hostile to one another but says the woman’s perception of Jesus changed from “Jew” to “Sir” to “prophet” to “Messiah” and finally to “Savior of the world,” a progression the piece attributes to the Gospel of John. The writer argues that the transformation described in the scripture is relevant for contemporary outreach.

The commentary calls on Christians to go into what it describes as “enemy” places and the “messiness” of society so they can let Christ’s light shine through them. The column, published on Magnolia Tribune, cites the Gospel of John and the writer’s discipleship group in making its case.

Source: Original Article