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Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn’t believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it.

^28-30 The woman took the hint and left. In her confusion she left her water pot. Back in the village she told the people, “Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do you think this could be the Messiah?” And they went out to see for themselves. (The Message)

‘The blessings we receive are to be shared. If we put a light under a bushel, it will go out (Matthew 5:15).’ Tom Hale

There is something here about the simplicity, and yet power, of Christian testimony. We don’t have to make it complicated (or long-winded!!) It appears that she used just a few words, and raised a pertinent question, and the impact was great. A year or so ago, I noted in my journal that what we see here is the essence of evangelism; and that the woman started to give her ‘testimony’ before she was one hundred per cent sure.

”Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.” One commentator referred to this as ‘a pardonable exaggeration.’ It must have felt to her like Jesus did know ”everything” she’d ever done.

‘First find Christ for yourself; then say, ”Come and see.” He who knows us with an unchallengeable knowledge cannot be other than the Christ.’ F.B.Meyer.

Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn’t believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it.

^28-30 The woman took the hint and left. (The Message)

I wonder how many people have entered our churches and, sadly, like the Samaritan woman, they have taken ”…the hint and left.” It is easy to communicate warm acceptance or cold disapproval with just a look. Of course people can get this wrong. It is possible to misread body language. But it is thought that up to 93% of communication is non-verbal, where this involves attitudes and emotions, so we need to walk carefully. People see more than we might like to think. We can give off the wrong ‘vibes’.

Thankfully, this woman met Jesus personally and, as we shall see, was not put off from following Him. But the church can get in the way of people coming to Christ. May God mercifully grant that this is not true of us.