Speak Truth to Others
AM Psalm 30, 32 • PM Psalm 42, 43
Gen. 12:9-13:1 • Heb. 7:18-28 • John 4:27-42
Of all the readings for this morning, the passage from John gave me much more to reflect on and compare to our present lives. It’s not something Jesus Christ directly did, nor does it directly involve the actions of the disciples. Rather, it is the actions of the Samaritan woman speaking with Jesus as well as her community.
John 4:28-30 notes that the woman speaking to Jesus is amazed at the things he had told her. Everything that had ever happened in her life had been laid out right in front of her. Returning to her city, she shares this good news with her community. “He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” she asks not out of disbelief, but of wonder and amazement. Certainly, no person on Earth, especially at that time, could even come close to detailing every action, every movement, every good deed like our Lord could and can do. Because of this interaction and the woman’s eagerness to share this moment with her community, many Samaritans believed in Jesus. Now, these Samaritans may have heard rumors or whispers of Jesus as he made his way across the region, gathering disciples and followers to spread the news. But their first introduction with Christ came from the testimony of one of their own.
When we hear of something so amazing, so powerful, our first instinct may be to disbelieve. “It’s too good to be true…there’s no possible way something like this exists…I’m not certain that could be real…” all things people may think when presented with something extraordinary and out of this world. And yet, these Samaritans believed in Jesus because of this woman’s testimony. If someone close to you or an individual trusted in your community testifies on behalf of an individual or event, we tend to feel more confident in believing. We understand that if others in our community profess the same message over and over, it’s something to highly consider.
Present day we constantly look to authority figures or members of our own community to figure out what’s true and right and what may lead us astray. It is for this reason, and because of the lessons God teaches us, that we must be truthful and honest so that our words may act as a lighthouse for others. We want the best for our community, for our families, for our nation. And that means taking time to listen to one another, listen to our community members, and welcome in that which will benefit us all and bring us closer to God.
Ultimately, in John 4:40-42, the Samaritans no longer believed because of the woman’s testimony, but because they themselves heard and saw the Savior. The woman’s word served as sort of a shepherd, directing the people along the path towards God. I imagine the woman had no intention of spreading this news in order to be popular or right, but to show the glory of God and the coming of his Son, our Savior. Speak truth to others not to be right or to diminish others, but to lead the community towards salvation.
Written by Danica Hawthorne
...who seeks to better understand the teachings of Christ and aid the community through Christian works and political activism.