Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. (John 4:39)
Expanded Passage: John 4:39
Years ago, a student in my Sunday school class asked for a meeting, where she said I was a poor teacher in whose class she could barely remain awake. She lobbed harsh criticisms at me. She had been a member of a new age cult for twenty years and seemed skeptical of basic scriptural teachings. I had tried to share the good news but didn’t believe it was getting through.
The Samaritans practiced a form of Judaism, using a modified Torah and worshiping God on Mt. Gerizim, not the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Their temple had been destroyed by the Jewish high priest. There were centuries of distrust between the sects. They would be skeptical of a Jewish rabbi sharing a theological conversation with a Samaritan woman. But Jesus did, she shared the good news as the first Christian evangelist, and many believed.
My student messaged me an apology a year later. I shared that I hoped she had continued to seek God. She had joined the church’s recovery ministry, had grown in her faith, and was stepping into a leadership role. Not everyone whom Jesus taught believed in him, and we also may not see whether our evangelism will be productive. May you experience the growth of that long-dormant seed sown and watered in faith that only God can germinate (1 Cor. 3:6).
Believe that God can use you to sow the good news.
Priscilla Hammond is an ordained pastor and associate professor in the Benson School of Business at Southern Wesleyan University (SC).
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
