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Jesus and the Woman With Five Husbands
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paid the penalty with his life. But Jesus, the originator of the temple,
brought to the Gentiles the salvation which the Jews rejected.
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The disciples wondered at the conduct of Jesus. During the two
days in Samaria, fidelity to Him kept their prejudices under control;
yet in heart they were unreconciled. They were slow to learn that
contempt and hatred must give place to pity and sympathy. But after
the Lord’s ascension, His lessons came back to them with new mean-
ing. They recalled the Saviour’s look, His words, the respect and
tenderness of His bearing toward these despised strangers. When
Peter went to preach in Samaria, he brought the same spirit into
his work. When John was called to Ephesus and Smyrna, he re-
membered the experience at Shechem, and the divine Teacher’s own
example.
Those who call themselves the Saviour’s followers may despise
and shun the outcast; but no circumstance of birth or nationality, no
condition of life, can turn away His love from any soul, however
sinful. The gospel invitation is to be given to all. At Jacob’s well
Jesus did not neglect the opportunity of speaking to one woman, a
stranger living in open sin.
Often He began His lessons with only a few gathered about Him,
but one by one the passers-by paused to listen, until a multitude
heard with wonder and awe the words of God through the heaven-
sent Teacher. There may be only one to hear the message from a
worker for Christ today, but who can tell how far-reaching will be
its influence?
The Samaritan woman proved herself a more effective mission-
ary than His own disciples. Through her a whole cityful were
brought to hear the Saviour. Every true disciple is born into the
kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water
becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace
of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, refreshing all and
making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of
life.
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