She, Was Chosen

Scripture: John 4:41-42

Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Saviour of the world.

A Samaritan woman came to a well all alone to draw water. During this time in history, women went to draw water together, not by themselves. However, because of the Samaritan woman's lifestyle of promiscuity obviously caused a judgmental divide between her, the women, and the citizens of Samaria. Even though her lifestyle did not fit the status quo, she was chosen to witness to an entire city, about the Messiah ( the anointed one) who takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus did not care about her history, because He knew what her future held. She had no idea the transformation that would take place in her life, because of her communication with Jesus. First of all, it was Jewish custom for men not to talk to women much (not even their wives); especially, not to a woman who had a reputation that was jaded (IVP pg. 274, 1993). It could be viewed as flirting with the woman. Additionally, because Isaac and Jacob met both of their wives at wells, religious people wished to avoid this issue altogether (IVP, pg 272, 1993).

The Samaritan woman was shocked  that Jesus even spoke to her in the first place, because she recognized that he was a Jew.  Jesus did not even entertain the history of racial tension that had been established between Jews, and Samaritans. However, He did make a point to bring out the importance of worshipping in Spirit and in truth, regardless of the location; which was an issue among the two races.

Jesus bypassed the old traditions that judged people based on their gender or racial ethnicity, by speaking to the Samaritan woman. Therefore, when He spoke to her, He shattered old mindsets, and brought change to an entire city, when a woman inturn spoke; and was heard. Her sorted past no longer mattered. She was changed into another woman because of the grace of God.

She literally left her waterpot at the well. She was so excited about being accepted, that her past no longer held her in bondage; and she opened her mouth, and spoke to a people that had outwardly rejected her. She was moved to tell others about what she had experienced at the well; she was noticed not because of who she was, and what she had done, but because of who she had become. Her life was now a witness to the power of God.

Jesus gave her what she needed, and she had to do nothing in return. This was a different experience for her than any other experience that she had with acceptance from man. She was received and accepted, just the way she was; and there was no heavy burden placed on her to be what she was not.

Even though the people of the city did not want to acknowledge her words of witness, or acknowledge the voice that Jesus gave her, after hearing Him speak; she was content within herself. She was accepted by the Messiah, the Savior of the World; who chose her, to win a city for His glory!

Reflection:
The Samaritan woman's life was changed for the glory of God. She talked to people that she normally would not talk to. She shared with individuals that could care less about her; because she had been changed from being rejected, to being accepted. Her racial ethnicity, her gender, nor her past, no longer mattered. Her heart was tender to the hearts of others that may have a need for salvation. She was chosen to be the voice, that touched hearts, to win a city for the Glory of God. 

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for changing me so visibly that others will see the change in me, and want to know what must they do to be saved. Let my life be a witness to your power working on the inside of me. Let my outward public praise and worship of you, attract the nations; so that you will be glorified, magnified, and exhalted, for who you are, and what you have done in my life. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Strong's Concordance Definitions: John 4:41-42

Many: 4183
1) many, much, large

Believed: 4100
1) to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
a) of the thing believed
1) to credit, have confidence
b) in a moral or religious reference

1) used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul
2) to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith
3) mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith
2) to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity
a) to be intrusted with a thing

Because: 1223
1) through
a) of place
1) with
2) in
b) of time

1) throughout
2) during
c) of means

1) by
2) by the means of

2) through
a) the ground or reason by which something is or is not done

1) by reason of
2) on account of
3) because of for this reason
4) therefore
5) on this account

Of His word: 3056
1) of speech
a) a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea
b) what someone has said

1) a word
2) the sayings of God
3) decree, mandate or order
4) of the moral precepts given by God
5) Old Testament prophecy given by the prophets
6) what is declared, a thought, declaration, aphorism, a weighty saying, a dictum, a maxim
c) discourse

1) the act of speaking, speech
2) the faculty of speech, skill and practice in speaking
3) a kind or style of speaking
4) a continuous speaking discourse - instruction
d) doctrine, teaching
e) anything reported in speech; a narration, narrative
f) matter under discussion, thing spoken of, affair, a matter in dispute, case, suit at law
g) the thing spoken of or talked about; event, deed

2) its use as respect to the MIND alone
a) reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating
b) account, i.e. regard, consideration
c) account, i.e. reckoning, score
d) account, i.e. answer or explanation in reference to judgment
e) relation, i.e. with whom as judge we stand in relation

1) reason would
f) reason, cause, ground 
3) In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds.

And they were saying: 3004
1) to say, to speak
a) affirm over, maintain
b) to teach
c) to exhort, advise, to command, direct
d) to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say
e) to call by name, to call, name
f) to speak out, speak of, mention

It is no: 3765
1) no longer, no more, no further

Of what you said: 2981
1) speech, i.e a story
2) dialect, mode of speech, pronunciation
a) speech which discloses the speaker's native country

For we have heard: 191
1) to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf
2) to hear
b) to attend to, consider what is or has been said
c) to understand, perceive the sense of what is said

3) to hear something
a) to perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence
b) to get by hearing learn
c) a thing comes to one's ears, to find out, learn
d) to give ear to a teaching or a teacher
e) to comprehend, to understand

For ourselves: 846
1) himself, herself, themselves, itself
2) he, she, it

3) the same

Is indeed: 230
1) truly, of a truth, in reality, most certainly

Saviour - 4990
1) saviour, deliverer, preserver

Of the world - 2889
1) an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government
2) ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars, 'the heavenly hosts', as the ornament of the heavens. 1 Pet. 3:3
3) the world, the universe
4) the circle of the earth, the earth
5) the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family
6) the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ
7) world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly
a) the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ
8) any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort
a) the Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews (Rom. 11:12 etc)
b) of believers only, John 1:29; 3:16; 3:17; 6:33; 12:47 1 Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 5:19

References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Gospel of John 4 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2009. 18 Dec 2009.  http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=4&t=NASB

Higgins, S. (2009) She, Was Chosen. Devotions for Thought. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com, http://www.higginspublishing.com