Faith On Loan
(39)Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did”. (40)So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. (41)And because of his words many more became believers. John 4:39-41
Have you ever considered that your personal faith could be on loan to others until they have time and evidence to develop their own? It happened here.
Jesus went through Samaria, a place that Jews avoided at all cost. A Jew would walk completely around Samaria instead of walking through it to get to the other side. The Samaritans were “half-breeds” to the Jews. They were half Jew and half Gentile, and for that they were despised.
As Jesus conversed with the woman, He offered her “living water.” At first she thought He was offering her water that flowed to her home where she would never have to travel to the well several times a day to draw water. But she finally understood that He was offering her salvation.
When she finally realized that He was offering her salvation, she began to see the light that He was the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus told her to go tell her husband and she said she did not have one. When He told her of her complete marriage history, she was stunned. Suddenly, she left her water jars and ran to her people and said “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
As a result of her testimony, the town’s people believed for a short period of time until they could see for themselves. “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.'” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of His words many more became believers.”
Don’t be afraid to share your faith. You never know when someone might just borrow it until they can develop their own!