得人靈魂的耶穌
約翰福音四章1至10節
1主知道法利賽人聽見他收門徒施洗比約翰還多
2（其實不是耶穌親自施洗，乃是他的門徒施洗。）
3他就離了猶太，又往加利利去。
4必須經過撒馬利亞，
5於是到了撒馬利亞的一座城，名叫敘加，靠近雅各給他兒子約瑟的那塊地。
6在那裡有雅各井。耶穌因走路困乏，就坐在井旁。那時約有午正。
7有一個撒馬利亞的婦人來打水，耶穌對她說：“請你給我水喝。”
8那時門徒進城買食物去了。
9撒馬利亞的婦人對他說：“你既是猶太人，怎麼向我一個撒馬利亞婦人要水喝呢？”原來猶太人和撒馬利亞人沒有來往。
10耶穌回答說：“你若知道神的恩賜和對你說‘給我水喝’的是誰，你必早求他，他也必早給了你活水。”
信息分享
基督經常向一大群人講論真理；但祂也有很多次與人個別見面接觸；約翰福音總共有17次記載祂與人個別談道。今天經文所載的事件，對我們很有啟發與鼓勵作用。你是否很樂意向更多人見證基督？你是否願意接觸人，然後向他們傳講耶穌？我們透過這段經文，看看我們得人靈魂的主怎樣工作，並學習祂滿有恩慈的方法。
祂怎樣接觸陌生人或怎樣打開話匣子呢？祂利用一個日常事件，請對方幫他一個小忙。其他人可能都不會跟這個女人說話，當她前來打水的路上是否遇見到城中買食物的門徒？他們不理會她，甚至故意繞道避開她嗎？
也許，我們若能更多交談，並更有恩慈地對待商店裡的服務生，或是我們的鄰居，就會有更多福音的機會。請留意基督如何聆聽婦人說話，整個談話過程，雖然基督對她說了很多話，但那婦人也說了不少。這正好點出我們的一個問題：我們往往喜歡說，甚至於讓自己所說的，蓋過他人的故事。如果我們學習做一個好的聆聽者，效果會好得多。
知道她回答基督要求時的語氣一定十分有趣，她有出言不遜嗎？不錯，祂一定很驚訝，但基督的回答卻十分和善；結果便帶來進一步的交談，和她最後的改變。也許，我們作見證的第一課，就是學習利用日常事情作為接觸點，學習聆聽他人並按各人的本相接納他們。
JESUS THE SOUL WINNER
John 4: 1-10
1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John
2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),
3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.
4 But He needed to go through Samaria.
5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Message
Christ often spoke to large crowds but He also had many personal interviews or contacts. Seventeen times in the Gospel of John He was seen speaking alone to one person. This story is both helpful and encouraging. Do you often feel you would like to witness for Christ to more people? Do you feel you would really like to get alongside people and talk to them about Jesus? Watch the master soul-winner at work and learn from His gracious methods.
How did He make contact, or break the first barrier? He used an every day incident and made a very simple request. He asked for a favour. Others might never have spoken to her. Had she passed the disciples on the road as they were going into town and she was coming out? Did they ignore her or pass by on the other side?
Perhaps if we spoke more often and more graciously to those who serve us in a store or who are our neighbours, opportunities might open up more often. Notice how Christ listened to her. He certainly said quite a lot to her but she said just as much. Here is one of our problems. We like to talk or top the other person’s story when it would be far better if we learned to be good listeners.
It would be interesting to know the tone of voice she used when replying to Christ’s request. Did she throw the words at Him? No doubt she was surprised but Christ responded so graciously. His reply led to further conversation and, no doubt, to her conversion. Perhaps our first lessons in witnessing might be to use an every day incident as a point of contact and learn to listen and accept people as they are.