得人灵魂的耶稣
约翰福音四章1至10节
1主知道法利赛人听见他收门徒施洗比约翰还多
2（其实不是耶稣亲自施洗，乃是他的门徒施洗。）
3他就离了犹太，又往加利利去。
4必须经过撒马利亚，
5于是到了撒马利亚的一座城，名叫叙加，靠近雅各给他儿子约瑟的那块地。
6在那里有雅各井。耶稣因走路困乏，就坐在井旁。那时约有午正。
7有一个撒马利亚的妇人来打水，耶稣对她说：“请你给我水喝。”
8那时门徒进城买食物去了。
9撒马利亚的妇人对他说：“你既是犹太人，怎么向我一个撒马利亚妇人要水喝呢？”原来犹太人和撒马利亚人没有来往。
10耶稣回答说：“你若知道神的恩赐和对你说‘给我水喝’的是谁，你必早求他，他也必早给了你活水。”
信息分享
基督经常向一大群人讲论真理；但祂也有很多次与人个别见面接触；约翰福音总共有17次记载祂与人个别谈道。今天经文所载的事件，对我们很有启发与鼓励作用。你是否很乐意向更多人见证基督？你是否愿意接触人，然后向他们传讲耶稣？我们透过这段经文，看看我们得人灵魂的主怎样工作，并学习祂满有恩慈的方法。
祂怎样接触陌生人或怎样打开话匣子呢？祂利用一个日常事件，请对方帮他一个小忙。其他人可能都不会跟这个女人说话，当她前来打水的路上是否遇见到城中买食物的门徒？他们不理会她，甚至故意绕道避开她吗？
也许，我们若能更多交谈，并更有恩慈地对待商店里的服务生，或是我们的邻居，就会有更多福音的机会。请留意基督如何聆听妇人说话，整个谈话过程，虽然基督对她说了很多话，但那妇人也说了不少。这正好点出我们的一个问题：我们往往喜欢说，甚至于让自己所说的，盖过他人的故事。如果我们学习做一个好的聆听者，效果会好得多。
知道她回答基督要求时的语气一定十分有趣，她有出言不逊吗？不错，祂一定很惊讶，但基督的回答却十分和善；结果便带来进一步的交谈，和她最后的改变。也许，我们作见证的第一课，就是学习利用日常事情作为接触点，学习聆听他人并按各人的本相接纳他们。
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.