"because of the woman's testimony..."

Reading John 4:39-42
"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. They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.'"

This woman's faith was not based on the presentation of some rational argument for the existence of God or some kind of scientific evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Jesus is God. Does this make her faith irrational, or blind faith, as some have labelled it? Not in the least. She believed for reasons that were compelling to her. The conversation that she had with Jesus was sufficient to convince her that he was the Messiah. The heart of her conviction comes from this simple testimony: "He told me everything I ever did." It was Jesus' intimate knowledge of her and his understanding of all that her poor choices in life had brought her to that convinced her that he was indeed "the Christ." In very short order Jesus penetrated through all the fog of her life, showed her her heart, and gave her hope. In our encounter with Jesus in the Gospels it is just such a revelation that awaits us. We find someone who knows our heart and are convinced that he has extended himself to us just as personaly as if we were standing by the well with him. Out of the encounter comes new hope and a simple testimony. Our testimony in turn awakens others whose curiosity is aroused enough to compel them to go to Jesus and question him for themselves. Once this happens our testimony has served its purpose as introduction to Jesus. Those who come to Jesus because of it can then say "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." Through Jesus' intervention in her life this woman went from being a community outcast to being a respected leader. All this just from accepting Jesus' commentary on her life and then saying to others "Come, see..." (v 29).