TUESDAY

SCRIPTURE: John 4:1-26

When pondering what it means to have faith, sometimes the best insights come from case studies where you can see it being expressed. When we consider how this shows up in the lives of people, one of the things we often discover is that faith often emerges in unexpected places. Last Sabbath, the lesson touched on faith being displayed, somewhat unexpectedly, in the response of Rahab to the spies sent by Joshua. In today’s passage, we see Jesus taking the time to cross the path of another woman whom none of the disciples would have considered to be a very likely candidate for an inspiring faith story. This was a woman the disciples would likely have intentionally avoided, but she is someone whom Jesus purposefully encounters. She had all kinds of questions about what to believe, and Jesus had all kinds of time to listen and talk with her. Jesus explored with her who she was, as he revealed to her who he was. And in the course of that conversation, things began to change for her. She began to change. This woman, who appeared to live on the margins, became a significant person who was at the center of bringing her whole town to Jesus. As you ponder her faith story in today’s Scripture reading, consider the following:

• What do you notice about what it meant for her to respond in faith to the invitation of Jesus?

• For this woman, was faith about silencing her questions or exploring them with Jesus? What can we learn from this?

• Based on what you see happening in this passage, how would you define what it means to have faith?

• What in this story do you find the most helpful? The most surprising? The most challenging?

• What do you think was the most persuasive thing for this woman as she talked with Jesus? What is the significance of this for us?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what is on your heart as you reflect on today’s passage.