“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did."

One of the things that makes Christians Against Poverty a unique debt help service is that our debt coaches and visit team meet people in their own homes and own situations, and that they bring the love of Jesus into those homes and situations. Throughout His ministry, Jesus brought His message to those who are on the fringes, or beyond, of society and just one example of this is His meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well - not only a Samaritan who Jews did not associate with, but a woman and one who was an outsider in her own village who only felt able to come out in the heat of the day to gather essential water.

John 4: 27 - 33 (NIV)

27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

The disciples are surprised when they find Jesus talking with the woman and are concerned with the practical considerations of food and drink, but the woman leaves her precious water jar and runs back to the town where she is an outcast and tells everyone about Jesus. And they are so amazed they listen to her and come to see for themselves. The woman doesn't evangalise from a position of certainty, but amazement that inspires questions about who Jesus is, an amazement that she feels that she just has to share.

John 4: 34 - 38 (NIV)

34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labour.”

The fields are ripe, there are many who are ready to believe if they could just hear the Good News so sharing encounters with Jesus, even to those who we may not usually talk with is important. Even if we don't see the result the seed is sown and the Spirit can help the seed grow through their own encounter with Jesus. Many of the townspeople believed because of the testimony of the woman, but many more believed because they experienced Jesus for themselves.

John 4: 39 - 42 (NIV)

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.

42 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 Saviour of the world.”

Prayer

Please pray for those who attended the Money Coaching course, especially for those who feel they now have the confidence to talk with their partners about the money matters that were causing problems in their relationships. Pray for our CAP clients who are struggling in their relationships due to their debt, for the courage to be able to share their problems with their friends and family, or for those who are feeling isolated and alone that they would know the support of the One whose love is always with them.

Pray for our debt coaches who during March are training on new systems to help streamline the process in the background between the work on the ground and the work at head office, working together to help each client with their individual journey out of debt. Pray especially for Kim as she starts her debt coach training alongside this. Pray that the new systems would help ease the frustrations of the long wait for some clients between budget advice and solution, that head office staff would be better able to respond to questions and provide support alongside the local debt coaches.