Yesterday was St George’s Day. St George (the patron saint of England, among other countries) is probably most famous for the legend that he killed a fierce dragon which was causing panic in the city of Silene in Libya. To keep the creature from ravaging the city, the inhabitants gave it two sheep each day, but when the sheep were no longer enough, they were forced to sacrifice people chosen by the townsfolk themselves. Eventually the king’s daughter was selected, and no one was willing to take her place. George saved her by slaying the dragon with a lance. The king was so grateful that he offered George treasures as a reward for saving his daughter’s life, but George refused and urged him to give them to the poor instead. The townspeople were so astonished by what they witnessed that they all became Christians and were baptised.
This story reminds us that one individual can make a huge difference to many people. In John 4, we read how the words of Jesus transformed the life of an unnamed Samaritan woman, and how her witness to her neighbours transformed a whole town. This is the power Jesus has, how He transforms us through His knowledge of us and how, if we respond to His words, we can know living water that wells up, leading to eternal life.
Nicodemus sought Jesus out by night; this woman does not seek Jesus out, but He seeks her out, reminding us that He came to seek and save the lost. He engages in conversation (a shocking thing to do since He was a male Jew and she was a female Samarian), reminding us that the gospel transcends nationality, gender, and religious barriers. Jesus spoke of His food being to do the Father’s will; there is an urgency in His words which reminds us that sharing our stories with others as to God’s goodness and power is a huge part of our everyday witness. God is looking to bring many people into His kingdom, and this one woman became key to the salvation of people in Sychar. May we be so transformed bythe words of Jesus that we become key witnesses in the salvation of our local areas.
