Tell the Truth

Scripture Reading

John 4:39–42 (NET)

Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking him to stay with them. He stayed there two days, & because of his word many more believed. They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, & we know that this one really is the Savior of the world.”

Introduction

Tell the Truth - A phrase all of us have heard from our parents, grandparents, friends, or authority figures at one time or another. Or it’s derivative - Are you telling the Truth? … Those testifying in court promise to “tell the truth, the whole truth & nothing but the truth”.

What is truth? … Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines truth as “Conformity to fact/reality, purity from falsehood”, today’s Merriam- Webster online dictionary says “The body of real things, judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or is accepted as true”. Jesus, in John 14:6 says that he “is the truth” - and the word he uses encompasses all kinds of truth that exist.

Our postmodern world says there is no such thing as absolute truth, only “your” truth, therefore truth can simply be an idea that is accepted as true ... even if it isn’t actually true. The chaos swirling around us results from this idea. Like today’s world the Samaritans and the Jews felt “their truth” was the real “truth”.

In today’s text we see the results of one woman choosing to tell the truth ...

An Encounter with Jesus

Many of us are familiar with the story of the woman at the well in this chapter. However, we to often leave her at the well or in the act of returning to town instead of the fullness of her part in the story. Verse 39 tells us - because of her testimony many believed.

Often, we are taught that this woman was a woman of ill-repute which, by the way, the text doesn’t say and Jesus never condemns her for. In a recent sermon Truett Professor and doctoral student David Tate expounds on this - “The idea of this woman as a hussy began with John Calvin in the Reformation era. Jesus simply states the facts. She was married 5 times which was unusual - was it a case of Levirite marriage with several deaths?- we don’t know. Only that Jesus doesn’t condemn her nor mention sin at all. It is highly unlikely if she was truly the kind of outcast we often think of the townspeople would have listened to her. ” That gives us a different perspective doesn’t it?

In verse 29 of the chapter she is recorded as asking the people , “Could he not be the Messiah?”. Her testimony isn’t chalked up to the rantings of a woman looking for acceptance but holds credence for the people in her town. She was a preacher. Because she was convicted to tell the truth, the people in her town went out to Jesus and asked him to stay with them. This was the custom normally shown to a visiting ruler or dignitary and because of her word they saw him and such. They wanted to know more about this man and to hear what he had to say.

Interestingly, verse 4 of our chapter, says “But he had to pass through Samaria”, yet we know it wasn’t geographically necessary, and most Jews went the long way around to avoid dealing with the Samaritans. First mentioned in the book of Ezra and dating back to the time of the schism between the Northern and Southern kingdoms, the truth was that Samaritans and Jews were embroiled in political, racial, and religious conflict. Most Jews considered the Samaritans “half breeds” and worse than Gentiles. … Jesus chose to go this way on purpose. He “ had” to go through Samaria to meet with this woman, and through her, the people of Sychar.

Our text tells us he stayed there two days - two days with those most Jews wouldn’t even speak to.... Jesus is more concerned with people than with tradition. Because of this many more believed. Or as the notes for the NET states - they believed much more. God in the flesh is expanding the kingdom...

One wonders what the disciples thought during this time. And further, are we are paying attention to where/with whom God is moving today? Who are the people we consider Samaritans?

We aren’t done with this woman yet - Look back at verse 42 “They said to the woman no longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves “

It’s easy to assume they are saying they only half believed her, or her testimony was insufficient, but that isn’t the case. Rather, they are confirming her testimony! … They are saying We believed you but now we believe - or trust - even more because we have had our own personal encounter with Christ. ... In his book “The Last Battle” CS Lewis uses the phrase “Further up and further in” to describe discovering the depths of faith. There are levels of faith as we grow on our journey and that is what these people are referring to. ...

Verse 42 continues: and we know that this one really is the Savior of the world.

The title they give Jesus here “Savior of the World” - seems obvious to us, of course Jesus is the Savior of the world!, but that is a surface level understanding. What are they really professing? This phrase which only occurs here shows us they are professing the truth that Jesus is not only their Savior, or only the Jewish Messiah, but is Savior over all the known world, including Caesar. That he is indeed, God. Compare this with John 1:11 “He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him.” the irony is clear. The Samaritans understood the truth.

Transformed

Sychar was transformed because one woman told the truth. She wasn’t responsible to delve into all the theological issues (though she does so more than she is given credit for) she was only responsible to tell the truth of what she knew. This woman was compelled to tell the truth even though it came in the form of a Jewish Rabbi, even though people might refuse to listen, or call her crazy. She had a life changing encounter with Jesus and had to tell others.

A quote by George Orwell says “In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act” … We live in a time of deceit. A time when its all to easy to divide people into political, racial, religious, or philosophical pigeonholes. Division abounds, truth is elusive. My truth doesn’t have to be the same as yours to still be true. There is no doubt our experiences have bearing on our lives and our witness to others ,as did this woman’s but our experience is not stronger than truth. The line between fact and fiction is blurred and getting blurrier.

Even so, we have a responsibility as ministers of the gospel - both in and out of the pulpit - to tell the the truth. The truth of our own testimony, of God’s word. To introduce people to the Truth (capital T) of Jesus.

2 Timothy 4:2 says “Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not...” Paradoxically, even as many deny absolute truth is real, they are hungry for the truth. Something to base their lives upon that doesn’t shift with who’s elected to office, wither with climate change, or dance with the whims of social media.

William Lynch says “Reality is healing for those without hope … Our best hope and our best help are in the truth”.

In the swirl of confusion, doubt, anger, and fear we get to be God’s messengers who tell the truth in our world today! At the grocery store, in line at the post office, in seminary classes, wherever we go. We have the hope that offers help, the truth that offers hope. We get to go to the people around us and ask with the woman - Is he not the Messiah? As those in ministry, will you and I take up this woman’s mantle of truth telling so that others can have a life changing, transformative, encounter with The Truth?

Conclusion and Challenge

Tell the Truth - even when it is hard, uncomfortable, or terrifying.

You never know who’s life, or community, might be transformed. … It might even be yours.