Thoughts to ponder
Let me know your thoughts . . .
Yesterday, Pastor G talked about 'WHY I Trust.' He encouraged each of us to delve into that question this week. Several questions popped into my mind as I listened. Below is one of them.
He said that most of us trust because of past experience with someone. I agree with that. Some of us trust people until they prove unreliable. But, most people trust someone only after they have had interactions with them. You are who you say you are, and you have done what you said you would do - so, I trust you. O.K.
Later, he brought up the story of the woman at the well. She met Jesus and began to explore her reasons to trust Him. Then, she ran back to town to tell everyone else that she possibly met the Messiah. Now, here's my question for you: Why did those people trust her? She was a woman who obviously had a bad reputation. Past experience with her would have proven to them that she may not be the type of person to trust. Why did they trust her enough to go check out the claim?
Were they just curious? Were they that hopeful for the Messiah that they didn't want to miss a chance to see Him - just in case? What are your thoughts?
1 comment:
Paula, this is a great question. Why did they trust her? The Bible doesn't really give us an answer one way or the other. Your points about her reputation probably making people trust her less is valid. So I have three possible theories:
1) The Gospel writer simply tells us she said "Come meet a man who told me everything I ever did." If the town really knew some details of her reputation, and they were hot on the trail fo some additional gossip, talking to a prophet who knew the rest of her dirt might have been the draw to come talk to Jesus.
2) The claim that He was was prophet and her willingness to admit the words He spoke to her were true may have given her a supernatural drawing effect. Think of Moses' face, glowing with God's glory. Maybe her personality was giving off the glory of an encounter with Jesus that they couldn't resist. She was different, somehow. When a person with were rep changed, it made news.
3) Maybe they actually did not trust her at all and that was why they went to see for themselves. Sometimes, when we doubt or mistrust someone, the only way we can be sure of the facts is if we go examine them for ourselves. We've all said at one time or another, "I don't care what so and so says about that, I am going to go find out for myself." So perhaps it was mistrust rather than trust drove their actions.
Anyway, those are my three possible theories. I'm interested to hear what others think as well.
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