“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’” Jn. 4:28,29

We are all the Samaritan woman. Everyone of us. No exceptions. We all have our city. Everyone of us. No exceptions. And we all have the same calling. Everyone of us. No exceptions. Let me explain.

We are all sinners saved by the same grace that transformed this woman of Samaria so many years ago. Did she need more grace than most of us? I think not. No, I know not. Fact is; all of our lives are as pock-marked by sin as hers was. Our sins may be more respectable, more refined, more tolerated by the Christian community (judgmentalism, name dropping, self-promoting, coveting, etc.); but no less sin. In fact, maybe even more. I love the way Bishop Moule expressed it in his commentary on Romans, “The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are short of it [God’s glory] but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of the Alps; but you are as little able to touch the stars as they are.”  So, so true. Everyone of us has slept around just as much as that Samaritan woman ever thought of. The only difference being that we have uncovered ourselves to the gods of this world and made love to the created rather than the Creator (Is. 57:7,8). But we have no less sinned.

We all have our city. Everyone of us has a natural sphere of influence where we spend most of our time – job, neighborhood, school, etc. Did that sphere of influence come by accident? No, a thousand times no!  Your sphere of influence…my sphere of influence…have all been carefully crafted by the skilled hand of an infinitely wise and sovereign God. Our circle of influence is not coincidental, it is appointed.

We all have the same calling. It is not to escape our natural sphere of influence to go out and find other ministry. Jesus told the formerly demon-possessed man who wanted to travel with Him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” (Mk. 5:19) Certainly there will be ministry opportunities outside our natural sphere of influence. But these can never, should never, replace the premier mission field God has deployed each of us to – our own Sychar. And our calling is not to judge, not to rebuke, not even so much to change our Sychar. It is to invite. It is to point out. It is to draw attention away from ourselves and say to those around us in a respectful, though urgent way – “Come see a Man…Could this be the Christ?” It is to spend our days as graced beggars telling other beggars where they can find bread. Especially those on our own street corner.