The Master Soul Winner
Studies in soul winning from John chapter 4
Our Approach
The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty."
So it is with soul winning. We must learn to be the salt of the earth so that by our lives we create a thirst in people to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Though the gospel message is the same for all, the approach with each person is different. In John 3, the Lord was direct with religious Nicodemus and told him he must be born again but with the immoral Samaritan woman in John 4 He spoke of what can really satisfy the human heart. We shall see how the Lord Jesus created a thirst in the Samaritan woman for the living water.
Three Steps
The Lord patiently dealt with her step by step for she was ignorant of spiritual truths. Slowly she realises who He is. At first she calls Him "a Jew" (v. 9), then "greater than Jacob" (v. 12), "a prophet" (v. 19), and finally "the Christ" (vv. 25, 29).
The Lord leads her to salvation in three steps by first speaking to her mind (v7), then to her conscience (v16) and finally to her heart (v26).
Firstly we shall see how the Lord first addressed her mind by saying something that made her curious and ask questions.
Her Curiosity
"Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (v9).
Like some higher caste people in India who would never drink from the same glass as a person from the untouchable caste, the Jews of the Lord’s day had the same attitude to the Samaritans. When the Lord asked this woman for a drink she was amazed that He would ask such a thing. By His gracious words and humility, the Lord first of all removed whatever prejudices there were in her heart against Him being a Jew. She was filled with curiosity and wanted to know more about Him.
Zacchaeus was also saved because he was curious to see who Jesus was. Unless we learnt to live and speak like the Lord Jesus, the unbeliever will not be curious to know what makes us different.
Once there was a road winding over a desert waste and through barren hills where for many miles the only water was a spring that flowed from a rock at the summit of one of the low mountains. At best it was only a pencil-like stream, but to those who traveled this road before the days of cars it was most welcome. To help people get the water someone had left a tin cup there. But as time went on, the cup became rusted and filthy. Many a person did not try to get a drink because of the repulsive condition of the cup.
How carefully ought we to live so that people are not put off the living water of the gospel because it is presented to them by one who is like that filthy cup.
Someone has said, "Be careful about how you act because you may be the only Bible some people will ever read."
Christ’s Presentation of the Gospel
"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water" (v10).
Shortly after World War II in the USA, the so-called gospel horse appeared on the scene, trained to answer theological questions. At youth rallies the horse was led on stage to be asked various questions, and would respond by stomping his hoof once for yes and twice for no. The climax occurred when the horse was asked, "How many persons are there in the Trinity?" and responded with three resounding stomps. Once, he took up so much time there was none left for the speaker! The preliminary overshadowed the main attraction.
The writer also remembers during his Sunday school days, a preacher who was a magician came to speak to us. When he performed his magic tricks, we were all amazed but to this day cannot remember a single word of his message!
The Lord presented the gospel message in such a direct and simple way. In a few words He spoke of salvation He was offering as a free gift simply for those who asked. When Jonah preached, revival came to Nineveh but his message consisted of only a few words.
The Lord started with what the sinner had and offered something far better. To the rich young ruler with treasure on earth, the Lord offered him greater treasure in heaven; to Nicodemus who was proud of his birth and religious upbringing the Lord offered the new birth; to this woman with her pot of water, the Lord offered her living water; to Peter with his fishing nets, the Lord spoke of making him a fisher of men.
We must show the sinner that whatever they have on earth, the Lord offers something far better.
The Woman’s Difficulties
"The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?" (v11)
Unbelievers and dull disciples often confused what was spiritual with the material. When the Lord spoke to Nicodemus about the new birth, he thought it meant physical birth (John 3:4). When the Lord spoke to the disciples about His spiritual food, they thought He was referring to literal food (John 4:31-34). When the Lord warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees and Saducees they thought He was indirectly rebuking them for forgetting to buy bread (Matthew 16:6,7). When the Lord spoke to this woman about living water, she thought He meant the water that was in the well.
Like this woman, unbelievers have their mind centered on earthly things and think only of being offered a better earthly blessing.
We often meet "rice bowl Christians". One day a Gujarati man approached me and pleaded that I find him a wife! He told me that he would become a Christian, be baptised, join the church, do anything if only I could find him a wife! When I asked further questions, I learned that his first wife had left him and he told me that he wanted another wife because he was bored! I said to him, "if you are bored I have just the thing for you" and I gave him a Bible correspondence course to study.
The Lord's Answer
"Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (v13,14)
The word used here for well is different to v. 12 and means a fountain of water. The Lord patiently leads her to see that He is speaking about satisfaction that is constantly within a person and is eternal.
He contrasted what this world had to offer and what He was offering. We too must explain to the unbeliever the wonderful blessings of being a Christian. We possess eternal life that is not just an eternal existence for all will exist after death but it is a better quality of life, an abundant life that never ends.
The evangelist D L Moody was once in England speaking on the rich young ruler. To show how foolish people are in choosing second best rather than the best the Lord Jesus offers, he called a boy from the congregation up to the pulpit. He then produced from his pockets a juicy orange and a crumpled piece of paper. He asked the boy to take a gift and the boy immediately took the orange and sat down with his father feeling very pleased until D L Moody unraveled the piece of paper - it was a five pound note, which in those days would have bought hundreds of oranges!
The unbeliever always makes the wrong choice because they live by sight and do not think.
The Woman’s Reply
"The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw" (v15)
She now wants this water but thinks that it will also meet the needs of her physical thirst. She is not far from the kingdom of God and will only fully understand when she is convicted of sin and the Lord proceeds to deal with this in the next verse.
– To be continued.
Witnessing like Him (Part 3)
In this final article we shall see how the Lord proceeded to deal with the conscience of the woman of Samaria and then spoke her heart so that she was saved.
1. The Lord Speaks to Her Conscience
"Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither" (v16).
The writer remembers joining other brethren to give out tracts in Hyde Park, London, where thousands had gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the D Day landings in Normandy, when in World War 2 the Allies managed to turn the tide of battle and finally defeat Nazi Germany.
We noticed another man giving out gospel tracts. Two girls dressed in mini skirts approached him and spoke to him. After a short time there was an argument and the two girls swore at the man and walked away. When they walked past me, I overheard one saying to the other, "How dare that man call us harlots!"
I would not be wrong in thinking that if he was sitting on the well of Sychar and the woman of Samaria had approached him, he would have probably thrown her down the well!
The Lord never spoke to the sinner in a condemnatory way and men wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth (Luke 4:22). The Lord always spoke in such a way that the sinner was condemned out of his own mouth. The Lord dealt with the rich young ruler in a similar way (Mark 10:17-27). We see this also in John 8:7-9 when each was convicted by his own conscience after the Lord said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
She could only receive the living water as a sinner. She had to come back as she really was– a guilty immoral sinner.
2. The Woman Changes the Subject
"Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship" (v20).
A preacher was once speaking to a man about his soul. "What do you believe about God?" "I believe what my church believes," said the man. "And what does your CHURCH believe?" asked the preacher "My church believes what I believe," the man replied. "And what do you AND your church believe?" asked the preacher again. "Why, we both believe the same thing!" answered the man.
This woman was also clever at changing the subject when she was convicted of sin. She brought up the subject of religion. How many times do we hear the same today? "Which religion is right – yours or mine?" "How can you say that Jesus is the only way to God?" "Why are there so many Christian denominations?" "How do you know the Bible is the word of God?"
If sinners faced up to the seriousness of their sins they would have no trouble realising why the Lord Jesus is the only way to God.
We learn from the Lord how to bring the sinner back to the subject of their sin and salvation.
3. The Lord’s Answer
The Lord did not avoid the woman’s question but used it to tell her more about God’s nature. The Lord made her think of herself and God. As she is brought face to face with a holy God the conviction of sin is deepened until she sees that her only hope was a Saviour not religion.
Though the Jewish religion was given of God and that of the Samaritan was false, the Lord did not try to show how one is far better than the other. If this had been done, the Samaritans would have pointed out how the Jews had made the Temple into a den of thieves and they would have pointed to the behaviour of Jews who hated Samaritans. Sometimes Christians try to do this but all it leads to is many more fingers pointing back at the hypocrisy and corruption seen in Christianity.
We must make it clear to the unbeliever that we are not preaching a religion but a relationship with God. The sinner must realise the vast difference there is between a religious person and a child of God. The child of God knows God as Father and has access to Him in any place, and at any time. When the Lord taught this woman these truths she was drawn to Him as Saviour.
The Lord spoke of three things in regard to worship –
The Place (v21)
Religious people venerate certain places of worship and believe that God dwells there. They must be made to realise the greatness of God. He fills heaven and earth. No temple made with hands can contain Him. The Lord Jesus by His work at Calvary has made it possible for believers to come to God at any place or time. This is what Paul preached in Acts 17:24.
The Person (v22).
Sinners say they worship God but do not know who He is or what He is really like. God is a distant unknowable being in the religion of man. The Lord faithfully rebuked her ignorance and made it clear to her that salvation and therefore the Saviour Himself was of the Jews.
We must show how God is very near and loves the sinner. He has given His Son to die at Calvary so that the sinner can have a relationship with Him as Father.
There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.
On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers!
The Proper way (v23-24)
A story is told from the life of Louis XIV of France: One Sunday when he and his royal party arrived at church, no one was there except Archbishop Fenelon, the court preacher. Surprised to see all the vacant seats, the King inquired, "Where is everybody?" Why isn't anyone else present this morning?" The minister answered "I announced that Your Majesty would not be here today, because I wanted you to see who came to the service just to flatter you and who came to worship God."
Sinners worship by means of ceremonies and rituals but pay little attention to their sinful heart. They must be made to realise that God is not only great but also infinitely holy.
Worship must be in spirit, in the inward man regenerated by the Spirit of God and is in contrast to Jerusalem with its outward rituals.
Worship must also be in truth, which is in contrast to Mount Gerizim with its superstition, ignorance and error.
Having declared that God is a loving Father who longs for the sinner to be His child, the Lord points out the greatness of God. God as a Spirit is not limited to time or space, hence worship now is not limited to a certain time or a definite place. True worship is a true appreciation of who God is and bowing in reverence and love before Him.
The woman having spoke of worship now realised that her worship was nothing but a sham when her life was corrupt and immoral. She now realises her great need of a Saviour.
4. The Woman’s Response
"The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things" (v25).
"I know that Messias cometh" was the same as saying, "I believe in the Messiah"
This Samaritan woman would never have known about a Messiah coming had it not being for the faithful prophets of old who preached the Word of God. Many like Jeremiah were persecuted, discouraged, depressed, misunderstood, thrown into filthy pits, the word of God they gave out was cut up and thrown into the fire. Let us realise that there can be no reaping without much painful sowing. Here the Lord reaps where others have sown (v.37).
5. The Lord Speaks to Her Heart v26
"Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he" (v26).
Literally, the Lord said "I AM that speaketh unto thee". The weary traveller was none other than God manifest in the flesh.
At this point, and in a moment of time, the woman was saved when the true identity of the Lord Jesus was revealed to her.
The woman proved the genuiness of her conversion by leading many others to Christ.
May the Lord use us in the salvation of precious souls who will bear much fruit to God’s glory.
Lessons for the disciples v27-42
27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
They should have wondered why Jesus even deigned to speak to sinners like them. How little they understood their own state before God.
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
The waterpot left behind was proof that she had found the well of living water. She immediately witnesses for Christ. She now has His nature in her and has a love for the lost.
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
This is the seventh utterance of the woman, evidencing the prefect work of Christ in her.
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
Literally it reads "They went out of the city, and were coming to him."
31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
In dispensing spiritual blessings to others, He is blessed Himself and refreshed.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
The disciples were slow to understand that He was not speaking of literal food.
The disciples have to be taught the principles of soul winning from the Saviour’s example.
Five lessons for the soul winner-
(1) Desire v34. This should be the burning desire of his heart. It should be like a hunger and a thirst. A faithful work is required by God.
(2) Urgency v35. The harvest is already ripe. Time is important.
(3) Encouragement v36. There is rejoicing in the salvation of sinners and an eternal reward.
(4) Fellowship v37. Without the sower there can be no reaping.
(5) Caution v38. The reapers must not be puffed up by their success.
(6) Aim v42, to bring sinners to Christ Himself.
The soul winners desire v34
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, The Lord is teaching the disciples lessons in service as can be seen from this statement. He did not say the "will of the Father"
and to finish his work.
The urgency of the soul winner v35
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest
.The Lord was referring to the Samaritans who were approaching the well in large numbers to speak to Him See literal reading of verse 30.
The disciples had been to the city but had not told anyone that the Messiah was outside their very gates! How they must of felt ashamed to learn of the witness of this woman.
The disciples had to learn the lesson not to judge by appearances, for Samaria was indeed a fruitful field. They must have thought much sowing would be required and much waiting before there were any results.
It is possible they were discussing the price they had to pay for the bread they bought in the city, and thought of how much cheaper it would have been four months later (W.E. Vine)
Illustration: Overripe
Someone had made the enlightening comment on John, chapter 4: "Not long ago I was riding with a man through the country. 'Elmer," I said, 'why are those fields so white?' 'Because the wheat is full grown,' he replied. 'Wheat!' I exclaimed. 'I always thought wheat was golden.' 'Yes, it is, except when it's overripe. Then it becomes very light in color.' 'Oh, now I know why the Lord told His disciples that the fields were white. The grain had to be gleaned immediately.'"
The encouragement for the soul winner v36
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
If verse 35 was a rebuke, verse 36 is an encouragement to the soul winner. There is an eternal reward for this work and great joy.
The meaning seems to be "The reward is an eternal one, for not only do those saved through the labours of the reaper receive eternal life, but because of this the joy of both will be eternal too."
The fellowship of the soul winner v37
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
The woman knew of the words of the prophets who long ago had announced the coming of the Messiah as well as the testimony of John the Baptist, and now this word had borne fruit in the hearts of the Samaritans.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15v58)
Caution for the soul winner v38
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
This was an encouragement to the sower and a reminder to the reapers that the sower had to do the hard work "laboured" while they just entered into their labours. The word "labour" means to "toil to the point of exhaustion". It is the same word used of the Saviour in this chapter "being wearied with His journey".
The reapers were not to be puffed up by success.
John the Baptist had, sown, the Lord had sown, the woman had sown, and now the disciples could reap.
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
The Lord in His sovereignty uses a converted harlot to bring about a revival. She brought Christ and only Christ to their attention. The fact that she mentions what she had done, revealed to them that she was a changed woman.
40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;
Not a single miracle has been recorded yet many believed. How different were the Samaritans to the Jews, who should have flocked to the Saviour.
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
A story is told about Sadhu Sundar Singh when he was arrested and sentenced to torture. The local prison was full of criminals, so Sundar was taken to a vile-smelling cow house. His clothes were taken from him, and dozens of jungle leeches were thrown on his naked body. Singh prayed and a great peace came upon him. He no longer felt the pain and began to sing hymns of praise. As a crowd gathered around him, he began to witness and speak of Christ. In the crowd was the man who had caused his arrest. He turned to the jailer and asked, "What do you think of this man who is so happy although he is suffering?" "He must be mad," replied the jailer. But he who had instigated the persecution said "If by becoming insane one could get such wonderful peace as this, then I also should like to become crazy. And not only myself, but I should like to see the whole world insane, for this kind of insanity would change the world into Paradise."
No matter what the world calls us, we should aim to be out and out soul winners like the Lord Jesus. May we be faithful so that one day it will be said of us, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3).
Individuals whom the Lord spoke to –
The religious ruler Nicodemus
The immoral dissatisfied Samaritan woman
The rich young ruler
Simon the self righteous Pharisee
Zacchaeus the crooked publican
Peter the backslider
Nathaniel the doubter
The man who coveted his brothers inheritance.
The ignorant blind man of John 9
The Pharisees
The philosophical Saducees and their clever questions
The worldly Pontius Pilate
The arrogant chief priests
1. The Secret Of Success
General Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, used to tell the story of a man leaving Australia who had been working in the gold fields, and had acquired a fortune. They were on the ship, when there was a great storm and the ship was sinking. The lifeboats were lost, and the people were without hope. This strong man thought he could fight through the waves to the island, and he was about to spring into the water, when a little girl, whose mother had been lost in the storm, asked of him, "Sir, can you save me?" He looked at his belt of gold, and then at the child, and then at the belt, and then at the child again. And then he threw the belt of gold away, took her on his back, and threw himself into the sea. He struggled through the waves and with life almost gone he reached the land. When consciousness returned to him, and the little girl put her arms around his neck, and her lips to his cheek, and said, "I am so glad you saved me," that was worth more than all the gold in Australia.
There is no joy like that of soul winning. Paul said to the Thessalonians, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" (1 Thessalonians 2v19).
But often the question is asked by believers, "How can I witness for Christ?" "I find it so hard to speak to people – I often end up in an argument" "How do we approach all the different kinds of people we meet – atheists, religious, worldly, immoral etc.…"
It is the Lord Jesus who said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4v19). Only by following the example of the Master Soul winner Himself can we learn to be fishers of men. If we are walking with Christ in fellowship with Him, with no unconfessed, unjudged sin in our lives, the Lord can teach us and use us for Hs glory and the salvation of many souls. We are going to from His example in John chapter 4 where He spoke to the Samaritan woman.
In John 4v1-6, we learn four things that characterised the Lord Jesus –
His Love
Dr. Alexander Duff was the first missionary sent to India by the Church of Scotland. He sailed for India in 1830 and was shipwrecked twice before he arrived. He left India in 1863 and spent the remainder of his life lecturing across his native Scotland in colleges and universities on behalf of world missions.
During one such lecture in a university, Duff fainted and was carried from the pulpit by loving arms. When he revived he asked, "Where am I? What am I doing?"
When told that he had been lecturing on India, Dr. Duff replied, "I must go back and continue."
But his friends insisted, "If you go back, you will die."
But Dr. Duff replied, "I will die if I don't go back."
Helped to a chair where he remained seated as he continued his plea for mission volunteers, Dr. Duff said to the students: "Will any of you young men or women give your lives to carry the gospel of Christ to India? If you won't, then I will go back that they may know that in England there is one man who cares for their souls."
There was One who cared for this Samaritan woman when no one else did. He had left heaven to seek her out and no distance was too great for Him to travel in order to save her.
How much do we care for the lost? How far will we go to speak to one person about the Saviour? Would people say of us that we cared for them or would they say that we only cared for ourselves?
Some are sound in doctrine but sound asleep
If we really love the Lord, we will love those in need around us and pray that God will increase our love so that like Paul we might be able to say, "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9v3). Or like Moses who cried "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin – and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written" (Exodus 32v32).
No matter how they were hated and people complained against them, their love did not waver. These great men had the same kind of love that our Lord had when He went to Calvary to be cursed for us and to be forsaken of God.
His Urgency.
"And he must needs"
Let us remember that this was not just a geographical necessity but a spiritual necessity. There is urgency in these words. God had commanded His perfect Servant to go, His own love compelled Him to go, and the need of the sinner moved Him to go.
Let us not forget that urgency of the gospel. The apostle Paul said, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9v16).
While D. L. Moody was attending a convention in Indianapolis on mass evangelism, he asked his song leader Ira Sankey to meet him at 6 o’clock one evening at a certain street corner. When Sankey arrived, Mr. Moody asked him to stand on a box and sing. Once a crowd had gathered, Moody spoke briefly and then invited the people to follow him to the nearby convention hall. Soon the auditorium was filled with spiritually hungry people, and the great evangelist preached the gospel to them.
Then the convention delegates began to arrive. Moody stopped preaching and said, "Now we must close, as the brethren of the convention wish to come and discuss the topic, ‘How to reach the masses.’" Moody graphically illustrated the difference between talking about doing something and going out and doing it.
3. His Sacrifice
"go through Samaria."
The Lord went where the Jews would never go. We see this principle in the lives of Aquila and Priscilla who when they had to leave Rome upon the edict of Caesar, went to Corinth, the most immoral city in the Roman Empire. They did not go where they would be comfortable and isolated from the world but went where the need was the greatest (Acts 18v2).
The Lord’s humanity is seen in His weariness yet at the same time His deity is seen in the secrets of the woman’s life being revealed. It must be noted that He was not weary of well doing but weary in well doing. He walked many miles in the hot midday sun to speak to one woman. The Lord’s whole life was one of sacrifice right up to His mighty sacrifice for sin at Calvary.
We will not see souls saved without hard work and weariness. Soul winning is described as the birth of a child. Paul said to Philemon "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds" (Philemon 1v10). Birth involves much travail for the woman and this is true of soul winning. We must be willing to go the extra mile in soul winning.
4. His Wisdom
"and it was about the sixth hour."
A member of W. E. Sangster's (1900-1960) church in Scarborough, England was a barber and felt it his duty to witness to his customers, but he wasn’t always careful. One day he lathered a man for a shave, picked up the razor, and asked, "Sir, are you prepared to meet your God?" The poor fellow was so afraid that he fled out of the shop with the lather still on his face!
Unlike us, the Lord knew when to speak and what to speak. We see the Lord’s wisdom in the time He spoke to this woman. "It was the sixth hour", i.e. the sixth hour after sunrise, so it was midday. The Lord spoke to this woman in the broad daylight but to Nicodemus in the night. To have spoken to this woman in the night with her record of immorality would have brought reproach and suspicion. The Lord was wise in all His ways and we must be too especially in these matters.
The writer remembers a young man who was very zealous. Through his witness others had come to Christ. He often visited a former girl friend from his college days to preach the gospel to her. Yet he was foolish in often seeing her alone and he fell into sin with her and spoilt his testimony.
We need to learn "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3v1) and that there is "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3v7).
We need to depend upon the Lord for wisdom before we speak and look to Him to provide opportunities to witness for Him at the right time and place.