So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” – John 4:5-7 NIV

Sometimes when we think about sharing the Good News of Jesus, the first thing that comes to our mind is having a message or specific words that we, the carriers of Good News, are to say to another person. That is often true – as people who have encountered Jesus and are following in His ways we do have good words to share with others. What can unintentionally happen, however, is that with these good words to share, we can approach faith conversations with others with an air of superiority. In fact, we may not even intend to condescend, but it may be perceived that way by someone on the receiving end of our words.

Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4:1-26 models a helpful posture that is worth our consideration going into conversations about faith with those who do not believe yet. Jesus has been traveling. It’s the heat of the day. He’s tired. He sits down by a well – the sense is that he is hoping someone will come by to draw water for him. A Samaritan woman comes to draw water and Jesus’ first words to her are not: “Hey, I have good news for you!” Or, “I have something you need to hear.” Or, “I’m here to tell you about your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, (that’s me).”

Rather, Jesus asks her for something that will meet a need for him. “Will you give me a drink?” He postures himself as one who can benefit from her. He is thirsty and she has the power to do something on his behalf. In a situation where he easily could have postured himself as the powerful one with words of life change for her, he begins by placing himself as the lowly one in need of her. He is vulnerable.

Being willingly vulnerable with others creates avenues of shared trust. Most people appreciate an initial interaction with someone that makes them feel valued and valuable. The Samaritan woman is honored in Jesus’ request. And, in making this request, Jesus opens up the possibility for the life altering conversation that will follow.