2/6/2011
John 2: 4 – 42
Woman at the well
Let us pray ~ Living Water God, you come to us just as we are and offer your who self so we may never thirst again, may the Spirit be with us this morning as we prepare to receive the Good News and share together in the Holy meal you have prepared for us. Amen
The UMD Bulldogs Versus the Minnesota Gophers, Cook Vs. Orr, ELCA Lutheran Vs. Missouri Synod Lutheran, Camp Vermilion or Camp Hiawatha; Today’s text – Samaritan vs. Jew.
I think that most of us when we hear Samaritan it brings us right to the parable of the Good Samaritan. A Samaritan – someone who helps people. I suppose they do help people, but who are they?
Going back to the Old Testament after Solomon the kingdom was divided into the Northern and the Southern. The North established capital at Samaria hence the Samaritans and the South at Judah hence the Jews. They both worshiped God, but had some differences. The biggest religious dispute was how and mostly where to worship. Was it Gerizim or Mt. Zion.
Because of these differences, it was just agreed that they would not interact with one another. Not converstations, no exchanges, no interactions.
Except this morning they did. And that conversation was not the only unusual happening in this text. Noon was an odd time to draw water. It was normally the younger woman the drew the water not the older. Jews would usually not buy food from Samaritans (remember the disciples went to buy food and that is when the interaction between Jesus and the woman took place), man speaking to woman, and I am sure there are more. This, nonetheless, is a big list of unusuals.
Certainly unusal for the times, but not unusual for us as we already know Jesus. We know Jesus had a heart for the one’s that were poor, outcasts, possessed, and unusual. For us it would have been unusual if Jesus did not engage the woman. So if this text doen’t feel unusal for us today in the year 2011, what does it offer us? How can it be applied to our lives?
I found it to be a nice surprise that the text for today, the day that is in a short while here we will celebrate with five young ladies their First communion. What a great text to lift up the progression we all travel and experience in our faith as we slowly (or quickly for some) come to know Jesus. As we come to Jesus with open eyes and an open heart to really truly be able to recognize that Jesus the Jew, is a prophet, is the Messiah and is the Savior of the World.
These five young ladies are at the beginning of their faith journey. And even though they are all at the beginning that beginning is different for each of them. Celebrating First Communion is not the first ministry milestone in their lives, they have all been baptized, they have all received at least one Bible if not two, they attend Sunday school and now have complete their first commuinion classes.
Completing the classes is ONLY the beginning. They will continue to grow in their faith and understanding of Jesus and the Holy Supper.
The woman at the well challenged Jesus, She did not back down or withhold her questions. She equally engaged in the conversation. This story can help us be reminded of the journey we are on. The increasing awareness we each experience no matter what age we are, who we are, what we believe or where we come from, we experience an increasing awareness of WHO Jesus is each and every day!
We experience increased awareness of Jesus even when we are not paying attention. Jesus says I am. I am a Jew, I am a prophet, I am the Messiah, I am the Savior of the World. Jesus knows who he is and in this engagement with the woman he draws her closer through the conversation that is not judgemental, harsh or accusing but instead full of love, forgiveness, understanding and grace.
The Jesus we know. The Jesus we come face to face with everyday whether we know it or not. The Jesus that loves us and engages us right where we are, no matter where we are from, no concern with how or where we worship, but comes to us as he did the woman at the well with Good News of love, forgiveness and understanding.
Jesus the Jew was as human as you and I. Jesus the prophet knows everything there is to know about each one of us. Even things we don’t know or don’t want to you. Jesus knows all. Jesus the Messiah who has come for all of us so that we might have life and have it abundantly at no cost to us. Jesus the Savior of the World who has come not only for you and I, but for ALL people, All people of the world.
Jesus comes to us as living water. Living water that overflows. Living water that is endless and never ceases to run for all who come to drink. Living water that will take your thirst away forever. Food and water are two essential tools in keeping our human bodies moving and working. Food and drink are also two essential tools in keeping our spiritual bodies moving and working. Although living water takes our thirst away forever, we need to keep drinking so our mouths don’t get dry. Although the meal we share each Sunday at the Lord’s table feeds us, we need to keep coming back. We don’t just eat and drink once, it is in our best interest to eat and drink daily. The living water poured over our head’s at baptism doesn’t signify the end of that milestone, on the contrary, it signifies the beginning of new life in Christ and we should celebrate often!
The woman at the well helps us remember our increasing awareness of who Jesus in our lives, in our churches life, in the world. Where are you on your faith journey. Are you plugging along, continuing to do the same things day in and day out. Is coming to church on Sunday just an automatic mundane activity that takes place a the same time each week? How can you challenge yourself to intentionally increase your awareness of Jesus? How can you be reminded of that living water that runs through you?
As we call up our five young ladies this morning along with their families, reflect on your first communion experiene. Do you remember it? What was special about it? How was it celebrated? Celebrate your first communion again this morning as your come forward to eat and drink at the Lord’s table as if it was your fist time. How has the meaning of this special meal changed for you over the years. And also as you come forward to be filled with food and drink, I invite you to dip your finger into the baptismal font and make the sign on the cross as you also remember your baptism where you were sealed by the holy spirit and marked by the cross of Christ forever.
Children of God may your fountain of living water be running and overflowing that other’s might also drink and not thirst. And know that if your fountain of living water is just dripping slowly Jesus waits patiently and lovingly to guide you in turning it up! He is waiting at the well to engage you, you will engage him?
Amen
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