The Gift of God-water that never runs out.

Sermon John 4: 5-42. March 15, 2020 Lent 3 A Verses read John 4: 7-12 & 39-42 COVID19

The Gift of God-water that never runs out.

This week has been at most the craziest week I’ve ever experienced.

At least, it’s been an ever changing, ever wondering, ever confusing set of days.

Every time I sat down to write this sermon, the world was turning upside down hour by hour.

I wonder if that’s how the disciples felt when they traveled with Jesus. Their lives were changing from day to day and sometimes hour by hour.

Jesus entered the land of Samaria with them.

According to custom they were not to travel into enemy territory. Samaria was off limits to Jews. But, Jesus didn’t seem to obey travel bans or laws. Samaritans were considered dirty people. They were unclean. They were heretics. They were everything bad to all that was good. Yet, Jesus crossed the boundaries and showed up in their land in the middle of their town at high noon.

 

Artisan wells, Morocco

The disciples went off to buy some food. And while they were gone Jesus struck up a conversation with a woman at the well.

In the book by Francis Taylor Gench, Encounters with Jesus, she points out that this is the longest recorded conversation that Jesus has with anyone. Not only did he talk with this woman but she was in deep dialogue with him. She drew him out with theological questions and wanted to know more. She stood boldly and held her own with Jesus. Jesus responded that there is no one place to worship. Worship is more than a location.

Whenever I think of this story and many of the encounters Jesus had in the gospel of John, I think of the quote by Edwin Markham — 'He drew a circle that shut me out-Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and took him In!'

Jesus was incapable of shutting anyone out of the circle of life. All of his encounters were to draw people into the circle of the love of God.

This story is all about crossing, defying, breaking down barriers in a world where there were obstacles at every turn.

There in the middle of day,

in the heat of the day,

in the bright light of the day,

Jesus and a woman were talking!

The truth of who Jesus was revealed in the full light for all to see.

Unlike Nicodemus who came to Jesus in the night. Jesus came to a woman in full light. Jesus asked for a drink and the woman knew she should not speak to a man and especially not to anyone who was not a Samaritan.

Jesus was the one to break the barrier first.

He was the one to cross the line to ask for something.

We discover in Jesus’ action that God is the one who initiates relationships. God is the one who draws us to himself.

God is the one who reaches out over and over again.

We need not be surprised that Jesus went purposely where he was not to go in order to reconcile the world to his love.

How would we respond to Jesus if he were to come to our house and ask for a drink of water? Would we initially treat him as this woman did and tell him no? would we send him away thirsty? Would we deny him of the very things he needed to survive? Would we be selfish and hoard the water in the well for our own people? Would we tell him that if we gave him a drink the well would run dry?

In times of trouble such as these how have we been denying others the right to survive? How have we hoarded items for living, denying others what they need too? How have we sent them away?

Jesus offers this bold and amazing woman water that will never run dry.

He told her she’ll never be thirsty again.

She accepted his offer!

She wanted this abundance of life.

She had no idea what it was, but she accepted the offer of Jesus.

Her faith was brought out in the light.

Her ability to see Jesus, to receive him, to realize his truth, gave her enough faith to run and tell her village.

Isn’t that what we need to hear today?

Our lives maybe turned upside down right now. Our lives may make us feel we are the unclean, or the foreigner because of our need to be apart from others. We might feel isolated and unwanted as the Samaritans felt. We might feel our faith isn’t relevant or accepted.

Yet, we know Jesus still crosses through barriers and breaks down walls and does it in broad daylight for all to witness the truth of who he is.

Jesus is the One who offers us an everlasting drink of fresh and wonderful water that gives us life.

Jesus is coming to us no matter where we live.

Jesus is coming to us no matter where we are boarded up.

Jesus is coming to us through our masks,

through our tents,

through our respirators.

                                        Jesus is there offering the drink we need. 

                                He is there offering us water which will give us life forever.

It’s been the craziest week ever.

Things have been changing hour by hour.

And perhaps they will continue to be.

But, this is only temporary.

Jesus offers us permanent joy in his love for us.

Let him come to you today.

Receive the gift of God-the water that will never run dry.

Now and forever.

Amen.

Resources: Encounters with Jesus, studies in the Gospel of John by Francis Taylor Gench