St. John 4:5-30, 39-42
Jesus left Judea to go to Galilee. It was Christ’s intention to fulfill Isaiah 9 concerning the salvation to the Gentiles: “The people that have walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Galilee of the nations was to be blessed by the Lord’s coming. To get to Galilee, Jesus had to pass through Samaria, which was set in between Judea and Galilee. The relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans was one of intense hatred. Each regarded the other as heathens. Each claimed to be God’s people, exclusively. Each had there own Temple: Mount Gerizim was the location of the Samaritan Temple, and the Jews had their Temple on the mountain of Jerusalem. The Samaritans would often kill Jewish travelers who would pass into their lands. The Jews, in turn, would purposely walk around Samaria to get to Galilee for the sake of safety but also due to hatred and disgust. The word “Samaritan” would not be uttered by a Jew because if was considered a curse word. This hatred between the two nations makes Jesus’ discourse with the Samaritan all the more amazing. Jesus comes through Samaria. Being thirsty, He comes to Jacob’s well and sits. The Samaritan woman comes along with a bucket. This woman’s response to Jesus is very much like the world’s response to the gospel. Jesus asks for a drink, and we see from her response that the strife between the two nations is real. Rather than caring for His needs, the woman responds almost with contempt: “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan?” The real spin on this is that it is this woman who should be asking Jesus for Him to give her something. Jesus says, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.” These words are filled with Old Testament wisdom. Water imagery is often used in the Old Testament to talk about wisdom and being in God’s favor. Proverbs says, “The Law of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn away from the snares of death”(Proverbs 13:14). Likewise, “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook”(Proverbs 18:4). So, Jesus offers living water and we see the world’s response to the offer of a heavenly gift. The Samaritan woman is thinking like a person of the world, a person who is swept away by the cares of this world. Rather than give pause and serious consideration to Christ’s offer, she thinks about her immediate needs. “Sir you have nothing to draw your water with and the well is deep. Where is this living water?” Then comes the statement of contempt from the woman: “Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us this well?” She belittles Jesus. She is almost insinuating that Jesus is must less than the patriarchs of the Old Testament. This is the way of the world--ever hearing but never understanding--having eyes and yet being blind. Yet, we, who cling to the gospel, think we are better than this woman. We are baptized, we have been confirmed, we consider this our church. Yet, to be truthful, we find it very difficult to come to grips with some of the teachings of Christ. What is more, we do not attend to the living waters that flow out of Christ’s mouth as faithfully as we ought. We grumble about things in the church. We complain about things we don’t like. We are angered by the things that other people do. Then, when the living waters flow out of Christ’s mouth through the Scriptures and the pastor’s preaching, our thoughts are carried away by these troubles we concern ourselves with, rather than the goodness that springs forth from the gospel. We worry about this world and the things that concern us, just like the woman. The world weighs us down. It is sin. It needs to be repented of. The woman finally decides that this living water sounds good to her, if only it will make life easier so that she doesn’t need to come to Jacob’s well to draw water all the time. We are not all that different from this woman. Our thoughts condemn us. Our selfish frustrations condemn us. Our lack of attention on the words of Christ condemn us. And yet, Jesus does not give up on the woman. He continues to talk to her to get her to see that He is more than a prophet. He tells her of her sins. This is enough to frighten anyone. But He tells her of her sins in order that she will confess Him to be the Messiah, and Jesus stays with her until He has opportunity to reveal to her that He is, in fact, the Messiah. Jesus speaks of her past. In like manner, he speaks of her future. “A time is coming when you will neither worship on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem.” Instead, what Jesus is saying is that the parched and dry body of sin, shall be refreshed like never before. The gospel flows and brings forth beauty. The gospel will take a dying soul and bring forth the beautiful fragrance of Christ. The soul, once a dry, wasting soul, shall become a beautiful garden with the color of the gospel, the splendor of Christ. The Samaritan woman, once forsaken, rotting, and dying from within is suddenly shown that Jesus is the Messiah who will give her life and peace, and will find herself surrounded by love, where she was once surrounded by the world’s doctrine of strife, envy, and hate. This is the work of Jesus from His cross. This gospel paints for us a beautiful picture of the nature of our Lord. When chastised and treated with contempt, Jesus continues to speak and act in the lives of people. Those who are not looking for Jesus, find themselves hearing His words of life. Those who speak ill of Him or treat Him as one of little consequence may find, in time, that He brings faith and salvation to those who least expect it. You are blessed to be called His children. You are some of those who have been redeemed by Jesus. Your sins similar to the Samaritan woman’s sins have been forgiven. Whether you have treated God’s gifts with contempt, whether you have failed to love others, whether you are guilty of adultery like the Samaritan woman, or any sins ever committed, Jesus comes to you with words that speak of forgiveness and hope. Christ’s holy absolution is placed upon you, as He teaches you His way that is paved with His blood, leading you forth as you rest in His eternal teachings, by which the living water flows into your lives, whereby the thirst that sin has caused is quenched. Your very bodies and souls are adorned like beautiful flowers and the church, herself, is that garden in which you live and abide with Christ, the Life-giver, tending carefully your very lives. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana www.trinitylowell.org http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=243282012833
