Lent 3A
In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I’ve always been amazed at how thirsty children can suddenly become, especially when it’s time to do something else! For example, it is almost bedtime; they put on their jim-jams, brush their teeth, say their prayers, and climb into bed. You give them a little kiss, say “good-night” and turn out the light, and then, just as you are about to leave the room, suddenly, they are thirsty. They have got to have a drink. I suspect, as many of you do, that this sudden on-set of dehydration has less to do with wanting something to drink, as it does with not wanting to go to bed.
Or take this example: You’re getting ready for a trip. You load up the car, tell everyone to go the bathroom, everyone is finally in the car and you start down the road. Suddenly, and without any warning, ten-minutes after getting on the interstate, the youngsters in the car are dying of thirst. I guess passing that WAWA had something to do with it! So now you are faced with a dilemma: Stop and delay your trip by another 20 or 30 minutes; or not stop and listen to them whine and pine away for lack of water for the next two hours. So you decide to stop, everyone gets their super-mega-big-gulp sodas, and a bag of chips, 15 candy bars, and you start out again… only to hear 30 minutes later – “I have to go to the bathroom!” It just goes to show that no matter how well you plan, or what you do, you just can’t win. The thirst will get you every time!
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus sitting by a well. He’s been traveling. He’s hot and tired and thirsty. A woman comes to draw water from the well, and he asks her to give him a drink. In itself, this exchange between Jesus and this woman would seem simple and normal enough, but there is something different about this exchange, that, for a number of reasons makes it radical and scandalous.
First, this woman to whom Jesus is talking is, after all – a woman! In 1st century Palestine, women were considered inferior; so inferior that in the pegging order, they were just above dogs. Even farm animals like sheep and oxen were considered more valuable and important than women. So for a man to carry on a casual conversation with a strange woman as if she were some kind of equal was simply unheard of… it would be scandalous!
The second reason this exchange is interesting is that this woman is also a Samaritan woman! In those days, there existed a deep-rooted prejudice, even hatred, between the Jews and the Samaritans that had endured for centuries. The Samaritans were half-Jewish, half-Assyrian, because 700 years before Jesus was born, the Assyrians invaded northern Israel and forced the population into slavery and mixed-marriages. The resulting children were not purely Jewish – they were “half-breeds”. So for 700 years, the descendants of this tragedy were considered impure, unholy, dirty, and wicked, simply because their parents were forced into slavery and forced to inter-marry. For 700 years, this hatred and prejudice meant that the Samaritans were nobodies, not even really people in the eyes of the Jews, and were to be avoided at all costs.
Both of these prejudices are not unlike the prejudices we have seen, and still do see, to a large extent, right here in God-blessed, Christian, central Virginia, when it comes to how African-Americans, Latinos, Orientals, Arabs, Indians, Pakistanis, and sadly, even women are viewed and treated. One would think that after all we have learned about ourselves and about others, that this kind of prejudice and bigotry would finally be behind us… but alas! It survives and grows.
So here sits Jesus, talking with this WOMAN… this SAMARITAN WOMAN, and it is a shocking social statement – One that shocks the disciples when they see it! They are stunned; and even though they did not say anything out-loud, as recorded in the Gospel Lesson, they were thinking… “What in the world is Jesus doing talking to THAT woman?”
But there he is, talking with this woman; this Samaritan woman. Not only that… he’s really pushed the envelope by asking her for a drink! He is actually going to drink water from a dirty, stinking Samaritan well, using a dirty, stinking Samaritan bucket, given to him by a dirty, stinking Samaritan woman! Jesus is breaking all the rules! He is going against every socially acceptable norm and protocol that has been established by custom and law for nearly 700 years! But my friends, that is what Jesus did best… he shook things up… made people uncomfortable in their pride and prejudice and pettiness. He made glaring social statements – sometimes without saying a word, in order to challenge the people and force them to question themselves and their attitudes, so that when they did hear the Good News of God’s love for everyone, they would be forced to either change or reject the entire message.
It is a clear demonstration that it is impossible to hang on to your own feelings, agendas, prejudices, attitudes, arrogance, and pride whilst trying to embrace the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness. Something has to give! It is another example of the real purpose of the Gospel: to be less like ourselves, and more like Jesus if we truly want to be his disciples and followers.
But my friends, there’s more… in the course of his conversation with this woman, Jesus asks her to bring her husband to the well, so he can meet him too! Now the scandal really reaches a new level, when she says she has no husband! Jesus responds by basically saying, “You’re right! You have had five husbands, and you are now living with a man that is not your husband.”
So here is this woman… a Samaritan woman… and she’s been married and divorced five times; and is now sleeping with a man to which she isn’t married! Talk about scandalous! Talk about having reason to be outraged! Talk about having something to gossip and talk about and shake their heads in disgust about! This Woman… this mixed-race, infidel Samaritan Woman is nothing more than a flimflam-floozy… and JESUS CHRIST is talking with her!
Not only is he talking with her, he is about to offer her what he calls “Living Water” which is to say, he is extending God’s total love to her, offering her complete forgiveness of sins, offering her the hope of everlasting life! This is simply too much… it’s Shocking! Simply Shocking!
But still, there’s more… this woman; this Samaritan woman; this married, divorced, shacked-up Samaritan woman, to whom Jesus is offering forgiveness, is about to become the first real missionary of God’s Love as expressed in the Gospel! She goes back to the city and tells everyone about Jesus… and her neighbors and friends, all of whom know who and what she is, respond to her message… and they come to see Jesus for themselves. What is more, all these Samaritans come to Jesus and actually believe in him!
And, as you might have guessed, there’s even more to this story… all the people of the city of Samaria who came to see Jesus, beg and insist that Jesus stay with them for a while and teach them. So, what does Jesus do? He decides to stay for two days, and in the end, the Gospel Lesson records for us the reaction of the people… “we know that this is truly the Savior of the World!”
This woman – this socially unacceptable outcast, ends up bringing a large number of the people of her city to faith in Jesus Christ… and it all started when Jesus asked her for a drink of water. Notice he didn’t stand up and rail against the Samaritans, or even rail against this woman for all her sins and infidelity. He didn’t hold a revival meeting at the well, didn’t beg and plead, didn’t beat her – or the others – to death with the Bible, didn’t stand in judgment pointing his finger and telling them that they were all going to Hell! He simply recognized where she was, showed her God’s love, was willing to accept her – just as she was – and then sent her to gather others so they too could experience this “Living Water” of forgiveness, hope, love, joy, and peace.
Jesus pushed aside the barriers, knocked down the walls of prejudice and ignorance and hatred that separate people, and completely ignored what was socially acceptable. He did the radical thing; and the results speak for themselves, in the reaction of the citizens of Samaria!
It is interesting to me that this story follows the Gospel Lesson from last Sunday, in which Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life…. For the Son of man came not to condemn the world, but that through him, the world might be saved…”
If ever there was a day when these words needed to be lived-out, it is today! If ever there was a day when these words were again needed as the hallmark for the Church, it is today! If ever there was a day when this radical, counter-cultural approach to Christianity were needed, it is today! If ever the world was in need of Christians who lived and acted and prayed and shared their faith in this fashion, this radical, loving fashion, just like Jesus did, expects us to do… free of judgment, free of prejudice, free of condemnation, and free of petty self-righteousness – my friends – It is today!
All around us, there are people just like this Samaritan Woman, who thirsty for something, they are looking for something to satisfy their hearts, calm their spirits, and bring a little hope and peace of mind. But like the Samaritan Woman, they are different, they have made what many call “mistakes,” their lives do not measure up to some nebulous concept or picture of perfection, and who feel like they have no hope… so why bother. Why bother going to Church only to be talked about, gossiped about, patronized, ignored, and perhaps denied equal treatment, or worse, refused access to the Sacraments because their lives are not perfect. Why bother to be a Christian because so many Christians are no better, no different, and no more like Christ than they are? Many folks in our world say, “Why bother wasting time looking for something like Christianity, that is supposed to make my life better, give me hope, and bring me peace, when so many Churches filled with selfish, prejudiced, gossiping, petty, trifling, small-minded-little hypocrites that sing the hymns and say “amen” but don’t really give a flip about anybody else, and don’t really live or behave or act any differently than anyone else!” The only difference is that they may have been baptized, they attend Church on occasion, maybe show up for a special event or luncheon, and maybe throw a dollar or two into the offering plate; but besides that, there is little or no difference between them and the folks who are at Walmart this morning without the first thought of Jesus Christ in their life.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ!” and Mark Twain said, “What a hell of a heaven it will be when they get all these hypocrites assembled together there!”
And the sad truth is that this does indeed describe many Churches and so many more would-be Christians, who are more concerned about their clothes, vacations, the stock market, the economy, the presidential race, the price of gasoline, what we are going to do this weekend, or all of the other things that keep so many totally distracted, totally dysfunctional, totally indifferent and completely ineffective as the messengers of hope, love, joy, and peace.
Sure, we say that we believe all this stuff, but do we live like and behave like we actually believe it? For example, we talk of justice and peace, but do little or nothing to actually promote it or bring about change! We express pity for the refugees and those who are escaping war, poverty, disease, death, and destruction, but only so long as they don’t come here and take our jobs; and if they DO come here they better learn English or just go back home!
We talk of equality, but want nothing to do with those folks from that part of town. We talk of peace, while waving the flag in one hand and a cross or bible in the other, sending our boys and girls off to fight illegal and immoral wars in foreign lands, and screaming slogans like, “bomb them back into the stone-age!”
We talk of democracy, yet resent any and all efforts to increase voter registrations amongst the so-called “minorities” and “immigrants” who might take over the county! We talk of tolerance and acceptance, but as soon as we see someone who is different, or lives a different life-style than us, or worse… actually comes to Church, we shun them and talk about them. If the Samaritan Woman walked into many of our Churches today, she would be put out before the invocation, or ignored completely during the Peace; and then after all the self-righteous folks said “Amen” and “Thanks be to God.” They would also say something like, “I can’t believe THAT woman showed up here!”
We talk about Church, and want our Churches to not only survive, but to grow, while at the same time not making it a priority. Sure, Church is okay, when there is something fun or interesting happening there, or if there’s time; but normally, we are too busy, too tired, and too distracted with our own lives, entertainments and agendas to regard the Church with any more devotion than is absolutely necessary. We expect the Church to provide for the needs of the community, like the Food Bank, but we spend more on cable TV, cell phones, and pizza than we give to support the mission of our Church.
As Christian parents, we worry about our kids and all the trouble and temptations they face in this world, and while telling tell them that they can decide for themselves whether or not to go to Church; or worse, we set an example that suggests that living for God is optional based on how I feel today, and that Church is just an another alternative activity, like going to a baseball game or shopping. It’s just one more thing that we can do, if we feel like it – If we’re not too tired, or don’t have anything else planned.
And then we wonder why the world is in the shape that it is! And what is the typical “Christian” response to all the difficulties, problems and mess in our world? We say trite little things like, “Bring back school prayer” – “Put the Ten Commandments back in our Schools and Courts” – “Pass a law.” “Write your congressman to protect our religious rights!” In short, we look to the Government to fix it… to bring back and safeguard some ideal of morality and decency and faith. We want Congress to be the messenger of morality, and the president to be the proper example of decency and faith; and if there is even a hint that the President might not be a “true, right-wing, fundamentalist, conservative, Bible-thumping kind of Christian” then he must not be a Christian at all!
We are outraged at the thought of removing “one nation under God” from the pledge of allegiance, and outraged at the suggestion of removing “In God we Trust” from our currency… but where’s the outrage at ourselves for not being “One Family under God” – that prays and worships and gives and lives as if the message of Christ really is just that important in our lives?” Where is the outrage at ourselves for not living out “In God We Trust” at home, not only for our salvation but for everything else we need in this life, and then setting that example for our kids? Instead of reintroducing Prayer in School, why not start by introducing prayer at home for a change?! Instead of posting the Ten Commandments on the halls of our schools and government buildings, why not post them in our homes, and then teach them and live them for our kids to see?
We talk of loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbor as much as we love ourselves… but do we really do these things! Or is God just a great big Santa Claus in the Sky from whom we beg for this and that; the Church nothing more than a cultural center, support group, and extension of the Social Services department that should give me what I want and provide all kinds of programs; and loving my neighbor nothing more than an opportunity for building a larger customer base and finding ways to further exploit them? This is sadly, what Christianity has been reduced to, and the people of the world suffer for it.
The level of devotion that we have for Christ is demonstrated by how faithful we are to his ideals, his principles, his commandments, his tolerance, his patience, his acceptance, his forgiveness, his sense of justice, and his willingness to shatter the comfortable, complacent, self-righteous little worlds in which we live. We just can’t live any way we want to, be casual about our faith, and be more interested in everything else in our life, and still expect to honor Christ and convince others that HIS is the pathway to real peace, joy, and hope. And the whole message of Lent is to remind us of that fact. We can’t live like everyone else, remain unchanged and unchallenged, continue to be indifferent to the needs of those around us, hold onto our pride, pettiness, and hypocrisy, and still expect to call ourselves Christians. If we want to be Christians, then we have to be like Christ. It’s just that simple!
Do we demonstrate the same level of gratitude and even enthusiasm for Jesus as this Woman at the well and even all the people of Samaria did in this morning’s Gospel? Do we really believe that Jesus is the one who can make a difference in us and then empower us to make a difference in our world? Do we really believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one, who brings forgiveness and hope? If so, then we need to live like we do! We need to be like Jesus who offered the Samaritan Woman “Living Waters” and share with others that same “Living Water”. We have to deny ourselves and adopt a radical, counter-cultural approach to being a Christian that makes us different – so different that everyone else can look at us and say – “WOW! Those folks really do get it… they really do believe!”
If we miss this opportunity afforded to us during Lent to really make some changes in our attitudes and behaviors, and determine to be different, determine to be less like ourselves and more like Christ, then all this will have been a great waste of time for everyone – including Jesus! If we still hold onto our pettiness, indifference, prejudice, intolerance, contempt for others, and are unwilling to work to be different and make a difference in the world, then Jesus will have wasted his time coming to earth, teaching his message, and dying on the cross in order to save us from ourselves and offer us any hope at all.
Let me encourage you to take a look inside yourself, and determine whether all this is really real to you, or if you’re just going though the motions. Do you really know Jesus and really love Jesus? If so, then determine that Jesus is going to be first in your life, and start living that way – every day – all year long. And if you do, then you will have discovered the same thing that the woman at the well discovered… Springs of Living Water that bring everlasting joy, love, peace, and life. My friends, the world is thirsting for something… let’s give them a satisfying drink of this Living Water… let’s show them and give them Jesus! Amen.
