Third Sunday of Lent, cycle A

JOHN 4:5-42
THERE WAS A BRIDE WHO REQUESTED THAT HER WEDDING CAKE BE DECORATED WITH THE WORDS FROM THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN, CHAPTER 4, VERSE 18: “THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE, BUT PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT ALL FEAR.” THE BAKER WAS NOT OVERLY FAMILIAR WITH SCRIPTURE, AND ACTUALLY PUT THE WORDS FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, CHAPTER 4, VERSE 18 ON THE CAKE: “YOU HAVE HAD FIVE HUSBANDS, AND THE MAN YOU ARE WITH NOW IS NOT YOUR HUSBAND.”
THE STORY WHICH WE HAVE JUST HEARD IS ALWAYS TOLD ON THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT. IT IS A STORY WHICH CAN BE LOOKED AT FROM MANY DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS; AND I ONCE ATTENDED A RETREAT IN WHICH THIS GOSPEL STORY WAS THE ONLY THEME. WE SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW THE SAMARITAN WOMAN GOES FROM CALLING JESUS A JEW (AN INSULT FOR A SAMARITAN) TO THE RESPECTFUL “SIR”, TO THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT HE IS A PROPHET, TO REFERRING TO HIM AS MESSIAH, CHRIST. CERTAINLY WE COULD TALK ABOUT HOW THIS SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, THIS SAME UNFOLDING RECOGNITION, NEEDS TO BE WALKED BY EVERY ONE WHO TRIES TO FOLLOW CHRIST.
THERE IS OF COURSE THE SYMBOLISM OF THE LIVING WATER; THE TERM WAS USED BY THE PEOPLE OF THAT TIME TO REFER TO WATER THAT WAS FLOWING IN STREAMS AND RIVERS, AS OPPOSED TO WATER IN WELLS, OR IN PONDS OR LAKES. WE KNOW TODAY THAT FLOWING WATER IS FILLED WITH OXYGEN, AND USUALLY HAS LESS MINERAL CONTENT THAN STILL WATER. THIS COMES ACROSS IN THE TASTE OF THE WATER, AND OF COURSE THE HEALTHIEST PLANTS SEEM TO GROW BY FLOWING WATER. AND LIVING WATER MAKES US THINK OF LIFE, OF GROWTH, OF BEING MADE CLEAN, OF BAPTISM.
BUT TODAY I'D LIKE TO REFLECT ON THIS STORY FROM ANOTHER STANDPOINT.
THE SAMARITAN WOMAN MEETS JESUS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, AT A WELL THAT, ARCHEOLOGISTS TELL US, WAS ABOUT A MILE FROM THE TOWN, AND YOU HAVE TO LOWER YOUR BUCKET ABOUT 100 FEET TO GET TO THE WATER. THIS WELL WAS ALMOST ABANDONED, BECAUSE THE TOWN ITSELF HAS A WELL, WHERE THE WATER WAS MUCH EASIER TO GET. SHE HAS GONE TO ALL THIS TROUBLE BECAUSE SHE WAS AN OUTCAST, AND COULDN'T GO OUT IN THE EARLY MORNING WITH THE OTHER WOMEN, BECAUSE THEY WOULD CURSE HER AND DRIVE HER AWAY FROM THEM. AS WE LEARN, SHE HAS A WELL-DESERVED BAD REPUTATION; A WOMAN WITH FIVE HUSBANDS AND NOW LIVING WITH SOMEONE OUT OF WEDLOCK WOULD HAVE A BAD REPUTATION EVEN IN OUR SOCIETY, EXCEPT PERHAPS IN HOLLYWOOD. BUT SHE IS SMART; SHE KNOWS QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SAMARITANS AND JEWS, AND SHE IS BOLD, BECAUSE SHE READILY JOINS INTO THE CONVERSATION TO WHICH JESUS INVITES HER -- AGAIN, NOT A WOMANLY THING TO DO IN THOSE DAYS.
JESUS, AFTER REVEALING THAT HE KNOWS ABOUT HER PAST, DOES SOMETHING UNUSUAL, HE CALLS HER “WOMAN” BUT THE GREEK WORD IS “GYNAI” WHICH MEANS “HONORED LADY” OR “SPECIAL LADY”. IT IS THE SAME WORD HE USES TO ADDRESS HIS MOTHER IN THE STORY OF THE WEDDING FEAST AT CANA. IN OTHER WORDS, ALTHOUGH SHE IS A SAMARITAN, A WOMAN, AN ADULTRESS, AND AN OUTCAST, JESUS SPEAKS TO THE GOOD THAT IS IN HER, AND DOES NOT TURN AWAY FROM HER. THERE IS NO SIN SO EVIL, NO STATE OF LIFE SO LOW, THAT JESUS WILL LOSE SIGHT OF THE ESSENTIAL GOOD THAT IS IN EACH PERSON; HE SEES THAT EACH OF US POSSESSES ONE THING THAT IS PURE GOODNESS – THE LOVE OF THE FATHER.
THE RESULT OF ALL OF THIS IS CLEAR; THE WOMAN BECOMES AN APOSTLE, DESPITE BEING A SINNER; BECAUSE JESUS LOVES HER, SHE FORGETS THAT SHE IS THE OUTCAST, SHE FORGETS HER FEAR OF THE TOWNSPEOPLE, AND IN FACT INTRODUCES JESUS TO THEM. PERHAPS THE SAMARITAN WOMAN IS THE MOST OBVIOUS EXAMPLE OF HOW JESUS' ACCEPTING, FORGIVING LOVE TRANSFORMS PEOPLE; BUT THERE ARE OTHERS; CERTAINLY WE SEE THIS WITH PETER, WHOM JESUS ACCEPTS EVEN AFTER PETER BETRAYS HIM. WE SEE IT WITH PAUL, WHO PERSECUTED JESUS' FOLLOWERS. WE SEE LITTLE EXAMPLES WITH LEVI THE TAX COLLECTOR, WITH THE WOMAN WHO WASHES HIS FEET WITH HER TEARS. AND WE SEE TIMES WHEN THIS FORGIVING LOVE DOES NOT TRANSFORM; THE RICH YOUNG MAN, JUDAS, PONTIUS PILATE.
IF WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF JESUS' LOVE, THAN WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF HIS DESIRE TO TRANSFORM US. IN ADDITION TO CHANGING OUR LIVES, PART AND PARCEL OF THIS TRANSFORMATION IS TO BECOME APOSTLES. AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN TEACHES US WHAT IS FUNDAMENTAL ABOUT AN APOSTLE. THE APOSTLE DRAWS FROM THE WELLSPRING OF JESUS LOVE, NOT FROM HIS OR HER OWN INNER RESOURCES – BECAUSE NONE OF US HAVE THAT MUCH THAT WE CAN CALL OUR OWN. THE APOSTLE FORGETS HIS OWN CIRCUMSTANCES, HIS OWN INADEQUACIES, AND PROCLAIMS TO ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN THAT JESUS IS MESSIAH; THE APOSTLE SPEAKS FROM HIS OWN EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY AUTHENTIC BASIS ON WHICH TO BE AN APOSTLE. AND THE APOSTLE'S JOB IS TO GET PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO JESUS, NOT CONVINCE THEM BY HIS OR HER OWN ELOQUENCE -- SOME BELIEVED BECAUSE OF HER TESTIMONY, BUT MANY MORE BECAUSE THEY HEARD THE WORDS OF JESUS – SHE JUST GOT THEM TO COME AND LISTEN.
IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH THE SAMARITAN WOMAN IS HONORED AS SAINT PHOTINA, WHO LEGEND HAS IT BECAME AN EARLY MISSIONARY, PREACHED IN CARTHAGE, AND EVENTUALLY WAS PUT TO DEATH IN ROME. PHOTINA MEANS “ENLIGHTENED ONE”. HER FEAST DAY IS FEBRUARY 26TH.
JESUS OFFERS ALL OF US THE LIVING WATER, WHICH, IF WE CHOOSE TO DRINK OF IT, WILL FILL US UP SO THAT WE ARE NEVER AGAIN THIRSTY. IF WE CHOOSE TO DRINK OF IT, WE CAN OVERCOME ALL THE FEARS, ALL THE SELF DOUBT, ALL THE LACK OF COURAGE THAT KEEPS US FROM PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL; AND IF WE CHOOSE TO DRINK OF IT, EVEN IF WE ARE SICK OR DYING, OR IN PRISON, WE WILL STILL HAVE ABUNDANT JOY, BECAUSE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, CAN NEVER BE TAKEN FROM US AND WE KNOW HIS LOVE WILL NEVER FAIL.
THE LIVING WATER THAT JESUS OFFERS MAKES US APOSTLES, BECAUSE IF WE, LIKE THE SAMARITAN WOMAN, EXPERIENCE IT, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP FROM TELLING OTHERS. THE LIVING WATER IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE ONCE WE TASTE IT, WE CAN NEVER GO BACK TO BEING OUR OLD SELVES. OUR CHOICE IS TO EITHER ACCEPT IT, WITH ALL THE JOY AND GO WHEREVER CHRIST LEADS US, EVEN TO MARTYRDOM; OR TO REJECT IT, AND GO BACK INTO OUR COMFORT ZONE.
THE SAMARITAN WOMAN MADE HER CHOICE; WHAT WILL BE OURS?