“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to
complete his work.” (John 4:34)
If you were a single guy living in Bible
times and you wanted to meet girls, there would be no better place to hang out
than at the local well. Abraham’s servant found a wife for Isaac there, Jacob
put the moves on Rachel there[i], and Moses hit on Zipporah
at a well. It was, you see, the girls’ job to fetch water. In many parts of the
developing world it still is. That’s why water scarcity or insecurity in developing
countries often means women and girls have to walk miles each day carrying
water for their families, and many are denied an education because of this
time-consuming task.[ii]
In our gospel lesson for Lent 3, Year A
(John 4:5-42) we find Jesus in Samaria at a well. This is an interesting fact
in itself because many a pious Jew, in traveling from Galilee to Judea, would
take a long route through the Decapolis rather than cross into Samaritan
territory. Think about that: they’d rather go miles out of their way and
encounter total pagans than risk having to talk to folks they felt got the
Jewish religion wrong. I guess I can understand that. I mean, I’d sooner kiss a
Muslim or a Hindu on the mouth than have a conversation with a Jehovah’s
Witness. There’s just something about folks who misinterpret the things we
believe in that really gets on our last nerves. For Jews in Jesus’ day, those
Samaritans were the ones who got it wrong, and they were considered lower than
fish poop.[iii]
Nevertheless, here we find Jesus. He not
only converses with a Samaritan woman (bad enough she’s Samaritan, but she’s
also a woman. Talking to her without a family member present was another
taboo!), but he initiates the
conversation. While the disciples go on a lunch run (Q: How many disciples does
it take to get lunch? A: Apparently, all
of them. But the pre-resurrection disciples always seem to be rather dim bulbs,
so I guess it takes all twelve not to screw it up.), Jesus hangs out at the
well and gives us all a lesson in evangelism.
First, Jesus isn’t afraid to bring the
Word to an undesirable place. He’s also not afraid to speak the Word to people
who might very well reject it or argue with him about it. He starts by simply asking
for a drink of water. His speaking to a Samaritan woman may be surprising and
unconventional, but it’s certainly not threatening. He’s also stationing
himself at the well—a place he knows will get some foot traffic. I think of
three of my younger clergy colleagues who, on Ash Wednesday, met morning
commuters at the Frankford Transit Plaza and asked them if they’d like to
receive ashes on their foreheads to commemorate the start of Lent. They may not
have made new church members by doing this, but they got people thinking about
the cross of Christ. They brought a spiritual presence into that place.
Secondly, Jesus didn’t condemn the woman
for misinterpreting doctrine even though it appears from the text that he believed
she did (see verse 22), nor does he give her grief about her rather complex
personal history. She may have been a gal who “got around,” or she may have had
some phenomenally bad luck when it came to the health of her life partners;
nevertheless, Jesus doesn’t call her a slut or claim she’s been cursed by God.
He simply acknowledges the truth of her situation. Sometimes, I think, that’s all
anyone asks of us. We don’t need to comment on anyone else’s journey. We just
need to acknowledge them where they are. We really never know how rough someone
else has had it.
Thirdly, Jesus seems to get a lot of
satisfaction out of his encounter with this lady. He’s so delighted by having
had a decent theological conversation with a person of a different viewpoint
that he isn’t even hungry for lunch! Speaking God’s truth in love—and in a
loving way—is nourishment for the soul[iv].
Finally, Jesus’ one conversation leads to
an invitation to hang out for the next two days and talk with many others in
the village. We have to trust that when we model Christ or speak of our faith
we may be planting a seed that bears more fruit than we’ll ever realize. One life,
like the unnamed Samaritan woman’s, can have a profound effect on so many
others. Faith tells us to take advantage of any opportunity to share our
relationship with Christ. We don’t preach, we don’t judge, we don’t try to win
an argument or make a convert. We just share the Word and let God do the rest.
I hope your Lenten journey has been
meaningful so far. Enjoy the coming spring, and thanks for reading my
blog this week.
[i]
See Genesis 29:9-12. Those kids started making out right away!
[ii] This
is why water scarcity issues are also women’s and girls’ rights issues, and why
ending water scarcity will empower thousands of women.
[iii]
Which is pretty low, if you think about it.
[iv]
You should try it if you haven’t already.
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