Lent 3A; John 4:4-42;
St. Paul’s, 3/15/2020
Jim Melnyk: “Blessed
is She Who Perceives”
I want you to take a moment and think about a group of folks
– a class, a category, an ideology, perhaps even a nation – think about a group
of folks you may struggle to accept or possibly even secretly despise in your
heart. Folks you would cross the street to avoid – folks who make you
instinctively set the locks on your car doors while stopped at a light – folks
about whom you might say to your children, “Don’t go near them!”
Consider for a moment those folks whom you, or the world
around you, consider to be untouchable – beyond the pale of proper society or
the sacred doors of a faith community. Think of your reaction these days when
someone near you in the pharmacy line or grocery store suddenly starts
coughing. Think of these folks and you’re beginning to understand the animosity
between some first century Jews and their Samaritan neighbors.
Into just such a world view Jesus came among us calling us
to repent of our hardness of heart and our unwillingness to believe the Good
News of God’s coming reign. Jesus, like many of his contemporary Jewish
teachers, found himself constantly standing against religiosity, and standing
for a more intimate, loving relationship with the One he called Abba – which simply
means “Father.” Calls for compassion, mercy, and justice; calls for welcome,
hope, and steadfast love, rang out – ring out today – as challenges to those
who would lead with hearts of stone rather than hearts of flesh – and God knows
there are more than enough stone hearts out there in every generation and every
faith expression.
As Christians we have been called, along with our Jewish and
Moslem sisters and brothers, people of the Book. People who hold dear our sacred
stories and seek God’s promise held within its pages. But we are also followers
of Jesus the Christ – who held those words to be dynamic, living words that
point to a dynamic, living God. We look to Holy Scripture only as it helps us
understand and know a living, loving, gracious, and life-giving God – the God
we understand to have been made known in a wonderfully mysterious way through
the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The Jesus I have come to know is One who is willing to go to
the cross to help us understand the fullness of God’s love. And this is
the Jesus who stops by the dusty roadside at noon in the middle of Samaria. It
is no accident or geographical necessity that brings him to this well in the
city of Sychar.
The author of John’s Gospel says in verse four that Jesus
“had to go through Samaria,” and despite the fact that Samaria lay directly
between Galilee on the north and Judea on the south, what we need to remember
is that the animosity between Jews and Samaritans was a driving force – and a
dividing force. It was so strong that Jews would go out of their way – crossing
the Jordan River to travel around Samaria – rather than set foot in enemy
territory or risk coming into contact with Samaritans – whom they considered to
be unclean.[1] In other
words, the stated necessity to pass through Samaria is purely theological on the part of Jesus. It is
nothing less than the expansion of his witness – a widening of the circle of
God’s grace and love. This is an example of the love which we were told about
in the Nicodemus story last week – a love offered for the whole world.
The meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman goes
beyond expected conventions, and their dialogue opens for them – and for us –
new possibilities. There are for this woman and for the people of Samaria new
avenues for understanding, experiencing, and worshiping God – new possibilities
for being in communion with one another.
Something exciting about today’s gospel lesson is the point that
Jesus and the woman meet by the well at noon. First of all, meetings at wells
are well known in the Jewish tradition – a place where prospective brides and
grooms often seem to meet. And the broad daylight of this setting stands in
stark contrast with the dark of night that cloaked Nicodemus’ approach we may
recall from last week. And while Jesus and the Samaritan woman don’t end up
finding themselves engaged as a result of this meeting – there does seem to be
a meeting of the minds – and engagement of another sort – that brings a different
form of new life into the world around them. Jesus and the woman go beyond
expected conventions – realizing that indeed we’ve all got it wrong – God
seeks our worship to be centered in our hearts more than in any sacred site.
Someday, Jesus says, everyone will realize it’s the heart
and the spirit we bring to our worship of God that’s important – not where we gather
to worship. Doesn’t this message seem to take on new life today as we find
ourselves scattered from this sacred place of worship? We are finding ourselves
socially distancing ourselves from so many places and events – finding
ourselves cocooning at home when our faith traditions have often called us to
gather in times of anxiety and stress.
Isn’t Jesus’ message timely? It seems set up to allow us
ways to faithfully go beyond our own expected conventions – something that can
help us find new ways of being in community together while everyone around us
is asking us to add some spaces in our togetherness.
Jesus chooses to engage the Samaritan woman in a theological
discussion, and in the end offers her living water – in essence, Jesus offers
her himself! Jesus tells her that those who drink of the water which he offers them
will never be thirsty.” And then Jesus sends the woman out to be the first
apostle to the Samaritan people. And like the disciples who leave their “nets,
boats, parents and a tax station [behind], the Samaritan woman leaves her water
jar at the well and goes to evangelize her city.”[2] A
great many people hear her message, and through her proclamation come to know
Jesus. “Oh, blessed is she who perceives the Lord, oh, blessed is she who
perceives! ‘Twas the Samaritan woman who drew from the well, and blessed is she,
is she who perceives!”[3]
I have to tell you – for a world that seems to be shutting
down all around us, this past week has felt like the inside of a raging
whirlwind. Anxiety seems to speed things up even while everything is slowing
down. We are bombarded with “wash your hands, don’t touch your face, stay away
from large groups, watch for symptoms.” Some of us immediately get drawn into
the concerns – others work hard to dismiss them. Either way, life is different
for us right now – and will be for some time.
Perhaps this can be an opportunity for us to move beyond our
own expected conventions – to find more ways to be in community with one
another.
Perhaps we will find new possibilities as we step away from
the busyness of the world – find new ways to support one another even in the
midst of social distancing. If you’re into social media, stay more connected
and perhaps let go of the snarky aspects so prevalent today – use it to stay in
touch and let folks know if you have a need. Text one another just to touch
base. Or better yet – call someone and actually speak together. Let a friend or
family member know if you’re feeling anxious or sick – let them know what you
need. If you’re well, see if a friend needs you to pick up groceries or
medicine for them – or just needs to talk. This is our chance to worship – and
to witness – in both spirit and truth.
And in the end, I suspect we will find God present with us
in ways we’ve never expected – because God is always ready and willing to go
beyond the expected conventions of this world and invite us into new life.
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