"Don't Drink the Water" - John 4:3-30

We have just heard about one individual not found in the other gospels. Now we encounter another. The Samaritan woman encounter is about how Jesus tended to cross cultural and religious barriers to connect with people in need. It was common for Jewish men of the day to say, “Thank you, Lord, that I am not a dog, a Samaritan, or a woman.” Jews, when traveling did not go through Samaria when traveling, but would rather take the long way around through Perea. Jesus did not do that. He, in fact, spent a great deal of time in Samaria, the Decapolis and the area of the Transjordan (all “bad neighborhood” regions). For Jesus to speak to the woman was a violation of custom. To ask to drink from her containers of water would have been worse. Jesus chooses to be unclean among the unclean. The woman confronts Jesus about his impropriety.

Jesus turns the tables and begins his famous conversation with her about “living water.” Like the temple conversation with the Jewish leaders and the born again conversation with Nicodemus , the woman at first takes Jesus literally. She talks about the depth of the well and how this was Jacob’s well and surely he was not as great as Jacob. She talks about not having to lug that heavy jug anymore.

But soon small talk gets personal when he confronts her brokenness in relationship with me,

“You have had five husbands and the one you are with now is not your husband.”

The woman is put on the defensive and creates distance for herself saying, “I see you are a prophet,” and then brings up an ongoing religious debate between Samaritans and Jews. It reminds me of the turf wars we have today around traditional and contemporary worship. Jesus’ answer to her works for today as well,

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

I know people who do traditional worship or contemporary worship who do so for stylistic reasons or for taste. Neither are doing true worship. I have also seen vibrant traditional or contemporary worship where the Spirit of God was undeniably present, where it was about celebrating the presence of God – worship in spirit and in truth. Those who plan worship at St. Barnabas work to be this latter variety and many who come to worship services are that way, too. But it is natural for any one of us to get caught up in what we find familiar and do more mechanics than worship. Which is it for you?

Finally, the conversation gets to the hope for a Messiah, someone who could sort out controversies like where to worship and who can draw water from wells, etc. Jesus identifies himself as the Messiah. She leaves her waterpot and becomes a witness for the man who “told me everything I had ever done,” asking “Isn’t he the Christ?”

The striking thing for me here is the persistent compassion of Christ. He is not concerned about cultural walls or about religious arguments. He only wants to offer her the chance to come clean about her brokenness, receive new life (living water), and learn a whole new way to love. How might we better offer the persistent compassion of Christ to those around us? One way is to place ourselves in the place of the woman. How might Jesus have cut through our own mess to show us true compassion? How might he still need to do that for you or me? May living water from Christ be yours today in whatever way you thirst. And yes, DO drink the water!