JOHN 4: 5-42

Jottings on John…Lent 3…New2020

Let’s call the woman of today’s passage ‘Samara’ . Everyone deserves a name if not a face! In v.11 Samara says to Jesus, “Whoa there! I’m the one with the bucket!” Jesus’ response is to tell her, “You may have the bucket, but I Am the water of eternal life”. 

How might we be able to convey Jesus’ & Samara’s open-ness to each other as being at the heart of Gospel? Is there an open-ness to each other in our congregation? If so, how are we going to build on that? If not, how may we help & encourage them to open up to each other as Jesus & Samara do?

The other Samaritans make an important contribution to our understanding of Gospel when they tell Samara, “Now we no longer believe Him through what you have told us, but we have heard Him for ourselves & believe!’ Does this suggest anything about 2nd-hand’ religion being 2nd class religion’? Or is there more to it than that?

When (v.28) Samara leaves her water pot behind, is this the equivalent of others who leave their nets, boats, families, tax booths…? Are there things, or even people, we may need to leave behind to become ‘first class’ disciples? 

In a world where religion is in many cases determined by physical geography, how can we help people become more interested in ‘spiritual’ geography? What can we learn from the way both Jesus & Samara cross their physical borders that might help us & others cross theirs? Do we first need to recognise such borders exist? And help others do the same?

Does the thought of having Our Lord Jesus Christ ‘springing up within us’ excite us or merely puzzle us? Do we need to go beyond simply having such thoughts, to real ‘tasting & seeing’ as Samara & her fellow Samaritans do here?

Does what Jesus says to Samara in v.23 mean that worshiping in St Thingamee’s or St. What’shername’s needs to become a matter of worshiping in Spirit & in Truth if that’s not already the case? 

Anyone & Everyone everywhere should be able to ask for a drink of water & be able to get it

Brian

Afterthought: That Jesus & Samara become open to each other is itself a gift of God. Think of Adam & Eve in the Garden being open to God & each other before they choose to fall from Grace. How Godly are the choices we are making? Are they Life Giving? Or are we, too, falling, falling, falling? If the latter, let’s not try picking our-selves up, but pray God will open us up to God-self & each other.