Today’s rather long reading could be taken right out of today’s headlines. Mick Jagger’s longtime girlfriend L’wren Scott sadly took her life this week by hanging. It seems the once successful fashion designer wasn’t as popular anymore and was continuing to live a lifestyle that was bringing her to verge of bankruptcy. I found it rather strange that in 1965, Jagger co-wrote with Rolling Stone’s bandmate Keith a huge hit, “I can’t get no satisfaction” has had two other girlfriends attempt suicide. Then only a few weeks back it was Academy Award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and a heroin overdose. But this story is not ripped from today’s headlines it is from the 4th Chapter of John the story of the unnamed woman has a chance encounter with Jesus by Jacobs well. The woman at the well has deep needs from the reading I get the impression that she has issues, it appears that she’s didn’t matter to anyone. I’d guess that she feels that if she had dropped dead carrying water back from the well, people would barely have noticed. Physically she is thirsty for water, and that brings her to the well daily. But spiritually also she is thirsty, an inner thirst which drives her from one man to another and for which she can find no satisfaction. By the time she meets Jesus she is in her sixth marriage, and yet she is able to tell Jesus I have no husband, indicating that she is probably already looking for the seventh. Numbers are often significant in biblical interpretation. According to the biblical symbolism of numbers, six is a number of imperfection, of lack, of deficiency. The woman in her sixth marriage is, therefore, in a situation of lack and deficiency. Not only that she’s a woman in a culture that viewed women as less than fully human more like property with little or no rights. She’s also a Samaritan who was pretty much despised by surrounding peoples, especially the Jews. We read that Christ’s disciples were astonished that he was speaking with a woman. Imagine her surprise when her chance encounter becomes more of a transformation. Jesus becomes the seventh man off her life. Seven, the number of perfection, completion and sufficiency. She opens up to him and finally experiences the satisfaction that her souls desires. Her spiritual thirst is being satisfied by a straight forward conversation and a very simple request that we asked our mothers at a very early age “give me a drink.” First, Jesus reaches out and creates the conversion, He challenges man-made boundaries and breaks the walls of prejudice and her reaction shows is one of surprise. That was not all. It was in a public place and Jesus engages this woman in the longest dialogue we have in all the four Gospels. Jesus never tries to condemn, threaten, or intimidate the woman. All he tries to do is invite, challenge and affirm her, patiently trying to enlighten her doubts in no uncertain terms. Why does Jesus make such a tremendous impact on the woman? Because for the first time in her life she meets a man who really understands her. In her excitement she forgets her water jar and physical thirst (and so also does Jesus) and runs back to the village inviting the villagers to come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done - probably the first man to know her so well without rejecting her. Before you know it the convert has become a missionary bringing others to Jesus and to the joyful experience of conversion. Let us take a moment to listen to the words of those other Samaritan villagers that the woman brings to Jesus. They said to the woman, It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world. My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, how wonderful it is to have Christ in our life and I’m not stupid I know when our friends and other people hear the mention of Christ out of our mouth or our keyboard they get turned off. But think about it a minute we don’t know how unsatisfied, unhappy, unfulfilled or lonely that person is that we speaking to. But we know that a simple conversation or as some would say a simple witnessing can begin the conversion process because either what we tell others or the actions we show others. A simple show of faith and love can give hope to those who are hurting the addict, the homeless, the Veteran or those struggling or contemplating suicide. Let us go and evangelize by showing our faith through word and deed.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 04:34:24 +0000
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