Bible Text: Exodus 17:1-7, John 4:4-42 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
Scientists have recently discovered that 75% of North Americans are chronically dehydrated, meaning, they do not drink enough water. I heard once that you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. I tried it and mostly discovered that I had a small bladder. However, the science encourages us to drink 8-12 glasses a day. In fact, nutritionists suggest that the best way to find out how much water you should drink is by splitting your weight in half and then drinking that amount in ounces. The article did not say whether that was in pounds or kilograms- all I can say is that I really hope they meant kilograms, otherwise it would mean a whole lot more water for me. Preliminary research indicates that drinking water can significantly ease back and joint pain, and did you know that lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue? I suppose I already knew that water can be a powerful thing, but there is good reason to remind ourselves of that every once in a while. It ties in to last week’s message from Dan Bowen. Perhaps it takes a walk in a desert to realize just how important water is. I remember the Rev. Ian Victor telling me upon returning from a trip in Nevada that along every trail there are signs that say, “Drink Water. You are thirsty even if you don’t know it.” Staying hydrated in the desert makes sense but we too can be in need of water- without even knowing it. Clearly the Israelites understood literal thirst but even the Samaritan woman at the well who was also thirsty for real water was, unbeknownst to her, thirsty for allegorical water.
Throughout Exodus, while the people of Israel are in the desert, the Israelites appear to be grumpy, critical, angry, bitter, dissatisfied people. They are constantly telling Moses how much they wished they were back in Egypt. It doesn’t matter that their oppressors were cruel or that the work was difficult and back breaking. It doesn’t matter that they were treated as animals. Yet, I have come to realize something about the Israelites: they are just being human. We all know how stressful moving can be; imagine being in transition without a proper home for a generation or two. We all know how frightening changing jobs can be. Even when you are really glad to leave a terrible boss, if you don’t know what the next job will be or where it will come from, then one can be under a lot of stress. In all their issues and complaining perhaps the Israelites were just really scared. Their faith was being tested in an incredible way, in fact, it had been tested for hundreds of years while they lived as slaves and now here they are travelling in the desert where food and water are scarce. While we may not be able to live by bread alone, we cannot live without food or water.
As I mentioned this is one of the early wilderness stories. Their adventure is just beginning and their freedom is a mixed blessing in part due to the fact that while they are no longer enslaved they are still without country. This means that the Israelites are still at risk- while they might have been slaves in Egypt they had some form of security, they knew where their next meal was coming from, they knew where they stood in the hierarchy, but now they are in the wilderness- with none of that to help them navigate the land or explain who they are within it. As one commentator put it, “Their new enslavement becomes all too clear when the water runs out in the midst of the desert.” Despite the fact that they were slaves in Egypt, they are about to experience a crisis in the desert. And so they ask the question so many of us have asked before: “Is God in our midst or not!?” But water can be a powerful thing.
I actually have sympathy for the Israelites. They are barely finished their song of celebration in Exodus 15 and are confronted with the unknown risks, wonders and fears of the desert. And let’s be honest, as the story continues Moses is kind of useless. At first he tells them to quit their complaining. It is only once they start to get aggressive that Moses turns to God with his hands up in the air and asks, “What am I supposed to do?” While God doesn’t say as much, other stories would tell us that if Moses had turned to God in the first place than perhaps water would have become apparent a little earlier. It is a good reminder to me and likely for all of us, more often than not, we try to resolve a situation by our own means rather than turning to God in prayer. It is only after we have tried everything else that we ask God for help. Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort, but I know it happens to me all the time and I suspect it happens to others.
The miracle of water from the rock says a lot about who God is; for example, when asked, God does respond, or God does care for the needs of God’s people. However, this miracle also demonstrates a major shift that most of us don’t catch on a first reading. Israel’s dependency is transferred from Egypt to God. Yes, a compassionate God met the needs of the people even as they found themselves in the wilderness, but also that salvation is not independent or brought on by our own power; rather it is dependent upon and brought on by God.
This leads us well into the Gospel story. We often refer to Jesus’ salvific ability as being one that saves souls, but over and over throughout the Gospel Jesus demonstrates very practical concerns for others: for the well-being of friends and strangers, wealthy or marginalized, healing physical illness or granting spiritual relief. In this passage Jesus saves both through his actions and his words. We have discussed in the past just how shocking Jesus’ request would have been to this Samaritan woman. It is important to remind ourselves that Jesus overcomes exclusivity by becoming vulnerable. Jesus’ first words are “Give me a drink.” What is powerful about these words and Jesus’ vulnerability is that he gives the woman the upper hand. He allows the woman to exercise power- it is up to her whether she feels like giving him a drink or not. Water can be a powerful thing.
Jesus changes this woman’s life just by asking for a drink of water. While the woman doesn’t quite understand the allegorical speak that Jesus spouts, Jesus eventually takes the initiative to reveal himself and he does it by stating who she is. Yet, in the way he does it, it does not seem like Jesus has much interest in her sordid past- he does it to demonstrate his divine capacities. Rightly, the woman perceives his abilities, and the dialogue continues.
At our book study on Grace a couple of weeks ago Philip Yancey referred to this story as he discussed how to be grace-filled with someone even when you disagree with their behaviour or opinion. He said that in this story Jesus does not start out by pointing out this woman’s immorality but instead in affect says, “I sense you’re thirsty, the water that you have been drinking, does it satisfy you?” “Oh no, she replies. “Would you like to learn about a different kind of water? A living water that will never run dry?” and then this unlikely woman becomes Jesus’ very first missionary- taking the story of Christ to her village. Yancey said that whenever he meets people with whom he disagrees he says this prayer, “Lord, help me not to see, “What a repulsive person. What an immoral person.” Rather, help me to see, “What a thirsty person.”” We are all thirsty and we may not even know it but water can be a powerful thing.
As we continue our Lenten project to support Project Watershed, this seems all the more true. Both literal and figurative water is needed to quench our thirst, to trust that God responds to our needs, that Jesus offers living water, that we are all equally thirsty people. Amen