Bible Text: John 4:3-26 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes | Devotional:
Writing this devotional was one of the hardest ones I have ever had to write. This is in part because this passage has to do with Jesus travelling around the countryside- and travel isn’t exactly something people are planning on doing in the near future. In fact, like me, I think many of you have cancelled upcoming travel plans. And yet, here is Jesus not only travelling but going out of his way to travel into a high risk area. Most Jews travelling at this time would have chosen to take a safer route across the Jordan to avoid travelling through Samaria, home of the Samaritans.
You see, there was deep-seated animosity between the Jews and Samaritans since 920 BCE. There was a lot of resentment, anger and hatred that had been passed down over the generations amongst both groups. For example, the Samaritans worshipped at their own temple on Mount Gerizim, which only a century before this conversation at the well had been razed by Israelites in the Southern Kingdom. This animosity resulted in many a conflict which made it an unsafe place for Jesus to travel, and yet, he not only backtracks but decides to go through Samaria. It would have not only been very peculiar to have a Jewish man travelling through Samaria but then he shatters another social convention.
A Samaritan woman comes to the well mid-day which is a very peculiar time for someone to be drawing water from the well. The sun is blazing and so most people would not leave the house, even for water. It is, however, the only time this woman is able to get water from the well uninterrupted by the local gossips or critics. As I read in one commentary, this woman is “morally messy”. Jesus shocks her by initiating dialogue and requesting water. This initiates the longest conversation between Jesus and an individual ever recorded in the Bible! Just think of it, Jesus travelled into dangerous territory to have a long conversation with a morally messy Samaritan woman!
While Jesus is the one who initiates the conversation it is the woman who carries it on. While Jesus is the one who initially asks for water it is the woman who finds herself thirsty. As soon as the woman asks for living water Jesus reveals that he knows all about her. Many commentaries call Jesus’ tactic “provocative theology” because it appears that even when Jesus tells this woman everything she has ever done he does not seem to take an interest in her sordid past. Jesus tells her what he knows not as a criticism but rather to demonstrate his prophetic abilities and to quench this woman’s thirst.
Notice how near the end of the conversation they begin to debate where true worship can take place and instead of disagreeing with her Jesus declares that true worship of God is not geographically defined but rather defined by God’s own nature, which is through the Spirit and truth. This is so important for us to hear this morning as we worship in our individual spaces. This is so important for us to hear, especially if you have opted to watch this at a later time. This is so important for us to hear if an elder is reading this to you over the phone. Today our worship is not about coming together in our sanctuary and praising and praying to God together. Today is about being together in spirit, a spirit of truth.
Jesus travels across all kinds of barriers and into all kinds of danger zones, high risk areas, so that he can give us living water. You may not be the ones who are travelling right now but Jesus is travelling to you. Jesus does not care about your past, and right now, Jesus cares more about your and all of our congregant’s well being, then our ability to worship together. But as we work our way through this pandemic, as we seek to be cautious but not panic ask yourself this week, “What am I thirsty for these days?” because Jesus travels great distances to quench our thirst and surrounds us with strength, companionship and grace. Jesus travels into dangerous territory so that we don’t have to. Amen