Posts Tagged ‘Woman at Well; Lenten Confession;’

The Woman at the Well- A Confession

Sunday, March 23rd, 2014

Third Sunday of Lent

Ex 17: 3-7; Rom 5: 1-2, 5-8; John 4: 5-42

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

As you sit here in this pew this today, listening to all these words about water, spirit, and everlasting life, let me ask this question:  Just what is it that you are here for today?  Are you thirsting for something special?  Or are you here for a refreshing drink of water, so to speak, a respite from the humdrum of life?   

I noticed something very interesting about the Gospel, that when the woman went to the well she was not thirsting for something special, the answer to questions about the meaning of life.  Nothing like that was on her mind.  She was just looking for water; she was looking to just get by for that day, to quench her normal thirst.   

I think that is probably true for most of us here as well.  We didn’t come here this morning expecting something special.  But you know what, just like the woman at the well, God has other plans for us if we are willing to listen to Him.   

I am in a Bible Study session this Lent that breaks down the readings each week.  The other night, we did the session for this week’s readings.  There was an interesting pictorial in the lesson.  Picture this in your mind:  Jesus is sitting on the edge of the well holding a cup, with the woman kneeling next to him with her water jar and rope.  Jesus is looking at the woman as one who is instructing.   She is looking at Jesus with intense concentration and a great sense of peace.  The area around them is otherwise deserted so this was clearly a private and open discussion.   

The thought came to my mind that it was as if Jesus was hearing this woman’s confession.  And you know what?  That is kind of what happened to her, wasn’t it?  Only Jesus tells her what’s wrong with her life; she doesn’t have to bring it up.  Here she is, just coming to the well to get water, and all of a sudden, she is confronted with the essence of what bothers her in life.  She didn’t expect it, it just happened.  But what happened next, her conversion, happened because she opened up and listened to Jesus.  She recognized that she was thirsting for something more in life, and that Jesus had hit upon it. 

Her life-long search for fulfillment had resulted in 5 failed marriages and now she was involved with a sixth man, not her husband.  But none of those 6 relationships had quenched her inner thirst.  Jesus awakened in her the thirst for meaning in life.  And then Jesus was there to fill the void with the promise to provide “living water”, something that would quench her thirst for all time- a way to realize everlasting life.   

It would be hard to summarize the meaning of Lent more succinctly than the story of the woman at the well does.   Each and every one of us, deep down, has a thirst, an inner voice of unrest that cannot be quenched.  This voice tells us there must be something more to life than what we are experiencing.  Most of the time we suppress that thirst and just get on with life as we know it.  And we become blinded to what it is that is holding us back.  Lent is the perfect time to change all that. 

Just like the woman at the well, we came here today with good intentions, but not necessarily for a conversion of heart.  Just like her, we can be blind to what is holding us back until Jesus opens our eyes.  When Jesus spoke to her, and she listened, that all changed.  Just so, we are called to listen for God’s plan for us- to seek out the living water, the spirit of God, especially during the season of Lent.   

One of the roadblocks to conversion of the heart is our attitude.  The Old Testament reading talks about the Israelis grumbling against God and the reality of the harsh, dry, desert they found themselves in.  God does not like grumbling, no more than we like a whining child. But many of us feel like grumbling as well.  The economy and job situation is still a problem; we read of dangerously volatile conditions in places like the Ukraine and Syria that could escalate into major wars; and our moral code as Christians continues to be under attack by our own Government  with issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and other areas.  And all of that and much more can cause us to be angry and grumble.    

In fact, the Israelis were so angry and distraught that Moses feared for his life.  Notice, though, that Moses appeals to God for help- he didn’t ask for water.  It was God who answered the prayer with a promise to give the people water- water, an absolutely essential commodity to sustain life as we know it.   

So perhaps some of you are here because you are angry about something- something not going well in your life. Rather than grumble, put your anger aside and really listen to God.  His message may not be what we expect; because God is mostly concerned about what is in our hearts- that’s what we take forward with us into the Kingdom of God.   

Consider your encounter with Jesus today after Communion like a session with Jesus in the confessional.  Let him tell you what is wrong with your life.  Listen, and joyfully respond with your hearts.  Remember our Psalm: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”