AFFFIRMING THE OTHER
John 4: 5-29, 39-42
Rev. Paul Wrightman 11/14/21
THIS IS A SERMON THAT PASTOR PAUL GAVE
SEVERAL YEARS AGO HERE
AT COMMUNITY CHURCH.
TODAY'S TEXT FEATURES
ONE OF THE LONGEST SUSTAINED CONVERSATIONS
THAT WE FIND IN THE GOSPELS
BETWEEN JESUS AND A PERSON
WHO IS NOT ONE OF THE TWELVE DISCIPLES.
HOW DID THIS CONVERSATION COME TO US?
IN OTHER WORDS,
WHO REMEMBERED IT AND WROTE IT DOWN?
I SUSPECT IT WAS THE APOSTLE JOHN HIMSELF.
WE KNOW FROM WHAT JOHN WROTE
AT THE VERY END OF HIS GOSPEL
THAT HE WAS FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND
JESUS AND PETER AS THEY WERE
WALKING ALONG THE SEA OF GALILEE
AND TALKING ABOUT PETER'S CONTINUING ROLE
AS LEADER OF THE DISCIPLES.
JOHN 21:20 TELLS US THAT
"PETER TURNED AND SAW
THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED
FOLLOWING THEM."
MY TAKE ON THIS TEXT
IS THAT JOHN WAS FOLLOWING
JESUS AND PETER ON PURPOSE
SO THAT HE COULD OVERHEAR
THEIR CONVERSATION.
JOHN AS EVESDROPPER? DEFINITELY!
AND THANK GOD
FOR THE FACT THAT HE REMEMBERED
MANY OF THE CONVERSATIONS
THAT HE OVERHEARD!
MY TAKE ON TODAY'S TEXT IS MUCH THE SAME:
I SUSPECT THAT JOHN
HAD CONVENIENTLY POSITIONED HIMSELF
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WELL
SO THAT HE COULD LISTEN IN
ON THE CONVERSATION.
I SENSE THAT HE DID THIS OUT OF LOVE FOR JESUS
AND HIS TEACHINGS.
GIVEN THE ORAL CULTURE OF THE TIME,
AND THE ACCURACY WITH WHICH THE TEACHINGS
OF A REVERED TEACHER WERE REMEMBERED,
I THINK WE CAN SAFELY ASSUME
THAT IN THIS TEXT
WE HAVE IN ESSENCE A REMEMBERED CONVERSATION
BETWEEN JESUS AND THE WOMAN AT THE WELL.
NOW FOR SOME GEOGRAPHICAL
AND POLITICAL BACKGROUND.
ISRAEL IS A LONG, NARROW COUNTRY.
AT THE TIME OF JESUS,
IT WAS DIVIDED INTO THREE DISTINCT PARTS:
GALILEE IN THE NORTH,
JUDEA IN THE SOUTH,
AND SAMARIA RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE.
THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF BAD BLOOD
BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SAMARIA.
THIS WAS CAUSED CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT
IN THEIR CONQUEST OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM
IN THE 700'S B.C.E., THE ASSYRIANS DEPORTED
MUCH OF THE POPULATION
AND IMPORTED VARIOUS CAPTIVE PEOPLES
TO TAKE THEIR PLACE.
THE POPULATIONS INTERMARRIED,
AND IN THE MINDS
OF THE "PURE" JEWISH POPULATIONS
OF JUDEA AND GALILEE,
THE SAMARITANS WERE NOTHING
BUT A BUNCH OF HALF-BREEDS,
WORSE EVEN THAN GENTILES
BECAUSE THEY HAD DEFILED
THEIR JEWISH BLOOD.
THE "REAL" JEWISH PEOPLE
OF JUDEA AND GALILEE
IMPOSED THE SAME BOUNDARY-MAINTAINING
TABOOS ON THE SAMARITANS
THAT THEY DID ON THE GENTILES --
NO SHARING OF EATING AND DRINKING UTINSELS,
AND AS LITTLE SOCIAL CONTACT AS POSSIBLE.
IF ANYTHING, THE SAMARITANS
WERE EVEN MORE HATED
THAN "REGULAR" GENTILES
BECAUSE THEY WERE NEITHER FISH NOR FOUL,
NEITHER JEWISH NOR GENTILE.
THERE IS A DEVELOPING THEOLOGICAL CONSENSUS
ON RELOOKING AT THE CONCEPT OF ORIGINAL SIN
AS "THE REJECTION OF THE OTHERNESS
OF THE OTHER."
THE SAMARITANS EXPERIENCED THIS REJECTION
WITH A VENGEANCE.
THE USUAL ROUTE FROM JUDEA TO GALILEE
WOULD HAVE INVOLVED AVOIDING
HAVING TO TRAVEL THROUGH SAMARIA
BY WALKING THE NARROW STRIP
OF ISRAELITE TERRITORY
BORDERING THE JORDAN RIVER TO THE EAST.
WE KNOW FROM THE NUANCES OF THE GREEK
THAT JESUS SPECIFICALLY CHOSE
TO TAKE A ROUTE TO GALILEE
THAT INVOLVED WALKING
RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF SAMARIA.
GIVEN JESUS' PENCHANT FOR TAKING
EVERY OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE TO HIM
TO BREAK WHAT HE CONSIDERED TO BE
ARBITRARY RULES AND BOUNDARIES
OF THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT,
HIS CHOICE TO TRAVEL THROUGH SAMARIA
WAS IN ITSELF A THEOLOGICAL ACTION
OF RESISTANCE, OR PROTEST,
AN ACTION CALCULATED TO BREAK DOWN
THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN JEW AND SAMARITAN.
AS WE KNOW, IT WAS FOR
BREAKING DOWN BOUNDARIES,
ARBITRARY BOUNDARIES BETWEEN
MEN AND WOMEN,
JEW AND GENTILE,
"CLEAN" AND "UNCLEAN,"
"WORTHY" AND "UNWORTHY,"
THAT GOT HIM KILLED.
RETURNING BRIEFLY TO AN EARLIER TEXT FROM
JOHN'S GOSPEL, I WANT TO ASK
WHAT DOES "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
(John 3:16) LOOK LIKE?"
"FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD" LOOKS LIKE
JESUS GOING OUT OF HIS WAY
TO TRAVEL THROUGH SAMARIA
THUS, …"OFFERING HIMSELF TO THOSE
WHOM SOCIAL CONVENTION
DEEMED UNACCEPTABLE." (Gail O'Day)
"FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD…"
LOOKS LIKE JESUS GOING OUT OF HIS WAY
TO ENGAGE A SAMARITAN WOMAN
IN CONVERSATION.
WE KNOW FROM THE FACT
THAT THE CUSTOMARY HOUR
FOR OBTAINING WATER WAS EARLY MORNING,
NOT HIGH-NOON,
THAT THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
WITH WHOM JESUS SPOKE
WAS SOMETHING OF AN OUTCAST.
WE KNOW FROM THE SOCIAL TABOOS OF THE TIME
THAT JESUS BROKE NO LESS THAN THREE OF THEM
IS SPEAKING TO HER:
JEWISH PEOPLE WERE NOT SUPPOSED
TO FRATERNIZE WITH SAMARITANS.
JEWISH MEN, ESPECIALLY RABBI'S,
WERE FORBIDDEN TO SPEAK WITH WOMEN
IN PUBLIC.
JEWISH PEOPLE WERE FORBIDDEN TO SHARE
EATING AND DRINKING UTINSELS
WITH SAMARITANS.
THE FACT THAT THE WOMAN WITH WHOM
JESUS WAS SPEAKING WAS APPARENTLY A WOMAN
OF DOUBTFUL MORALITY
MAKES HIS ACTION STAND OUT ALL THE MORE.
IN HIS CONVERSATION
WITH THE WOMAN AT THE WELL,
JESUS ENGAGES IN DIALOGUE STRATEGIES
HIGHLIGHTED IN JOHN'S GOSPEL:
JESUS MAKES AN ENIGMATIC STATEMENT
THAT HAS TWO MEANINGS;
HIS DIALOGUE PARTNER INVARIABLY CHOOSES
TO GO WITH THE MORE LITERAL
OF THE MEANINGS;
JESUS COUNTERS BY MAKING AN EVEN MORE
OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENT;
THE PERSON AGAIN MISUNDERSTANDS;
JESUS THEN SPRINGS A TRAP,
THE EFFECT OF WHICH ENABLES HIM
TO CLARIFY WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT
IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IN TODAY'S CONVERSATION,
WE SEE THESE DYNAMICS
PLAYING THEMSELVES OUT
IN JESUS ENIGMATIC STATEMENT
ABOUT "LIVING WATER,"
WHICH CAN BE UNDERSTOOD LITERALLY
AS RUNNING WATER VS WELL WATER,
OR ON A DEEPER LEVEL
AS THE METAPHORICAL WATER OF ETERNAL LIFE.
THE WOMAN, OF COURSE,
GOES FOR THE LITERAL MEANING,
WHICH ENABLES JESUS TO UP THE ANTE
AND TALK ABOUT NEVER BEING THIRSTY AGAIN.
THE WOMAN AGAIN TAKES THIS LITERALLY
AND ASKS FOR THIS "MAGIC" WATER
THROUGH WHICH SHE ASSUMES
SHE WILL NEVER HAVE TO FETCH WATER AGAIN.
JESUS SPRINGS HIS TRAP,
ASKING HER TO GO CALL HER HUSBAND,
WHICH BRINGS OUT HER DIFFICULTY
IN MAINTAINING ANY KIND OF STABLE
MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP.
SHE TRIES TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT
BY BRINGING IN RELIGION,
IN THIS CASE THE COMPETING TEMPLES
OF SAMARIA AND JERUSALEM,
BUT THIS SIMPLY GIVES JESUS THE OPPORTUNITY
TO CLARIFY WHAT HE'S BEEN GETTING AT
ALL ALONG.
DURING THE COURSE OF THIS CONVERSATION
THIS OUTCAST OF A PERSON
WITH MULTIPLE STRIKES AGAINST HER
RECEIVES FROM JESUS
THE MOST PROFOUND DESCRIPTION
OF TRUE WORSHIP
THAT ANYONE RECEIVES IN ANY OF THE GOSPELS
("TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER
IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH"),
AND MORE THAN A HINT
ABOUT WHO JESUS REALLY IS.
WHEN SHE ASKS ABOUT THE MESSIAH
AND JESUS REPLIES
"I AM, THE ONE SPEAKING TO YOU."
AS HER RESPONSE TO THIS ENCOUNTER,
THIS UNNAMED WOMAN
SHARES THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT JESUS
WITH HER VILLAGE,
AND BECOMES ANOTHER
OF MANY WOMEN APOSTLES
MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT,
THUS TOTALLY CONTRADICTING
THE STAND OF THE HUGE MAJORITY
OF CHRISTIANS
AGAINST WOMEN IN MINISTRY.
WHAT DOES "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD…"
LOOK LIKE?
IT LOOKS LIKE JESUS
AFFIRMING THE OTHERNESS
OF THIS SAMARITAN WOMAN,
AFFIRMING HER
AS A WORTHY CONVERSATION PARTNER,
AND AFFIRMING HER ABILITIES
AS A BUDDING THEOLOGIAN.
IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS CONVERSATION,
WHAT DOES "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD…"
NOT LOOK LIKE?
IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE REJECTION OR JUDGMENT.
RATHER, THIS CONVERSATION IS ALL ABOUT
THE TRANSFORMATION AND HEALING
THAT CAN COME ABOUT
THROUGH CONTACT WITH JESUS.
THIS IS ONE OF MANY TEXTS IN THE GOSPELS
WHERE I WOULD REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO KNOW
THE TONE OF VOICE AND GESTURES
WITH WHICH JESUS SPEAKS.
I HAVE A STRONG SUSPICION
THAT WHEN JESUS SPRINGS HIS TRAP
AND COMMENTS ON THE WOMAN'S
MULTITUDE OF HUSBANDS,
HE DOES SO WITH THE HINT
OF A SMILE ON HIS FACE,
AND HUMOR AND COMPASSION IN HIS VOICE.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU,
BUT THIS STORY DRAWS ME IN.
IT MAKES ME FEEL THAT I, LIKE JOHN,
AM OVERHEARING THEIR CONVERSATION.
IT GIVES ME A SENSE
OF WHAT JESUS WOULD SAY TO ME
ABOUT MY OWN AREAS OF BROKENNESS.
AND IT GIVES ME THE AWESOME FEELING
OF BEING IN THE PRESENCE
OF EMMANUEL, GOD-WITH-US
IN THE PERSON OF JESUS.
ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ASPECTS
OF THIS STORY FOR ME
IS THAT WHEN THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
GOES BACK TO THE PEOPLE IN HER VILLAGE
TO TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS,
SHE UNKNOWINGLY USES AN INVITATION
WHICH JESUS HIMSELF HAS USED
EARLIER IN THIS GOSPEL.
SHE CHALLENGES HER FELLOW VILLAGERS
TO "COME AND SEE."
THEY DO COME TO SEE,
THEY DO COME TO CHECK OUT JESUS,
WIND UP INVITING HIM TO STAY WITH THEM,
WHICH HE DOES FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS
(IMAGINE HOW MANY RULES ARE BROKEN HERE --
EATING, DRINKING, EVEN SLEEPING IN THE HOUSE
OF ONE'S "ENEMY!"),
AND WIND UP TELLING THE WOMAN AT THE WELL,
"IT IS NO LONGER BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAID
THAT WE BELIEVE, FOR WE HAVE
HEARD FOR OURSELVES…" (John 4:42)
THIS, I THINK, IS ONE OF THE KEY ASSERTIONS
OF THIS TEXT,
THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BELIEVE IN JESUS
BECAUSE OF WHAT OTHERS SAY,
AND BY EXTRAPOLATION
THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BELIEVE IN JESUS
BECAUSE OF WHAT SOME CHURCH
OR WHAT SOME MINISTER OR PRIEST
SAYS ABOUT JESUS.
WE CAN COME TO KNOW JESUS FOR OURSELVES.
WE CAN COME TO KNOW HIM
THROUGH STORIES LIKE TODAY'S SCRIPTURE TEXT,
AND WE CAN COME TO KNOW HIM
THROUGH OUR OWN CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM.
PRAYER MAY NOT SEEM
LIKE MUCH OF A CONVERSATION,
BUT MANY OF US CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT
THAT PRAYER CAN OFTEN BE A GATEWAY
TO EXPERIENCING GOD, OUR FATHER, OR ABBA,
TO EXPERIENCING JESUS,
AND TO EXPERIENCING GOD'S SPIRIT.
AND IN OUR ACTUAL PRAYER EXPERIENCE
WITH JESUS,
WE CAN COME TO KNOW THE TRUTH
OF WHAT HE MEANS WHEN HE MAKES
OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENTS LIKE
…"BUT THOSE WHO DRINK OF THE WATER
THAT I WILL GIVE THEM WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY.
THE WATER THAT I WILL GIVE
WILL BECOME IN THEM A SPRING OF WATER
GUSHING UP TO ETERNAL LIFE." (John 4:14)
ARE YOU AFRAID OF BEING REJECTED BY GOD?
SOMETIMES I AM.
REMEMBER HOW JESUS ACCEPTED AND AFFIRMED
THIS PERSON WITH SO MANY STRIKES AGAINST HER.
ARE YOU AFRAID THAT YOU'RE NOT
GROWING SPIRITUALLY?
SOMETIMES I AM.
IN PRAYER, ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE
IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS, GOD-WITH-US,
AND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE
A TRANSFORMATION SIMILAR TO THE ONE
THAT THE WOMAN AT THE WELL DID.
FINALLY, ARE YOU AFRAID OF DYING?
AGAIN, SOMETIMES I AM.
REMEMBER THAT JESUS' METAPHOR
OF LIVING WATER LEADING TO ETERNAL LIFE
IS REALLY A METAPHOR ABOUT HIMSELF.
AND REMEMBER THAT THE JESUS
WHO REFERS TO HIMSELF
IN TERMS OF LIVING WATER
ALSO REFERS TO HIMSELF AS
THE BREAD OF LIFE,
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD,
THE DOOR,
THE GOOD SHEPHERD,
THE VINE,
THE TRUE AND LIVING WAY,
AND THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.
WHAT DOES "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD…"
LOOK LIKE?
IT LOOKS LIKE THE
AFFIRMATION OF THE OTHERNESS OF THE OTHER,
THE COMPASSION, THE FORGIVENESS,
THE INSISTENCE ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE,
THE UNRELENTING HOSPITALITY,
AND THE PROMISE OF LIFE OVER DEATH
GIVEN TO US BY THE VERY INCARNATION,
THE VERY EMBODIMENT OF GOD'S GREAT "I AM,"
JESUS OF NAZARETH.
BY REVEALING TO US SO CLEARLY
WHAT GOD REALLY CARES ABOUT
AND WHAT GOD IS REALLY LIKE,
JESUS NOT ONLY GIVES US PERMISSION,
BUT ACTUALLY ENCOURAGES US
TO "FIRE," SO TO SPEAK,
ANY IMAGES OF GOD THAT WE MAY HAVE
THAT ARE VIOLENT, ABUSIVE, AND REJECTING.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT BY PLACING OUR LIVES
IN THE HANDS OF GOD
WE'RE IN GOOD HANDS,
AND THAT OUR ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
WILL BE ONE OF UNENDING GOODNESS, TRUTH,
AND BEAUTY?
WE KNOW BY MAKING THE CHOICE --
JUST AS THE WOMAN AT THE WELL DID --
TO ACCEPT OUR ROLE
AS DIALOGUE PARTNERS WITH JESUS.
JESUS WANTS EACH OF US TO EXPERIENCE
A CONVERSATION
JUST AS AFFIRMING OF OURSELVES,
JUST AS PROFOUND,
JUST AS HUMOROUS,
AND JUST AS LIFE-TRANSFORMING
AS THE WOMAN AT THE WELL.
AMEN.