Water Jars

“The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, ‘Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?’”

John 4:28-29

Who among us can say that we have not sinned or have not done something that we wish would not come into the light? We all have a past, but that past, no matter how much we sometimes wish could be erased, is a part of our story, a part of God’s story in our lives.

We encounter the Samaritan woman at the well, who goes to draw water at a time of day when no one else is there so that she might not be shamed. She was an adulterer and the people knew it. It was not a good look to be with sinners, but Jesus not only remained in her presence, He also spoke with her, saying, “Give me a drink.”

The Samaritan woman was surprised that Jesus initiated conversation with her, perhaps for a couple of reasons: (1) She was a woman and (2) She was a Samaritan. Men did not usually speak with women, and Jews most certainly did not speak with Samaritans for they had a rocky relationship, to say the least. So, for Jesus to look into her eyes and speak to her was quite scandalizing, but it didn’t matter to Jesus. He looked at her with love, not judgement. He spoke with her to save her, not condemn her.

Perhaps for the first time in a long time she felt seen and heard and valued. Although Jesus knows her sins, He doesn’t call her by them. Instead, He invites her into relationship, one that goes beyond gender norms and religious or political factions. The woman was so moved that we are told she goes back to her town and tells the people about Jesus. This woman goes from trying to hide from everyone to now proclaiming Jesus at the rooftops, unafraid of being seen be all. This is the fruit of the freedom and peace that Jesus offers. With Jesus, the woman no longer needed to live in shame because of her sins for she knows she is not defined by them.

Before she left Jesus we are told she “left her water jar.” By leaving her water jar, she was also metaphorically leaving behind her sins, her shame, and everything else that kept her from living. A life knowing Jesus gives us the courage to leave behind those water jars we so desperately clutch onto to keep some sort of fake control that in reality holds us back from living fully and freely.

Jesus comes to offer us that peace and freedom. What are those water jars that I need to leave behind today?

Lord Jesus, You come not to condemn me but to set me free. Give me the courage to leave behind my water jars.

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For another reflection on the Samaritan Woman at the Well, see this “Power of Encounter” and “For What Do We Thirst?”

For a deeper study of this powerful encounter, see previous year’s Lenten Conference, “Meeting Jesus at the Well.”

Faithful Obedience

“Abram went as the LORD directed him.”

Genesis 12:4a

Reflection for the Second Sunday of Lent from our Lenten devotional, “Return to Me.”

No sooner after gifting a son to Abram and Sarai, God asks him to sacrifice him. On the surface it does not make any sense. Why would God ask Abram to take an innocent life? It is contrary to God’s nature. Whenever we read of these situations we must remember that God never contradicts Himself and Scripture can never contradict God.

So, Abram (later Abraham), our “Father in Faith” is obedient and takes his son Isaac up the mountain. When Abram was about to sacrifice Isaac, the angel tells him to stop and to not lay a finger on the boy. Through Abram’s actions, God saw that he was faithful and obedient. Abram’s faithfulness is a reflection of God’s faithfulness.

Just as Abram was willing to sacrifice his son if it should be the will of God, the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world to save us from our sins by being nailed to the wood of the Cross. God will never ask of us what He would not do Himself.

We get a glimpse of this faithfulness in the Gospel where we recount the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mt. Tabor. Jesus brings Peter, James, and John up the mountain and He is transfigured before them and they saw Jesus in His glorified state. Moses and Elijah appeared before them. The three Apostles experienced heaven for a brief moment. They were told, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.”

Just as Abraham was faithful like the Father, Isaac was obedient like the Son. That must be the relationship that exists between father and son. The parent has to be faithful in his or her commitment to the child, and the child must be obedient to the parent, trusting that whatever they say or do is for their good. This is how we must be with God.

Do we trust in God’s faithfulness? Do we believe that God will do what He has promised? Will we be obedient to the Father? Will we follow His Laws and His Words? Will we heed what He said to the Apostles, to listen to His Son, whom He has sent into this world for the salvation of souls?

The Father loves us so much that He did not spare His only begotten Son, and the Son loves the Father and us so much that He was obedient to His Father even unto death. May we have the courage to love and be obedient to the end.

Father, I know You are faithful, teach me to be obedient.

Do Not Be Afraid

“When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
‘Rise, and do not be afraid.’”

Matthew 17:6-7

“Listen to him” were the words the Father spoke at the Transfiguration. At Jesus’s baptism, the Father spoke to the Son “You are my beloved son and with you I am well pleased,” affirming Jesus’s identity as Son. Now, the Father affirms Jesus’s identity once again before the three Apostles and gives them a command “Listen to him.”

Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John up the mountain and was transfigured before them, giving them a glimpse of His glorified state. When Jesus was transfigured Moses and Elijah was present too, representing the Law and the Prophets. When the Voice of the Father spoke, the Apostles covered their faces in fear (for if one should see the face of God they should die) but Jesus touched them and told them to stand up. They no longer needed to fear the Voice or Face of God for they are looking at it now (Jesus) and when they do, not only will they not die, they will be saved. Moses and Elijah were also gone, telling us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. So then truly as the Father says, we must “Listen to him.”

And what is it that the Lord says that we must listen? To deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Him daily. To go and bear fruit that will last. To feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick and imprisoned, to comfort the sorrowful, to spread the Good News. In other words, to love God and love neighbor as yourself.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord invites us up the mountain today to encounter Him, to see His glory, and to listen to His Father’s Voice. Where is the mountain in our lives that the Lord is asking us to climb? Where is that mountain that we rather not go up? Where is that place that we try to not think about because it causes pain and anxiety but we know we must. The Lord waits to encounter us there to bring healing, to cast out all fear with His love, and to raise us up as He did Peter, James, and John. There is no need to fear — no matter how high the mountain, how treacherous the terrain, how dark or scary it is — for we only need to “listen to Him” and His glory will shine forth, casting out all fear and darkness and making all things new.