Last weekend's gospel reading focused on an encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus from the third chapter of John’s Gospel. I shared some thoughts about that one-on-one encounter here.
Today, in the fourth chapter of that same gospel, we see Jesus with an unnamed Samaritan woman. John has juxtaposed these two encounters in a way that is meant to get our attention, in a way that makes it clear that God really does so love the world. We are meant to notice the polarities: male and female, Jew and Samaritan, community leader and socially marginalized. Nicodemus came to Jesus in the middle of the night; this Samaritan woman comes to the well in the middle of the day
And yet even as we notice these differences, I think that John means for us to see that Jesus meets each of them where they are, and takes their questions seriously and engages each of them in serious theological conversation. This is obviously not surprising with Nicodemus, a man of some social status and privilege. But it's just plain wild that Jesus treats this unnamed woman with the same dignity and respect. The disciples’ astonishment is a clue to us of just how shocking it was for Jesus to be talking to a divorced, Samaritan woman in the middle of the day. “Jews do not (even) share cups with Samaritans," we are told...
If one follows Barth's advice of holding the Bible in one hand and the news in the other it's hard not to think about the recent news about the U.S. Hockey Teams' gold medals: one earned by the women's team and one earned by the men's team and how each team has been treated by the sitting president of the United States.
I know - church and politics and all of that. But the key, as I see it, to the Baptismal Covenant is about respecting the dignity of every person and striving for justice among all people. And although sometimes the Church has contributed to sexism (and racism and homophobia) we need to be clear that's on the Church, not Jesus. Jesus is willing to challenge the social conventions of his day to model authentic encounters with all kinds of people - which will ultimately lead the pastoral theologian, Paul, to insist that "in "Christ there is neither male nor female." I don't know how to thread that needle but we should notice that Jesus sits and talks to everyone, and treats them with dignity and respect and kindness. If we mean to be his followers and his friends we must do the same.
It’s interesting to me that this encounter at Jacob’s well begins with Jesus asking the woman for a drink of water. I can’t help but to hear those words from Matthew’s Gospel about the sheep and the goats echoing in my head whenever I hear this gospel reading: when did we see you Lord? When did we not see you? Jesus responds by saying that whenever you visited those in prison, or clothed the naked, or fed the hungry, or gave a drink of water to one of these little ones in my name, you did it to me. And whenever you didn’t do those things, you didn’t do it to me.
So before the conversation gets deep and turns to theological discussion about “living water” that quenches a thirsty soul, Jesus is just a stranger in a foreign land asking for a drink of water. And while it’s true that Jews and Samaritans don’t share cups in common, and while it’s true that men aren’t supposed to be talking to women they aren’t related to in public, it is also true that this stranger is thirsty and far from home and this local woman has access to the well. Whatever deep theological insights emerge beyond this we should not miss the way it all begins: with an act of human kindness.
I think of that verse from Brian Wren’s great Eucharistic hymn, “I Come With Joy,” that says, “as Christ breaks bread and bids us share, each proud division ends/ That love that made us, makes us one, and strangers now are friends.” Someone needs to take a risk for a stranger to become a friend. Before we get to profound metaphysical interpretations, I think we are invited to simply watch Jesus and this woman sitting at Jacob’s well, having a normal conversation in a world where that isn't supposed to happen. The energy that is released when strangers become friends invites transformation and healing and encourages us to imagine the world as otherwise.
This encounter between Jesus and this Samaritan woman has everything to do with us, because I think Jesus keeps seeking us out too: all of us—male and female, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight. Jesus cares about our stories, about our lives, about the stuff everyone in town or our church or our families "know" about us, even if it is never said out loud.
Jesus keeps finding people like us in the middle of Lent, in the middle of the day or in the middle of the night. Sometimes at our favorite watering hole. He cuts through all the shame and fear and guilt to tell us everything about ourselves, especially the truth that we are loved. When he offers us living water to quench our souls, we do well to drink as deeply as we can.
