Will You Give Me a Drink?

 “Will You Give Me a Drink?” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on March 12, 2023. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 47:42.

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Scripture Text:
John 4:1-42

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This Lent we are Seeking. We are asking questions.

Last Sunday, we were introduced to Nicodemus who approached Jesus in the middle of the night to ask a big faith question, as found in the Gospel of John chapter three. This Sunday, we have Jesus approaching a new character, the Samaritan Woman at the Well, at noon day, as found in John 4 as we heard today. While the interactions carry some parallels, the differences are even more striking.

Nicodemus is a Pharisee, an insider, a leader of the Jews. He is a man, he has a name, but he comes to Jesus by night. The character to whom we are introduced in this week’s text is a Samaritan, a religious and political outsider. She is a woman, she has no name, but she meets Jesus at noon, in full daylight.

Nicodemus’ questions directed toward Jesus turn into Jesus giving Nicodemus a religious lecture that roughly has been recorded into 21 verses of scripture while the woman’s questions of Jesus turn into a theological conversation between the two that lasts 42 verses. In fact, it’s the longest recorded conversation Jesus has with anyone is all the four gospels.

With Nicodemus, Jesus tells him that Jesus is the Son sent by God, but with the Samaritan Woman, Jesus tells her that he is God.

And even Nicodemus last question to Jesus is demanding more answers of him, “How can these things be?” while the woman’s final question is a rhetorical revelation to the community, “He cannot be the Messiah, can he?”

But the best parallel between the two stories, in my opinion, is the example that John 4 is of something Jesus says in John 3.

In John 3, when lecturing Nicodemus, Jesus says the beloved line that so many of us still know today.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

For God so loved the world…

The entire world.

Not just the Jewish people but the world. And to prove it, especially to his disciples that are traveling with him, Jesus challenges the very notion of who he came to save.

Our text opened with Jesus leaving Judea, where he just had the conversation with Nicodemus, and heading back to Galilee. Verse 4 says that Jesus had to go through Samaria.

But the truth is, most of the Jewish people, when traveling from Judea to Galilee, would have taken a longer safer route across the Jordan to avoid Samaria with whose residents they have deep-seated animosity.

But Jesus tells the disciples they have to go through Samaria. The disciples among others need to fully see and witness and experience and even be a part of the world that Jesus came to save. Samaria is an example of the world.

But more than just the disciples needing to see an example of the world, Jesus needed to find this woman. Jesus needed to find this woman.

How can we be so sure? Because it was Jesus who first spoke to her. Which is unlike Nicodemus who needed to find Jesus and first spoke to him.

Jesus begins by telling the woman to give him a drink and it opens the door to a beautiful theological conversation. Can you imagine that? Deep, profound, complex, complicated, rich, challenging, inclusive theology from the simple request for water.

Last Sunday we asked our worshippers in our 8:45 a.m. service to write down a question for Jesus. If we were like Nicodemus and were able to ask Jesus a private question in the middle of the night, just the two of them, what would it be? Most of those questions were the deep, honest questions many of us would ask. There were questions on sin, suffering, trials, temptations, salvation, and identity. But there was one question that one of our worshippers wrote that really stood out to me, because it was so different. And it was question that I think Jesus would answer.

The question that this person would ask Jesus in the middle of the night, just the two of them, is… “Jesus… what is your favorite color?”

Now, I’m going to test you real quick, raise your hand if you can answer the question, “Why did God let sin into the world?”

Now raise your hand if you can answer the question, “What is your favorite color?”

I can talk with any of you about your favorite color. It doesn’t matter our age, gender, skin color, political affiliation, background, or story. I can talk with just about anyone in Lehigh Valley about their favorite color. No matter their education, socio-economic class, or religion. In fact, this is a pretty good universal question that could be asked of anyone around the world: “What is your favorite color?”

Similarly, so is asking for a drink of water.

As the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman begins, Jesus brings himself as an equal to the woman. He is a dehydrated human in need of water. It does not matter that Jesus is a man or a Jew. He is thirsty. And most likely, so is the Samaritan woman, as she is at the well drawing water for herself.

The two find common ground. Both of them are thirsty. It starts with water, a basic necessity of life. Jesus needed to go to Samaria. Now he needs water. And finally, he needs this woman. And she needs him too.

Jesus needs water to drink, and the woman needs living water. But Karoline M. Lewis, in her book Belonging, writes it’s more just needing water or living water.

She writes: “Jesus needs [the Samaritan woman] to be a witness, and she needs Jesus to invite her into this new identity.”

This mutual need is what it means to belong to a community.

This mutual need is also what moves the Samaritan Woman into the revelation of who Jesus is.

Remember the conversation between the two.

The Samaritan Woman sees Jesus first as a man and Jew. As the two continue to talk, she then sees him as a prophet. Eventually he moves into recognizing him as the Messiah.

But he is more than the Messiah.

Jesus is the “I AM!” Jesus invokes the name of God to show that not only is he the Son of God but he is God.

And help us all remember? When does God refer to Godself as “I AM!”?

Exodus 3. God, when speaking to Moses through the burning bush, refers to Godself as the “I AM!”.

But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is God’s name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” God said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.”

By the way, Jesus and the Samaritan Well are at the Well of Jacob. This story about God and Moses is about both of their ancestors as Jews and Samaritans.

When God declared Godself as the “I AM!” to Moses, an entire nation is set free. The Israelites are saved from slavery. They are directed to leave behind Egypt. They are promised a land flowing of milk and honey. God is their provider, and God is with them as they leave behind what they know and as they are delivered into salvation.

So too is it with the Samaritans.

Jesus declares himself as the “I AM!” to the Samaritan woman, the first of many times Jesus declares himself as the “I AM!” in the Gospel of John.

“I am the bread of life.” “I am the light of the world.”” I am the gate.” “I am the good shepherd.” “I am the resurrection.” “I am the way, the truth, the life.” “I am the true vine.”

Jesus declares, “I am the Messiah” to the Samaritan woman, an entire world is set free. They are saved from their sin. They are directed to leave what they think they know behind. You heard even the woman left her jar of water behind when she went back to her town as Jesus’ witness. They are promised salvation. Jesus is the provider of living water, and Jesus – Emmanuel: God with us – is with them.

The Samaritan Woman’s testimony to her people cause the Samaritans to believe Jesus is also for them, in fact, they declare him as the Savior of the World.

Jesus said he came to save the world, and the Samaritans see this.  

In the Gospel of John, it’s the only time Jesus is called Savior.

And it’s interesting, because the Samaritans don’t need the cross or the crucifixion or even the resurrection to recognize this.

For the Samaritans, their salvation is not found in the events that happen during Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Their salvation is found in the invitation to be in relationship with God through Jesus. Their salvation is found in the humble request for water.  

Here, salvation means to belong. To belong to God. To belong to a community. All of this in found in Jesus.

I wonder if any of us would be so quick to rise to conflict or to leave if we truly believed that our salvation is tied to belonging to this community we call our church home.

In my first sermon to this community, I preached on the Parable of the Lost Sheep. That parable teaches us God would do anything and everything to restore the lost sheep back into the flock, no matter that cost. And the moment we met each other, we took a selfie together and I shared that I believe that when anyone leaves a community, we should say this to them: “We are less without you. We are not complete without you. You are a valued, gifted, much needed part of our community.”

I was speaking those words to each of you. And in turn, you were also speaking it back to me.

I need you. I belong to you. And you belong to me. And all of us belong to God. That is salvation.

And it starts with a request for water. Or even more simply, it starts by finding common ground.

Think about Jesus asking this woman for a drink. It was a risk. It was a risk for the Son of God and Godself to be so openly human in this moment. And yet, it is this question – and Jesus’ willingness – that leads to this woman’s transformation, to an entire community’s transformation. Jesus risks everything by speaking with the Samaritan woman, crossing cultural, religious, and social lines, demonstrates his willingness to be vulnerable. When he asks for what he needs, he shows that even Jesus cannot make it alone.

It is the same for the Samaritan Woman. Despite a long list of good reasons why she shouldn’t be vulnerable to anyone, she boldly asks Jesus for living water. And she did so trusting he would give it to her.

Jesus needed the Samaritan woman. The Samaritan woman needed him. They belonged to each other in that moment. That is salvation.

I think the challenge this Lent for each of us is NOT to just be the one to answer the question, “Will you give me a drink?”

It’s to be the one who asks it.

As for Jesus’ favorite color, although I can’t say this for certain, I think it’s the rainbow.

Thanks to be God for God’s Word this day. Amen.

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