Can We Talk?

Sermon by: Rev. Fred Rhines

Scripture: John 4:3-30, 4:39-42

On a slow day in heaven …. God and St. Peter were chatting….and St. Peter said to God….”Why don’t you go down to planet Earth again and see what’s going on there?”  And God said, “no that’s not necessary--I was just there 2,000 years ago, met this nice Jewish girl, and people are still talking about it. --And we’ll be talking about it again this morning.

Well, it sure is significant that people have been talking about God and Jesus Christ and the bible stories for 2,000 years. Generation after generation has been fascinated by these stories and how they affect their lives—and their faith exploration.  Such talk is significant because it leads to deeper, more exciting and meaningful conversations that talk not only about God, but talk to God as well.  This can help us take seriously and personally real thoughts and ideas that affect us—joys and concerns; good happenings and negative ones.  Our relationship with God is strengthened as we talk more and more easily and our faith lives are empowered to grow. Proper talk leads to proper action!

We could have no better model for our conversations, I would say, than this story of the talk between Jesus and the woman stranger at the well.  As I was preparing what to say today, I thought of the late comedian Joan Rivers years ago, who would usually begin her monologue by saying, “Can We Talk?”  That really grabbed my attention, and I remember it still today.  “Can We Talk?”

Jesus opening words to woman at the well grabbed my attention, as well. -–“Give me a drink!”   We find here a very ordinary woman, a woman with out a proper name and without a proper background.  But a woman who had a “chance” meeting with Jesus, -- and when she did, a woman who proved to be open and curious as to what Jesus had to offer.  This was an intimate encounter (not sexually intimate as we tend to think when this word is used today). But as intellectually, emotionally and spiritually intimate.  It was unusually deep, frank, honest, positive and direct.  In fact, this story in John 4, records the longest one-on-one conversation Jesus has with anyone in the gospels.  Even so, this account could well be summary minutes of an even longer and deeper actual conversation.  Their talk just grabs you – “Can We Talk??”—it’s lively, fast-moving, active with the two of them a good match for each other.  Both physical and spiritual barriers are met, wrestled with and overcome.

What does our story in John, Chapter 4 reveal to us here? Let’s look at the text!  Jesus had to pass through Samaria it says.  Now Samaria lay between the two major territories of Israel. --Galilee on the north and Judea on the south.  The shortest way from Judea to Galilee (as Jesus was doing here) is to pass through Samaria in the middle.  There was an alternate route, twice as long, across the Jordan River, which would avoid Samaria.  This was the “politically-correct” route because the Jews and Samaritans were arch enemies.  From the time of the Assyrian Invasion (720 B.C) the Samaritans had lost their Jewish cultural roots by intermarrying with foreigners--they were no longer “pure” in the Jewish faith--to the horror of Israel.  When we read--Jesus had to pass through, we see that by taking the short-cut, he was really doing the riskiest thing by maybe running into a Samaritan—which could be a dangerous encounter.  Jesus takes the short path but the long route.

Now if there is anything worse than meeting up with a Samaritan, it would be to meet up with a woman.  A Rabbi in ancient Israel would not speak to a woman in public—even the Rabbi’s own wife, or daughter, or sister.  Doesn’t that sound mighty strange to us today?  Societies-Iran, don’t treat their women well, today. But then, for a Rabbi to be seen speaking to a woman in public was the end of his reputation.  (You notice when Jesus’ disciples return, they exclaim surprise he is talking to a woman, not a Samaritan- which would be bad enough.)  This story shows Jesus’ actions are unusually radical--we don’t find them radical today because of progress made.  He is working hard to break down barriers with other societies and with woman and men.  His efforts to remove barriers are just as vital today, as then.

We can begin to see the vital ground-work Jesus has done for our faith conversations in the church and our society at this time--to be even more honest, direct, open while at the same time putting aside our own prejudices, our pre-conceived ideas of how things should be. (Or how things have always been!)

In our country and world today, however, we can see that vital, affirming conversations are sorely lacking.  There is a polarization that keeps many from talking to those who have a different viewpoint from theirs.  People become hardened in their opinions and consider “the other party the enemy.”

  • State governments like Florida, those in power trying to remake the rules for voting to cut certain groups like black people, out or make it harder for them to vote because they might not vote in “the right way.”

  • General anger expressed in our culture – looking at political opponents, or

About 100 Americans die on average every day from gun violence.  Currently 60 to 100 Ukrainian soldiers are dying daily in the war with Russia – according to the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. – New York Times article

  • those who think differently as the enemy rather than loyal opposition.

  • New laws to try and restrict those they don’t understand, LGBTQ+ people. Trying to prevent schools from even talking about gender issues.

  • Rise of the dangerous white supremacist movement, putting down other races and religious groups. Those in power afraid they’ll lose their perceived position of power. Our country is a war zone –just a different type of war zone than in Ukraine.

--and, of course, allowing and encouraging gun sales rather than reasonable restrictions that could save lives.  Even the mass killings of many children in schools, like Sandy Hook and now Uvalde, Texas and others don’t phase some in power who could do so much to help prevent such tragedies and ease the suffering of those already affected.  It’s devasting.

Well, Jesus takes the initiative with the woman (as he does with us) and asks here for a drink.  The woman is startled that Jesus speaks to her at all, and now we can understand why!  She knows enough of the Jewish culture to realize Jews don’t speak to Samaritans, or to women.  Now the two get into the substance of their conversation after overcoming strong cultural barriers.  Talking of the water in Jacob’s well, and the living water of God.  There is much symbolism her. (Not having spiritual background, the woman takes Jesus quite literally when he talks of “living water.”)

For Jesus’ part he was coming from controversial conversations on Baptism with the Pharisees in Judea, so” living water” could be in the forefront of his mind. For the woman’s part, the setting is less clear.  First, she is at the well in the sixth hour, i.e. around noon time, not in the early am or late in the day as was custom.  And she’s unescorted.  So, she is probably a social outcast.  The well is 6 miles out of town, an unlikely place for a woman alone to be found at any time.

The woman appears to have some roots in the Jewish faith.  She talks to Jesus of “our ancestor Jacob” –Samaritans, as well as Jews considered themselves descended for Jacob—and it is of Jacob’s well the two of them are here talking.  Well, perhaps one of her parents was Jewish.  At any rate, she holds her own with Jesus when he talks about living water.  She’s not intimidated, she’s intelligent.  This water-of-life is really Jesus’ revelation, his teaching—that brings that “oh yeah” reaction from us.  (Oh, yeah, didn’t see that before—or oh, yeah, that was there all along and I just now get it!)

The woman felt an “oh, yeah” about Jesus as the Messiah.  Oh yeah, I can believe in him as God.  That “oh, yeah” is ours, as well.  That exciting knowledge of Jesus as our Messiah!  (And what it means for us!)

Well, what else stands out to us about this talking twosome?  The woman is not only intelligent, she is self-confident, as well.  She thinks well of herself! In spite of her background, she doesn’t not feel threatened when Jesus reveals that he knows of her 5 former husbands and the man she is now living with. (In the Jewish faith back then they used the old baseball adage – three strikes and you’re out!  With more than 3 marriages, the woman is certainly down-and-our socially) Another indication she is an outcast.  But that doesn’t bother Jesus!  Jesus doesn’t reject her!  He doesn’t say “You terrible sinner.” No, Jesus’ approach is rather to be non-threatening—allowing the woman to assess and deal with her own situation. —allowing her the space to change, it you will—without the additional burden of ridicule, without judgementalism.

True Action follows.  The woman not only feels good about herself, finding a faith in a talk with Jesus, but she goes public with it.  She leaves her water jar, goes 6 miles into the city to testify to what has happened to her.  She motivates others to come and find Jesus for themselves.  She’s persuasive, a good evangelist, she’s motivated—and enthusiastic, she’s enticing.  She entices us today to come and find Jesus Christ for ourselves.

The late Roman Catholic theologian, Fr. Raymond Brown who write a detailed commentary on the gospel of John, --called the Samaritan woman, “mincing and coy with a certain light grace.” I thought his was a great description.

We could see that Jesus and the woman just hit it off; perhaps got lost in conversation with each other.  The woman’s life is forever changed after this encounter with Jesus.  She is filled with new life in the most positive way.  She has living water that never runs out and she has freedom to correct her old ways and live a new life.

“Can We Talk” -- really talk with each and with our Lord, Jesus Christ. And if we do, what will it lead to?  Stay tuned. Amen.

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