Come, All You Who Are Thirsty

By Phil Wood

John 4: 7-10  When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

John 6:26-27  On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Matthew 7:7-8  “Ask and it will be given to  you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

 

As the Lone Ranger and Tonto ride off into the blazing sunset, having saved the town from a gang of outlaws, the deputy looks at the sheriff in amazement and asks…

Right. “Who was that masked man?”

Everybody wants to know who's behind the mask, right? The bad guys want to know, the good guys want to know, the newspaper reporters, the girlfriends, they all want to yank the mask off the Lone Ranger, and finally see his face. Batman, Spiderman – same problem.

Another good guy, named Jesus, didn't hide behind a mask. And yet, while he walked among us, there were always questions – people were constantly wondering about who this guy really was...Because he was different than we are – unlike anyone else who ever lived. He didn't think like we think. He didn't act like we act.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so were his ways higher than our ways – and his thoughts higher than our thoughts.

Andrew thought he knew who Jesus was right from the start. As Jesus was passing by, John the Baptist announced, "Look, the Lamb of God!" Andrew and another one of John's disciples followed Jesus and spent the afternoon with him. Then Andrew went running to his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah!" And he led Simon to Jesus.

But as the story unfolded, Andrew and others kept re-evaluating. Jesus didn't fit their "Messiah mold." How come he wasn't gathering an army to rise up against the Romans? Love your enemy? Turn the other cheek? What's up with that teaching?

And by the time the twelve disciples found themselves in a boat together on a stormy night, they had all apparently forgotten who Jesus was, or at least they vastly underestimated his power. They were fearing for their lives, and Jesus? Well, he was taking a little nap. They had to wake him up! Obviously he wasn't that concerned.

Nevertheless, Jesus rose and rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. And the disciples, terrified, looked at each other and actually asked, "Who IS this guy?"

Surprising statements and unpredictable actions, parables, mysterious sayings that conflict with our worldly way of thinking, it's no wonder we're confused and often have doubts. And it's interesting that Jesus, himself, and the four Gospel writers didn't really try to clear up all the doubts. It's almost like the doubts were intentionally left in, so that – even today – only the truly thirsty will ask questions, dig deeper.

So, who is this Jesus? It's a question we all have to answer for ourselves. But once we have that question resolved, here's maybe an even more important question. Is there something in you that longs for more of him? Are you thirsty enough to ask, and to seek, and to pound on the door?

Who is this guy who has the power to command the wind and the waves, yet does not seek to overthrow the Roman Empire? This guy who has no thought of changing the political structure of the day, but seeks only to change the way we think?

Is he important enough to let him? (Change the way we think?)…

Good questions to be asking ourselves during Lent 2022.

Jesus says, "Come, all you who are thirsty. Come to the waters."

Lord Jesus,

We come to you with all of our doubts, all of our questions, all of our hurts and all of our hopes. And we're knocking at the door.

We ask you to help us understand you better. Help us think the way you think, and act the way you act – with justice, and compassion, and love beyond measure. Help us to slow down, spend quiet time with you in prayer, and in the reading of your word – letting it sink in, and accomplish its work in us.

Lord Jesus, we seek that living water you offered the Samaritan woman at the well.

Lord, we are thirsty. Give us this water.

Amen.