3rd Sunday in Lent
Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42
This Sunday, the lectionary brings the exchange between Jesus and the lady at the well. It is the second of three consecutive weeks of profound and transformational encounters with the Christ in the gospel of John.
The Samaritan from Sychar is almost the polar opposite of the Teacher of Israel, who comes to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was a Jewish male of elevated status among his peers. Our character for this Sunday is an unnamed woman from Samaria. Gender and place of birth already place her several degrees below Nicodemus. Their encounter happens in the light of the day, but that only seems to diminish her status further. She comes to get water alone at noon. The women in her community would likely come earlier or later in the day when the sun would be lower and the temperature cooler. She seems to be an outcast in her community. Her status is really low. There is one thing they have in common, though. She knows something about the Messianic Promises (verses 25-26). But again, unlike Nicodemus, she knows nothing about this Jewish guy asking her for some water.
We tend to assume a lot about this lady, mostly because Jesus is aware she has had 5 husbands and currently lives with someone who is not her husband. Nonetheless, there were circumstances in Jewish law that would have landed her in such a spot for no fault of her own. Also, being labeled as an outcast is only an educated guess. This says something about the effect of this encounter, as John the Evangelist describes, on the Christian believer, even today.
Speaking of outcasts, Paul explains to the church in Rome the enduring hope that those perceived as sinners or of lower status have in the gracious love of Christ, who died for the ungodly. In Exodus, God provides living water even to those who are ungrateful for what God has done for them.
Bridging Faith 