Drinking From The Living Water

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

March 14, 2023

in Spritual Growth

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3rd Sunday of Lent
Readings: Exodus 17:1-7
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-26, 39-42

In this season called Lent, Christ teaches us about life and the purpose of this life that He has provided. The scripture, John 3:16 not only encompasses the love of God for mankind but of all creation. We must listen to God and not other voices. We must receive the message from Him. Today’s Gospel has several important points. One of which is “water.” Christ uses water as a symbol to show us its importance.

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Vs. 6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.” This shows that the land is established in water. If we are to grasp the meaning and understand the importance of water, we will never run out of it. The Old Testament mentions water many times; the splitting of the Red Sea, the striking of the rock by Moses to produce water; the ability of water destroying evil but saving Noah, his family and the animals. In the New Testament, water is mentioned in Baptism. Water also symbolizes cleansing.

We see Christ passing through Samaria on this one particular day on His way to Galilee. Tired and weary from his journey, He sits down beside the well of Jacob. The well has a most important function because this is where people draw water from. In the olden times, wells were dug by hand. So while Jesus was seated there resting, a Samaritan woman

comes near the well. Jesus asks the woman to give Him a drink. She wondered why Jesus, a Jew, would be asking her. He said if she only knew the gift of God, He would her living water. The woman said, “but you have nothing to draw water out with.” Jesus then tells her that if she drinks from the water He was referrlng to, she will never be thirsty again, for it is the water of eternal life. Jesus was talking about spiritual water. He wanted to bring out the principle that the things of God are more important. Jesus also revealed that when she said she had no husband, it was the truth because she had had five husbands. The woman perceived Jesus to be a prophet. She continued to say, “Sir, you Jews worship in Jerusalem while our ancestors worship in this mountain.” Jesus responded, “an hour is coming that true worshippers will worship God in spirit and in truth.” He was letting us know that wherever we are, we are to worship Him in our lives. It’s not just thinking about the truth but living it out everyday. God is love, and we can experience this love. The woman went back to the city and tells the people about Jesus. The people began to believe and wanted to see for themselves. So they invited Jesus to stay with them and He stayed for two days.

People think that it is enough by simply going to church. Some even say as long as they get to receive the Eucharist, they’ll be fine. But true worship should be lived out. The words of Christ should sink deep in our hearts. What Christ says, we should agree. We must understand that He is with us. He is in us to cause us to change our lives. We need to go to the well. We need to go to the living water. Scripture tells us that when we drink from this water, out of our innermost being will flow out rivers of living water. We are challenged in this season to set our course aright. God will supply all our needs. And in Him, all things bring life to us.