Water is vital for life. It can also symbolize the promise of life. In their Exodus wanderings, God's people have a strange complaint. Jesus' simple request for water from a Samaritan woman becomes an opening to describe "living water."
The issue that God's people have with Moses and the lack of water in their camp sounds on the surface like a legitimate complaint. However, when set in context, you realize that this complaint is odd. God has provided for the needs of God's people several times before on their desert sojourn, manna and quail, and even water. What is the deal this time? If the complaint seems disconnected from reality, then we can safely assume that there is something else behind this peculiar complaint.
It is also odd to find Jesus in Samaria, odd to find him conversing with a Samaritan - a people considered unclean and detested - and really, really odd for him to be conversing with Samaritan woman. A simple request for a cup of water turns into an theological discussion about what Jesus calls "living water." The discussion moves from the literal - remember the problems Nicodemus had with "born again" in last week's sermon - to the metaphorical or symbolic with an interesting outcome.
No sermon video this week (sorry, the camera stopped halfway through), but there are downloads below.
The issue that God's people have with Moses and the lack of water in their camp sounds on the surface like a legitimate complaint. However, when set in context, you realize that this complaint is odd. God has provided for the needs of God's people several times before on their desert sojourn, manna and quail, and even water. What is the deal this time? If the complaint seems disconnected from reality, then we can safely assume that there is something else behind this peculiar complaint.
It is also odd to find Jesus in Samaria, odd to find him conversing with a Samaritan - a people considered unclean and detested - and really, really odd for him to be conversing with Samaritan woman. A simple request for a cup of water turns into an theological discussion about what Jesus calls "living water." The discussion moves from the literal - remember the problems Nicodemus had with "born again" in last week's sermon - to the metaphorical or symbolic with an interesting outcome.
No sermon video this week (sorry, the camera stopped halfway through), but there are downloads below.
| 03-15-20-ff-answers.pdf |
| 03-15-20-satisfying_the_thirst.pdf |