Sunday's Sermon - The Woman at the Well

The primary scripture text for Carol's sermon today was the lectionary text from John 4, which is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Carol began the sermon by talking about college basketball and rivalries, specifically between Duke (her alma mater) and North Carolina. She likened this rivalry to the Jews and Samaritans of Jesus's day. She went on to talk about the woman - what we know about her and what we can speculate about her. In the end, she is someone who is broken and thirsting for something in her soul - just like all of us. Jesus offers her living water, life-giving water, and reveals himself to her (a Samaritan woman of all people!) as the messiah. And, of course, Jesus offers the same to us.

One of the lasting impressions I have of this woman is how much she is changed - for the better - by her encounter with Jesus. She begins the story as an outcast of sorts, drawing water from the well by herself in the heat of the day rather than with the other women during the cool of the morning or evening. She begins the story ashamed of her past, not willing to tell Jesus her tale. She begins the story with resentment toward the Jews, and probably even toward men in general. She begins the story thirsty. But in the end, she comes to believe in Jesus because he already knows her tale, and she tells her entire village. She is the first evangelist, completely changed by her encounter. Our God is a God of transformation. How am I part of God's transforming work in the world and in people's lives?

Secondly, I am reminded of the profound importance of knowing someone else's tale. When she realized that Jesus knew her - not just knew about her, but knew her down to her soul - it made all the difference. She opened up to him and had a life-changing encounter. And so, I am left wondering, "Who knows my tale? Whose tale do I know?"

Finally, I am challenged by this woman's willingness to tell others about Jesus. I picture her going through the village, knocking on people's doors, shouting in the streets and the marketplace, talking to everyone she passes about Jesus, the promised messiah. When is the last time I shared about Jesus like that?

Feel free to comment below with responses to any of these questions, or pose your own!