Third Sunday of Lent (A)FEELING THIRSTYExodus 17:3-7
Romans 5:1-2,5-8
John 4:5-42
Good morning dear friends in Christ Jesus! How are you all?
I am feeling thirsty could you help me?
This is not my question but the question of Jesus to everyone gathered here. Dear Friends in Jesus Christ, when we look at the world today we see people suffering and dying without drinking water. The trees and plants also die. Since there is no water in the rivers and ponds the animals from the forest enter into cities and towns. We do see people protesting against in various places for water. All creatures of God have the need of water for one’s own survival. In today’s first reading we see the Israelites were very thirsty in the desert. In the Gospel the Samaritans and Jesus too was thirsty. So dear friends, every one of us have the thirst for something in our lives. Today Jesus is the answer who quenches our thirst.
Once upon a time there was a man who planned to make his journey in the desert. He prepared himself and began his journey. As he was walking in the desert he became very tired. The food and the water which he carried for journey was getting over. After two days, there was nothing to eat and quench his thirst. The sun was very sharp and his tongue dried. With the heat and tiredness he could not walk anymore and felt giddy. For his surprise he saw a little hut ahead. Gaining his strength with a smile on his face and happiness he tried to get up and walk towards the hut faster, thinking that he will get something to eat. When he reached the place he saw a water pump (hand Pump) near the hut. But he found water pump was very old and rusted, there is no sign of getting water from the pump. But near the tap he saw a bottle full of water with a little note on it.
“Take this water, and pour in the pump, and when you pump it, you will get enough water to drink. Also you fill the bottle and replace it here”.
First of all he was very thirsty. There was only one bottle of water even this water is not sufficient to quench his thirst. On the contrary the pump was very old and rusted. He is in a dilemma to decide whether to drink the water or pour it in the pump.
Dear friends if you are in that situation what will you do? Listen carefully to your heart and answer later.
But this man thought for a while, trusting in the Providence of God he poured the bottle of water in the pump and began to pump, for his surprise and faith in God, he got crystal clear sweet water. The water quenched his thirst and was satisfied. He filled his own water bottles for his further journey. And continued his journey after fulfilling the instructions given above.
Dear friends, when he followed the instruction he was blessed abundantly in three different ways.
Firstly: he drank crystal clear sweet water.
Secondly: he satisfied his thirst and filled his bottle for the future journey. Thirdly: he also filled the water bottle and placed it for others. He became a victim of other centeredness than becoming selfish.
Jesus came into this world not to satisfy himself but he came so that all those who believe in him will be satisfied by HIS living water. So dear friends If only we are clear about this truth our thirstiness and longings of our hearts can be satisfied by God Himself.
Could you tell me the different kinds of human thirstiness?
Human beings are thirsty in so many ways. Let us see few of them.
01. Thirsty for Water:
This is common form of thirstiness that the entire living creature survives with it. The Israelites have experienced this thirstiness in today’s first reading. This same experience we too under go in our lives. Ordinary water is the remedy for this kind of thirstiness.
02. Thirsty for Wisdom and Knowledge:
According to the understanding of the Old Testament wisdom is considered as living water. In the book of Sirach 24:21 we read that “those who eat of me will hunger for more, and those who drink of me will thirst for more”. That’s why people are mad after this kind of thirst in the past and in the present time too. For example the King Solomon was thirsty not after money, gold, silver or power, position etc but he was thirsty after wisdom. Thus, God filled him with wisdom and knowledge. Who can satisfy from this thirst?
God is the source of wisdom. Pro 2:6 we read that for the “LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”. Even today we see many are longing to obtain wisdom and knowledge for their lives. Only God can satisfy this kind of thirst.
03. Thirsty for God:
All things are created by God so all things must be return to God. St. Augustine beautifully says that ‘Lord! My heart is restless until it rests in you’. Hence the entire creatures thirst for God. King David beautifully expresses his thirst for God in the book of Psalms 63 “O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where no water is”. Also in the book of Isaiah 55:1 we read that “everyone who thirsts, come to the waters” thus Man is in search of God and God also invites people to come to him in order to quench his/her thirst.
Dear friends, though God has done so many good things in the life of the Israelites yet their desire were only about their own selves. They were becoming more and more selfish. For example, God has delivered them from the slavery of Egyptians, He has protected them while crossing the red sea, He killed all their enemies in the red sea, He was changing the bitterness of water into sweetness, when they were hungry He fed them with Manna and when they wanted meat He provided them with quails. God was protecting them and providing them all the necessary means. Yet they were not able to understand the protection and Providence of God. That is why we read in today’s reading that “the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” (Ex 17:3).
If they have understood God’s protecting hand they might not have raised such a question. Dear friends we believe that God is everywhere. But when we encounter problems in our lives, are we able to feel and experience the presence of God? Or do we trust God during those situations? Let us reflect today. Here the people of Israel thirsted for water. Their thirst is only to quench their physical need, nothing more than that. But God tells them more than the physical thirst we must thirst for God.
Friends, do you know who was the first female disciple of Christ?
It is none other than the Samaritan woman. Because just before the accession of Jesus, he entrusted to the apostles the major responsibility of preaching the gospel to the whole world. Jesus said to them, “Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” Mark 16:15. Here the Samaritan woman goes into the village and preaches about Jesus and the people also believed in Jesus “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony” John 4:39. Thus she becomes the first women apostle of Christ.
In the gospel reading the people of Samaria quenched their thirst, longed for wisdom of God.
Samaritans Thirst:
the people of Israel were considered as a chosen race of Yahweh. But after 722 BCE these Israelites were captured by the king of Assyria and the Israelites were under the slavery. During this time the people of Israel and the Assyrians had mixed marriages. Thus the people who are not born within the Jewish race are considered as Samaritans. Thus Jews and Samaritans had race division for long time. Hence in today’s gospel the Samaritan woman asks Jesus that “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?”(For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) This wording shows how much the Samaritans had undergone suppression, pain and difficulties in their life. Yet they waited for a Messiah to quench their thirst. Jesus being Messiah comes in search of his lost sheep.
Thirst of Samaritan woman:
God chooses what the world considers as foolishness. Here God chooses the Samaritan woman as a representative of God for the liberation of whole Samaritan race. This Samaritan woman lived an immoral life. Because she was married to five husbands. All the five husbands are no more now. Again she lives with another man. This incident was known to the people of that village so they considered this woman as something strange, unholy, even some identified her as a prostitute. This woman comes to take water for her physical thirst. But Jesus tell her that “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. “Immediately this woman replied to Jesus that, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst. “Thus Jesus fills her physical thirst with the living water.
Secondly Jesus fills her thirst for wisdom. Normally, wisdom helps to discern and understand things better. Here the woman says to Jesus, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things”. Thus she reveals for the thirst for wisdom and Jesus fills her thirst saying “I who speak to you am he.” Thirdly Jesus also fills her thirst for God. Jesus tells her go and call your husband but she replies I have no husbands. But again Jesus clarifies her saying “you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly” and she proclaims to Jesus “I perceive that You are a prophet” thus Jesus fills her from all kinds of thirst. Once her thirst was quenched. She runs to the village and proclaims about messiah. So dear friends, though the villagers considered this woman as unholy yet her proclamation of faith in Christ, brought great changes in their lives.
The Villagers Thirst:
the people of this village are waiting for a long time to see Messiah. Because their thirst is that only the Messiah will teach from falsehood to the truth. Also the Messiah can teach the world that these Samaritans too are chosen race of God. When the people came to Jesus and they quenched their thirst for God by seeing Jesus. Secondly they asked Jesus to stay in their village. And Jesus too stayed in their village for two days thus their thirst for wisdom was satisfied. Thirdly their physical thirst was fulfilled when they listened to Jesus because the scripture says that Man does not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Yes dear friends God satisfy the thirst of the people. But the same God is asking each and every one of us here.
Could you satisfy my thirst?
Thirst of Jesus:
01. When we live our lives with sin God thirsts o whenever you and I commit sin God thirsts. (Jesus Asks water with sinful Samaritan Woman)
02. When you forget to help the poor God thirsts. God is thirsty. Try to check your life today? (Mt 25:35-45)
03. How did Jesus die?
Jesus died out of thirsty Jn 19:28). Yes dear friends Jesus died out of thirsty. Thirsty for what? Whenever we commit a sin, whenever we neglect poor people Jesus feels thirsty.
So, how many of us are ready to quench Jesus’ thirst? As we are in the season of Lent let us examine our lives and identify our own thirsts, our thirst for Jesus. May Jesus who satisfied the thirst of the people help us in all the ways possible to quench our thirst?
God bless you all! Amen.
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