Sermon from March 15, 2020
A number of years ago, Steve and I visited Colorado for vaction in the summer and drove through Breckenridge and then Aspen. Even when it is not snow season, Aspen is beautiful; the Maroon Bells is one of the most photographed places. Aspen is beautiful, but you have to be careful, there are many trails, and you can get lost if you don’t stay on the clearly marked paths. That’s what happened to some skiers. They set out for excitement and got more than they bargained. They got lost. It took the combined efforts of 12 snowmobiles, two Snow-Cats, two helicopters, two airplanes and a few dozen rescuers on skis to find them.
The folks in Aspen were to put it mildly, a little annoyed, especially since the rescue cost over $16,000. If this was an isolated incident it wouldn’t be so bad. But in our quest for extreme experiences, we seem to be taking more and more risks. At the heart of the extreme athletes’ attitude is the expectation that whatever happens, someone will be there to rescue them.
Today, hikers are carrying cell phones so that if something happens they can call and have a way to pin point their location. Folks who attempt to sail around the globe in tiny crafts carry a sophisticated location device. Interesting isn’t it, these athletes and sports men and women have an expectation that no matter what they can be saved.
Too, the athletes and we are somewhat blind to reality. The reason the Aspen 7, as they were called, so upset the residents, was that not only did they ignore posted signs; they ignored the weather conditions and went out in conditions that kept the natives indoors. They thought they were smarter than the folks who lived there. They were blind to the reality of the danger the weather presented. Snow conditions may be bad, but I’m made of tough stuff, I won’t melt.
Why use this example this morning? Because I have heard similar responses to the covid-19 virus. It isn’t that big a deal, it hasn’t killed that many. The problem is not the number who die. To be sure, I don’t want to minimize the pain that losing a loved one causes, that is important, and we know that those over 60 and those with chronic illnesses are most at risk. The problem is, as we know from watching this pandemic play out in Italy, the fact that the severe cases will put a strain on our health care system to the point that we may not be able to treat all the “normal” illnesses that require hospitalization. This was brought home to me by a post on Facebook by a friend of mine who is a nurse practitioner in this area. Here is what she posted. “Y’all want to know how it feels to be a nurse/health care worker during the corona virus pandemic. Remember when the Titanic sank and the band continued to play, that’s us.”
Remember when the Titanic sank and the band continued to play, that’s us. Wow. It is upsetting that schools have been closed, retirement communities and nursing homes are on lockdown, that many have been asked to self-quarantine. We ask why? I’m not sick. What we do, since we don’t have a vaccine, is preventative, to flatten the curve so that our health care system is not overwhelmed—we are taking measures that protect the most vulnerable, so that, unlike the band on the Titanic, those on the front lines don’t go down with the ship.
What do we do then? We as Christians derive our strength from Christ even when our life is being turned upside down and inside out. As Lutherans, we proclaim that Christ is with us in the trenches—that he comes to us in the messiness of life.
The story we have today from the gospel of John is an example of that. The clear message from the bible, whether it is the Old or New Testament that we are reading is that God cares for us, provides for us, loves us, holds us in loving arms and never will abandon us. This is a story rich in details, details that reveal motives, details that help us understand the import of this story, details that reveal so clearly both his mission and the extent of God’s gracious and all redeeming love.
First, I want to set the stage because it is important to understand the relationship between Jews and Samaritans to comprehend completely what Jesus has done here. Samaritans were descendants of the Northern kingdom who had intermarried with non-Jews. They believed in the Torah but did not give the temple in Jerusalem the central place in their worship. So, any prediction by the Jews that a Messiah would come to save the ancient Israelites would not include the Samaritans on two points. They intermarried and thus were no longer pure Jews and they did not follow the laws about temple worship and sacrifice in the same way and thus were not as we would say today kosher.
In this atmosphere of mutual dislike if not even hate, Jesus comes to a Samaritan town. It is noon, the hottest time of the day. The time when no self-respecting woman would be coming to the town well. Most women would come in the coolness of early morning or evening. Only if you wanted to avoid the company of other women would you come to the well at mid-day.
It is clear that she is shocked by Jesus address to her. And unlike others that Jesus meets she does not murmur or wonder but asks directly, “why are you asking this of me?” In other words, you know the unspoken rules of how we handle ourselves. Jesus answers her in the same way he answers others, with an answer that seems to come from left field. If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, give me a drink you would have asked him for a drink, and he would have given it to you.
She, as most do, misunderstands what Jesus is trying to say and points out the obvious. You’ve asked me for a drink because you have nothing with you that you can use to get water out of the well, you have no bucket. So where are you going to get this living water? And Jesus corrects her. If you drink this water, in Jacob’s well, you will get thirsty again. Jesus proclaims that he has a type of water that will satisfy her so completely that whoever drinks will never be thirsty again.
But what is this living water? What is this living water that Jesus offered the woman to drink? The living water is the Holy Spirit. The living water is the Spirit of Jesus and his love. This living water is the Spirit of God that breathed life into Adam, that enlivens and empowers us today. God is Spirit. The person who believes in Christ has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God’s love comes and lives in that person. The living water is the spirit of the living God. The very essence of God. God’s energy. God’s love. God’s forgiveness. God’s words. God’s wisdom. God’s feelings. God’s attitudes. God’s actions. It is the very presence of God. The very presence of Christ. What Jesus wants to give us in full measure is his Holy Spirit.
What Jesus wants to do is to take his Spirit and to pour his Spirit into our spirit. His Spirit is poured into our Spirit. And this Holy Spirit in us influences the way we think, the way we feel, the way we act.
We need our inner spirit filled up every day from the endless supply of Jesus. When you believe in Christ, Christ pours the Spirit of God’s love into you. Then, that love and spirit flows out of you. The rivers of living water flow out from you, the love of Christ, the compassion of Christ, the gentleness of Christ, the forgiveness of Christ, the very attitude and character of God. That is what Jesus offered to this woman: living water, the very Spirit of God to be in her and then flow from her.
So, I ask you, where do you get this living water? Where do you get the rivers of living and loving water? From Jesus. Jesus is the source of the living water. And where do you find Jesus? In the Word. What does that mean for us today? How can the gift of the Holy Spirit we have been given spill out of us, how can we be poured out for others? How can we share that living water?
Tell the story. The woman at the well left her jar of water and ran to tell others without caring if she was believed. In times of sorrow and pain, when life is in chaos, Christ is still the center, our ground, our rock to which we cling. Share that confidence in God’s presence in our lives with others.
Continue to love and care for others. We live a cross shaped life, we receive from God so that we can give to others. Now, more than ever we need to live out our call to care for the least of these.
So what, in concrete terms can we do while we are not gathering as a community in Christ.
1. Remember that we are a community whether we are gathered in this building or not. I like what the bishop of Minneapolis area synod called it. We are physically distancing ourselves not socially distancing ourselves. So, call, text, facetime with one another. Continue to provide support for each other.
2. Call those who are at risk, stay in touch. Shop for them so that they are not exposed to the virus.
3. Emmanuel is distributing free bagged lunches. Call for details if you wish to help.
4. We are doing a blessing box. I know that we support Keystone but they may be overwhelmed if people have to stay home, lose their income. The blessing box will be on the front porch of St. Paul’s. Feel free to drop off non-perishable items—including tp if you have extra. Those that need help in our community can come and help themselves.
Most of all, remember that Christ is with us always. Let us care for one another as Christ cared for us.