Women at the well

Here are some excerpts of a homily a good friend had this past week. It says so much by itself that i will stay out of the way. **Also take a look at the video. Happy Lenting: **

The woman points out all the differences between them and expects rejection from him. Jesus responds with “if you knew the gift of God.” He didn’t’ say “I am the gift of God”

Meaning if she knew she was the gift of God, recognized herself as a gift of God, that’s how he saw her, and it was a shared identity.

Today I suggest we all begin at this well to recognize that we are the gift of God, Jesus is the Gift of God Everyone in this church is the gift of god And then we will be ready to ask for living water.

Often the woman is portrayed as if she did something wrong. Most likely in her culture she didn’t have much say in the 5 divorces and we don’t know anything about the current relationship

She was rejected 5 times and currently being rejected by the women who went to the well in the morning instead of at noon.

Rejection X 5 plus 1, or what if all 5 husbands died like my great aunt who married and buried 5 husbands each time with no less pain.

Jesus didn’t judge her but many commentators on this passage pass a lot of judgment. Here are five of the many rejections I have read and heard women speak of:

1. The father/mother says or shows “I was hoping for a boy,” or the son(s) in the family are obviously preferred

2. My brother/father/uncle/neighbor/boss sexually abused me, rape molestation 

3. sexism in the work place, church, lower salaries, fewer possibilities for women

4. I thought I married for a partnership, an equal relationship, now I am controlled by my husbands anger/addiction/jealousy

5. women and children are the most vulnerable in times of war and national disaster What is the drink of living water Jesus gave the woman?

Love, acceptance, He told her everything she ever did, meaning he knew everything about her and still accepted her.

 What will we do when someone asks us for a drink of water? Give them live giving water?

Who will we ask to give us a drink of water, so we will know the gift of God that we are.. Yes, God is with us, and the rejection is not everyting.

We can be healed, loved and have hope, from the one who knows everything about us And from the ones around us who give us that same drink of living water, that we in turn give to others

Women at the Well video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFZgvKNWDcw&feature=player_embedded