What this means for you when someone ask you for some water, because here in America we can choose the kind of water we want to drink. We never have a lack of water. But, I can understand better than you this situation, because in Haiti, my country, sometimes people are thirsty, but they haven’t even a glass of water to drink, thirst is really hard.
When Israel was in its journey to the promised land, the people couldn’t appreciate Moses’s accomplishment. They ignored the freedom they were enjoying and the end of slavery in Egypt. They emphasized the lack of water and did not want to assume responsibility for what was happening. How many of us don’t look at what we have, instead always complaining about what is missing. It’s almost as if, when something is missing, something bad is happening, God is responsible, God is absent, God is not in our midst.
Jesus’s invitation is for us to get outside of our comfort zone to be the members of his body. We are not members of his body to box, fight and quarrel with our arms and feet. We are members of Jesus’s body to go around the world and bring his word of relief, grace and salvation for all. We are not faced with the obligation to question, put God to the test, figure out all God’s ways. We are called to change. The Samaritan woman was called to change and responded to it with hesitation. She choose to defend herself and lied about her life. This is deeply human and the temptation we are all faced with. But with Jesus, we had better be who we are. To receive grace, we had better acknowledge our sins. We can’t fool God, faking is not among the options.
For example, the group of women who are expressing their gratitude by supporting education in Sierra Leone, they are working diligently to quench the thirst for education of many girls otherwise would not be able to get educated. This Anglican women respond to Jesus call: “Give me some water.”
On this third Sunday of Lent, let us come before God, standing beside those with their back on the wall, to ask Jesus for some water, water that can clean us inward out, water than can quench our thirst for justice and peace. Remember that running after food and materials wealth might be the normal temptation. But Jesus said: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and complete his work.” Our satisfaction is to get the work done, not to please everyone.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, let always prepare ourselves and get ready to give some water to all who are still thirsty, one way to another.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen