COME TO JESUS, THE LIVING WATER
( Ex 17:3-7, Ps 95, Romans 5: 1-2,5-8, John 4:5-42)
Beloved in Christ, the readings of today presents Jesus as the source or the fountain of “living water”. He is the one who can quench our thirst in this life. The other forms of water that we take cannot quench our thirst forever. We will continue to be thirsty always, because they do not have the power to satisfy what our souls yearn for. Our ordinary water can only satisfy our thirst temporary. It is only Jesus who can satisfywhat our souls yearn for in this life. Jesus is the only person who can grant us eternal salvation which our souls have been yearning for. Again, he is the only person who can provide us with everything we need and is the “living water” that continues to always give to us. His divine providence never fails in our lives. As a “living water”, he satisfies us both spiritually and physically. It is he who can give us lasting joy, peace, good health, and all that we need in life. The other sources can give, but it would not last.
In the first reading, we see how the Lord quenched the thirst of the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land. You and I know how it feels to be thirsty, especially when the weather is very dried. During the dry season, we know how it feels when one is thirsty and there is no water readily available. This was the situation the Israelites found themselves in the desert. The Lord heard their cry of help and provided them with water to quench their thirst. Of course, their complaints did not show trust in God. They should have known better, because it is the same God who delivered them with a mighty arm in slavery from Egypt. They should have known that water was nothing for him to provide. They even wondered whether truly the Lord is with them. In their moment of distress, they forgot of the mighty deeds of the Lord. They forgot that God is the fountain of living water. He is able to provide them with both physical and spiritual water, which can quench their thirst forever. In the midst of distress, man easily forgets of the great things the Lord has done in his life.
The encounter of the Samaritan woman and Jesus in the Gospel reading, presents Jesus to us as the source of our living water. This was a woman who has lost all in life. The time that she even came to draw water from the well says it all, because it was an odd hour. Possibly because of her lifestyle she always felt shy to come out publicly. This was a woman who had married five men and did not succeed, and was with the sixth man who has not married her. Imagine the trauma she was going through in life, especially in the culture of the time. She will definitely become a talking point in her community. No wonder she tries to avoid this situation by going to the well at an hour when she is likely not to meet anyone. It was at one of this her usual going to the well that she met Jesus, which became the turning point of her life.She met the man who is able to transform our lives and grant us lasting peace and joy. She was transformed from that moment. Her story changed and there was life once again in her life. Jesus renewed the life of this woman.
My dear friends in Christ, before we can enjoy Jesus as the fountain of the living water in our life, then we have to recognise him first. In the first reading, the Israelites couldn’t recognise that the Lord was with them in their journey. He delivered them from the power of slavery and was leading them to the Promised Land through his own chosen prophet, Moses. But they failed to recognise the presence of the Lord in their midst. No wonder God pointed it out to their descendants in Psalm 95. “O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your heart as at Meribah , as on that day in the desert at Massah, when your fathers put me to the test; when they tried me, though they saw my work” Ps 95: 7b-9. The Samaritan woman initially also didn’t recognise Jesus as the source of living water. Until she accepted and recognised him as the destiny changer, as the transformer of difficult situations, before there was a turning around in her life. Some of us are not different from these people. The situations we find ourselves always blind us to the point that we fail to recognise the presence of God. We have forgotten that his name “Emmanuel” means “God is with us” Matt 1:23. We should know that no situation is bigger than God. We only need to recognise his presence and invite him to take charge. Jesus is ready to change your story, just invite him and you will never be the same.
Beloved in Christ, no one encounters Jesus and goes the same.His divine touch must bring a total transformation in our lives.Anytime we receive the Holy Communion as Catholics or we go for Mass, we need to experience the touch of Christ in our lives. Anytime we listen to his word, we need this touch in our lives. Anytime we go to church or any religious gathering or in the moments of our personal prayer or meditation on his word, we need to experience this touch. It is this touch whichbrings life and renews us as God’s children. Some of us continue to remain the same without any change because we have failed to open up to Jesus. We take these moments as normal routines without allowing their transforming power to take charge of our lives. Familiarity they say breeds contempt. When you become too familiar with some things, you lose their effects on your life. We all need the touch of Jesus in our lives. Don’t go back to the house the same after attending church today. Let Jesus touch you in a special way today.
The Samaritan Woman went to announce the goodness of the Lord in her life to others. She experienced the marvellous deeds of the Lord in her life. Through her many came to also believe in Jesus. To the point that the people themselves said “ it is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world” Jn 4:42. Some of us have failed to let others know the wonders of the Lord in our lives. The Lord has been gracious to us but we are failing to see. Some of us have seen it, but failing to announce it to people. Let some know today what God has done for you. We should not be always complaining in life and failing to see what God is doing for us. Some of us truly speaking, we are ungrateful human beings. Appreciate what God has done for you.
Jesus is the only solution to our problems in life. You only need to believe him and invite him to the difficult situations that you want to give up. When Jesus is in the boat of life, you can never give up. He is always with you to turn things around for your good. May the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen us in this Lenten Season to always come to him, the Fountain of Living Water. amen. Come to the living water. Recognise him! Announce him!
Have a blessed Sunday, a spirit- filled lent and a favoured week ahead.
REV. FR. Akakpo matthew
