1340AFC100413 – Living Water
Read it online here, please.
John 7:37, 38 – On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.'”
Aloha pumehana, Beloved. Today’s Bible verse was suggested by a popular hymn about Peace flowing like a river. That brought to mind this passage from John’s Gospel. As I studied this short passage, several things came to mind. Please ride along with me as we navigate this Stream of Living Water.
There is no passage in Old Testament scripture that is directly similar to Jesus’ statement. In the context of what is happening in this portion of John’s Gospel, however, it is an extension of a theme comparing Moses and Jesus and invites us to think of the image of water from the rock (see Exodus 17:6). Earlier, in John 3:5, Jesus had stated to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” This echoes back to the prescribed ritual for the Priests in the Temple who must submerge themselves in ritual baths and thoroughly wash hands and feet before performing any sacrificial rite, thus a reference to the keeping of the Law.
This thorough purification required to serve in the presence of God was something which Nicodemus, a noteworthy Pharisee, would understand. Then Jesus adds “of the Spirit.” I imagine this caught Nicodemus’ attention because of a passage in Ezekiel, with which he would have been familiar, in Ezekiel 36:25-27: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.” So, just as water flowed from the rock at Meribah, so also water would flow from the Rock in the Kingdom of God. Not only that, but also those who “enter the Kingdom of God” also have a stream of living water flowing from their inner-self.
Here also we see an allusion to Jesus as the “New Temple” of God which also brings to mind another passage from Ezekiel in 47:1: Then he brought me back to the entrance of the house, and I saw water flowing eastward from under the threshold of the house, for the house faced east. The water flowed down from under the right side of the house, south of the altar. When I read that I also think of Christ, dead on the cross, with a spear-would in his right side.
But Jesus’ statement says, “flowing from within him.” Looking at the way that is constructed in Greek, ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν, it reads “out of the belly of him” shall flow living water. So it is the believer from whom this living water flows when the believer is born of water and the Spirit. To me, that clarifies the phrase, “as Scripture says,” because that phase seems to point back to the Messianic prophesies, particularly those associated with Moses and with the prophet Ezekiel.
Continuing to work back toward the beginning of our text, let’s examine, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.” Do you remember Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman? Look at John 4:13-14: “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” Jesus is the source of the living water, and it is Jesus’ power to give to us the Holy Spirit. If we thirst for the Holy Spirit, Jesus says “Come to me and I will give it to you.” Oh my. That is the opening for a COME-TO-JESUS MOMENT!
How do we come to him? As I meditated on that, a checklist of seven “steps” was given. I’ll do this in short paragraphs with links to Scripture and little commentary.
One: Repent. See Luke 13:1-5. John the Baptist’s message was to repent, and he used the figure of immersion in water to convey his message. Before all else, repentance is required.
Two: Baptism. See Acts 2:38. Repentance and Baptism work “hand in hand.” They are the ritual ablutions in the Kingdom of God.
Three: Believe. See John 3:14-17 and many others (do an Internet search on Bible whoever believes) If you do not believe, no action prior to or following after will come to fruition.
Four: Confess. See Romans 10:9-10. In Paul’s words: For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is stating his belief by his own mouth that confirms his salvation.
Five: Come. See our passage for today plus John 14:6 and John 6:37. More in just a bit about “coming to Jesus.”
Six: Carry your cross. We all know this one. See Mark 8:34-35 and Matthew 16:24-26. Most days I am convinced that I am my cross.
Seven: Follow Jesus. All of these passages lead us to the moment we decide to follow Jesus. And all of the passages help us to renew that moment by going where Jesus goes and coming to him so we can travel with him.
How, then, do we come to Him? Here again there is a traditional hymn, well-known to many of us:
- Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Yes, we come to him as we are through repentance, baptism, belief, confession, coming to Jesus, carrying our cross, and following Jesus. Sure there are a lot of things outside of those seven that form the Christian life – sacraments, worship, community, charity, love, and ongoing faith to name but a few. These hold us in the Peace that surpasses all understanding and are essential to a life lived as God has ordained. No DIY Religion can achieve that. Jesus calls us to come to him, even when we are unclean and broken, and to be reborn by water and the Spirit. He is always there to receive us, always coming back to us in the Eucharist, and always keeping and protecting everyone given to him by the Father. And you ask, “Then who is not given to him by the Father?” No one; not one at all, for everyone is invited to be his because all are called. Those who answer the call enter in for Jesus is the Gate, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light, the Joy, and the Salvation of all who come to receive those streams of Living Water!
Share-A-Prayer: Please continue your prayers for JE – possible disseminated cancer now; SK – some setbacks in recovery from a stroke, patience and compassion for caregivers; SD – received news his dormant cordoma (spinal cord tumor) is growing again at the margins; ALL our other members, and family and friends who are laid low by cancer. Pray also and especially for our National Leaders and all who are directly affected by this most recent fiscal crisis. Pray for families broken and in distress by discord, rebellion, or addiction. Repent and go to the feet of Jesus. He is calling you. You may not realize it, but he’s calling you from very nearby – in your heart. Answer the call!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
chick
1340AFC100413 – Living Water
Read it online here, please.
John 7:37, 38 – On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.'”
Aloha pumehana, Beloved. Today’s Bible verse was suggested by a popular hymn about Peace flowing like a river. That brought to mind this passage from John’s Gospel. As I studied this short passage, several things came to mind. Please ride along with me as we navigate this Stream of Living Water.
There is no passage in Old Testament scripture that is directly similar to Jesus’ statement. In the context of what is happening in this portion of John’s Gospel, however, it is an extension of a theme comparing Moses and Jesus and invites us to think of the image of water from the rock (see Exodus 17:6). Earlier, in John 3:5, Jesus had stated to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” This echoes back to the prescribed ritual for the Priests in the Temple who must submerge themselves in ritual baths and thoroughly wash hands and feet before performing any sacrificial rite, thus a reference to the keeping of the Law.
This thorough purification required to serve in the presence of God was something which Nicodemus, a noteworthy Pharisee, would understand. Then Jesus adds “of the Spirit.” I imagine this caught Nicodemus’ attention because of a passage in Ezekiel, with which he would have been familiar, in Ezekiel 36:25-27: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.” So, just as water flowed from the rock at Meribah, so also water would flow from the Rock in the Kingdom of God. Not only that, but also those who “enter the Kingdom of God” also have a stream of living water flowing from their inner-self.
Here also we see an allusion to Jesus as the “New Temple” of God which also brings to mind another passage from Ezekiel in 47:1: Then he brought me back to the entrance of the house, and I saw water flowing eastward from under the threshold of the house, for the house faced east. The water flowed down from under the right side of the house, south of the altar. When I read that I also think of Christ, dead on the cross, with a spear-would in his right side.
But Jesus’ statement says, “flowing from within him.” Looking at the way that is constructed in Greek, ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν, it reads “out of the belly of him” shall flow living water. So it is the believer from whom this living water flows when the believer is born of water and the Spirit. To me, that clarifies the phrase, “as Scripture says,” because that phase seems to point back to the Messianic prophesies, particularly those associated with Moses and with the prophet Ezekiel.
Continuing to work back toward the beginning of our text, let’s examine, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.” Do you remember Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman? Look at John 4:13-14: “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” Jesus is the source of the living water, and it is Jesus’ power to give to us the Holy Spirit. If we thirst for the Holy Spirit, Jesus says “Come to me and I will give it to you.” Oh my. That is the opening for a COME-TO-JESUS MOMENT!
How do we come to him? As I meditated on that, a checklist of seven “steps” was given. I’ll do this in short paragraphs with links to Scripture and little commentary.
One: Repent. See Luke 13:1-5. John the Baptist’s message was to repent, and he used the figure of immersion in water to convey his message. Before all else, repentance is required.
Two: Baptism. See Acts 2:38. Repentance and Baptism work “hand in hand.” They are the ritual ablutions in the Kingdom of God.
Three: Believe. See John 3:14-17 and many others (do an Internet search on Bible whoever believes) If you do not believe, no action prior to or following after will come to fruition.
Four: Confess. See Romans 10:9-10. In Paul’s words: For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is stating his belief by his own mouth that confirms his salvation.
Five: Come. See our passage for today plus John 14:6 and John 6:37. More in just a bit about “coming to Jesus.”
Six: Carry your cross. We all know this one. See Mark 8:34-35 and Matthew 16:24-26. Most days I am convinced that I am my cross.
Seven: Follow Jesus. All of these passages lead us to the moment we decide to follow Jesus. And all of the passages help us to renew that moment by going where Jesus goes and coming to him so we can travel with him.
How, then, do we come to Him? Here again there is a traditional hymn, well-known to many of us:
- Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
- Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Yes, we come to him as we are through repentance, baptism, belief, confession, coming to Jesus, carrying our cross, and following Jesus. Sure there are a lot of things outside of those seven that form the Christian life – sacraments, worship, community, charity, love, and ongoing faith to name but a few. These hold us in the Peace that surpasses all understanding and are essential to a life lived as God has ordained. No DIY Religion can achieve that. Jesus calls us to come to him, even when we are unclean and broken, and to be reborn by water and the Spirit. He is always there to receive us, always coming back to us in the Eucharist, and always keeping and protecting everyone given to him by the Father. And you ask, “Then who is not given to him by the Father?” No one; not one at all, for everyone is invited to be his because all are called. Those who answer the call enter in for Jesus is the Gate, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light, the Joy, and the Salvation of all who come to receive those streams of Living Water!
Share-A-Prayer: Please continue your prayers for JE – possible disseminated cancer now; SK – some setbacks in recovery from a stroke, patience and compassion for caregivers; SD – received news his dormant cordoma (spinal cord tumor) is growing again at the margins; ALL our other members, and family and friends who are laid low by cancer. Pray also and especially for our National Leaders and all who are directly affected by this most recent fiscal crisis. Pray for families broken and in distress by discord, rebellion, or addiction. Repent and go to the feet of Jesus. He is calling you. You may not realize it, but he’s calling you from very nearby – in your heart. Answer the call!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
chick
