Today’s Lenten Word Meditation comes from John 4:27-42 NRSV:
27Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” 28Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29“Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” 30They left the city and were on their way to him.
31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” 34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
39Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”The word, speaking (laleo in Greek), means to speak or properly emit a sound. This was the famous scene where Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman at the well. The male disciples were surprised and concerned that he was speaking to “those people” (Samaritans)…the prejudice between both groups were heavy as they had differing opinions on how to worship God “correctly.”
This morning I sit, hold and pray with the word, speak. How many times in my life have I been told not to speak to “those people?” I remember my evangelical church people telling me not to speak to Queer people. I remember friends telling me not to talk to gangsters. I remember pastors telling me to talk to people of other religions only to do missionary work. Yet, Jesus breaks social and religious barriers to talk to everyone, even those who will abandon him. I know that I cannot make new friends unless I speak. I hope and pray that I will continually speak and get to know others.
Pastor Sam
