Meeting Jesus – an encounter for everyone. A sermon for Adel Parish Church, Lent 5, 2023

John 11: 1 – 45

We’ve had some long gospel readings during Lent! Long because they’re stories and difficult to shorten. This Lent the church gave us 4 memorable encounters with Jesus.

First Nicodemus. What he saw made him think Jesus was from God. But he came secretly at night, not ready to commit publicly.

Next the Samaritan woman at the well. An outcast from society because of her actions, she came hoping to collect water and leave without meeting anyone. Hers was a chance encounter with Jesus.

Last week, had we not celebrated Mothering Sunday, we’d have heard of a man born blind. He had no way of finding Jesus, but Jesus came to him.

Today we met Martha and Mary. Friends and disciples, their first response to tragedy was to call upon Jesus.

John chose these stories because of what they say about Jesus…that Jesus is God as well as man. They give us some powerful statements from Jesus:

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’

‘I am he…the Messiah.’

‘I am the light of the world.’

‘I am the resurrection and the life.’

For me though, the fascination is in the people Jesus encounters and how he interacts with them. Although John uses the stories to underline Jesus’ power; these aren’t just miracles to wow the crowd. Each story is an intimate, life changing encounter…each person is met on their own terms in the midst of their own lives.

Nicodemus is what we might call a seeker. He’s drawn to Jesus, but I think he’s a little embarrassed…doesn’t want people to know. Jesus might have responded…‘why are you disturbing me now – come back in the morning!’ But he seems to sense Nicodemus isn’t ready for that…so he answers his questions…and leaves him to decide what to do next. Since Nicodemus later helps with Jesus’ burial, it appears his wondering led eventually to faith.

The Samaritan woman was certainly not seeking Jesus. She visited when the well should have been deserted. She wasn’t looking for anything – but weighed down by her mistakes, shunned by others…she desperately needed something. Jesus respected her, talked to her when others wouldn’t, listened to her, understood her, offered new life. Her acceptance of Jesus was so public she brought many others along with her.

The man born blind was also weighed down – not by his actions but the attitude of society. It was assumed, even by Jesus’ disciples, that either his own or his parents’ sins caused his blindness. This view of disability as punishment condemned him to a life of begging.

Jesus sought out the man and restored his sight…showing sin had nothing to do with it. When the man was cast out again because he was healed on the Sabbath, Jesus went to him…assured him the healing came from God…assured him of God’s love.

Martha and Mary were different…part of Jesus’ inner circle. They knew and trusted him enough to be angry – ‘if you’d come sooner you could have saved Lazarus’.

These are disciples struggling in faith, doubt and fear to make sense of what Jesus means for them and for the world. Jesus doesn’t rebuke them for their doubt…he asks where Lazarus has been laid, goes and weeps with them, then restores him to life.

For Lazarus, who’s already endured death, and whose life was now in danger from those trying to stamp out belief in Jesus, this was perhaps a mixed blessing. But maybe this encounter was for Mary and Martha, for the friends who gathered to support them, for Jesus’ disciples…

Jesus knew he would be killed…knew this would test his followers. He knew the first Christians would be persecuted because of their faith. Perhaps he needed to arm them to believe God’s love can never be defeated…even by death.

Four encounters that between them cover most of the ways we might meet Jesus. Four encounters that tell of Jesus’ respect, interest, love for everyone…that show he’s willing to meet us where we are…and give us new life in the way we need it.

Perhaps, like Nicodemus, you’re a seeker. Perhaps it’s been difficult just to step into church today, or perhaps you aren’t ready for that and are watching on-line, wondering whether Jesus has any relevance for you. Jesus wants to meet you and answer your questions.

Perhaps like the woman at the well, you’re not expecting to meet Jesus. Perhaps you’ve brought someone else along today, but can’t imagine Jesus has anything to say to you. Jesus knows you, knows your hurts and your struggles and loves you whatever you think might get in the way.

Perhaps like the man born blind, you feel shunned or looked down on by society, just because of who you are. Jesus doesn’t see you that way – he just loves you.

Perhaps like Martha and Mary, you’re already a disciple. Perhaps you’re feeling your faith challenged by what’s going on in your life, in the world. Jesus says, ‘show me where you have laid him’…take me to where the body is, where it hurts most…and he weeps with you.

Perhaps like those come to grieve with Martha and Mary, you feel able to support others. Jesus says, ‘unbind him and let him go’, he invites you to be part of the healing he gives.

To each of these Jesus gave new life in the way they needed it; but for each of them it started with a personal encounter. That’s the root of Christian faith – an ongoing personal encounter with Jesus. Through stories, through other people, through making time and inviting him in.

Whether you need that personal encounter, or you know someone that does, Holy Week and Easter are the perfect time to come, walk with Jesus, and let him walk with you, and give you life.

The woman at the well – in her own words? A sermon for Adel Parish Church – Lent 3

The woman at the well – in her own words? A sermon for Adel Parish Church Lent 3 – 2022

John 4: 5 – 42

Reading today’s gospel, my first thought was, where to start?’ There’s enough there for 20 sermons. My next was that some of you will have heard 20 sermons on ‘The woman at the well’. Then I thought – John records it as a story of Jesus…but really it’s her story…the woman at the well, who isn’t even given a name.

Unless John was hiding behind the well listening – she must have shared what happened. But I don’t think she’d’ve told it like that…so here, perhaps, is her story of that encounter with Jesus…

‘It was another hot day. How I longed to go to the well with the other women in the cool of the morning. But I couldn’t face their whispered conversations. ”There she is, no better than she should be…how many husbands is it now? 4? 5?” Pretending they don’t know…not bothering to wonder why…not interested in how I was too young and he too old to understand each other…or the ones who beat me…how I could no longer recognise love…

So I went in the heat of the day, alone, only to find him there. A man, a Jew, yet he asked me for water. Of course, I answered with scorn…my protective shell…but really I was pleased. No one here talks to me…but he, a Jew, he noticed me.

Jesus didn’t sneer at my answer. He listened, talked, took me seriously. Mind you, he seemed to be talking in riddles…that’s why I remember it word for word…it was so strange. Strange but wonderful. When he talked of that living water, of never being thirsty again…I realised how thirsty I was. Thirsty for friendship, thirsty for a normal life…thirsty for love.

‘Give me that water’, I said. I’m not stupid, I knew I’d have to drink again…but somehow I thought, with that water I wouldn’t be sneaking here at noon…ashamed, avoiding the others. There was something about him…his words were beyond me, but I wanted to keep him talking.

And then, as it always does, the conversation turned to my failures…my 5 husbands, my present one – not even married. He’s come through the village I thought…people have talked…even with strangers I can’t escape my past.

But I wanted to keep him there…so I tried flattery…that always works. ‘I see you’re a prophet’, and then I distracted him with talk of religion…Jews are always happy to tell us how they’re right about religion…and we Samaritans have it all wrong.

Jesus was different though…he took me seriously…it was as if he wanted me to know, to understand, not just because it mattered, but because I mattered. For those minutes it was as if I was the most important person in his life…no one else ever made me feel like that.

And just as I was wondering who on earth he could be, he came out with it, just like that…’I am the Messiah’.

Then his friends turned up…you could tell they knew I wasn’t ‘respectable’; you could tell they couldn’t believe he was talking to me…not that they said anything, they seemed to be used to surprises.

Actually, I was glad – they gave me chance to leave. And John was right when he wrote that down…I was in such a hurry I left my water jar behind!

I knew they wouldn’t hang around long, Jews in Samaria, and I had to tell the others. I didn’t have friends really, but they’d tolerated me, left food sometimes when times were tough. I had to give them the chance to meet him…I needed to know I wasn’t going mad.

So I rushed back to the town and shouted to them…John got that all wrong though, because he just didn’t understand. Why would I have said, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I’ve ever done’? Everyone knew what I’d done…news reached a town before I did. Oh yes, people were very fond of telling me exactly what I’d done.

What I actually said? ‘Come and see a man who knew everything I’ve ever done and loved me anyway.’ Then I added those words that sounded ridiculous in my head, ‘He can’t be the Messiah, can he?’

And as I said it, I knew it was true. I didn’t understand all that stuff about living water, but there it was in me – a spring of joy gushing out to everyone else. They must have sensed it too, because they came.

They came to see for themselves…they asked him to stay, because they wanted to know for themselves. And Jesus Christ, the Messiah, stayed two days in a run-down Samaritan city. Perhaps you’re wondering why you can’t read what he said. Well it was personal you see…he was talking to us, telling us what we needed to hear.

He knew everything about us…not the facts…our hopes and fears; the things that got in the way of life; the things keeping us from God. He knew about God too…no, he knew God. When he told us God loved us despite our sins, we knew it was true. We could lay our burdens at his feet and drink and drink of that life-giving love.

I think I was the one who found the Christ because I was so achingly thirsty for love. But others found they needed him too.

And when he left? We found that living water he promised had washed out the stagnant water of our past lives. Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t suddenly become perfect. But we were able to change. Jesus saw beyond our mistakes and failures…he saw the people we wanted to be; the people God meant us to be. And when the Messiah believes in you…well it’s hard not to start believing in yourself!’

Let us pray…

Jesus Christ, you know everything we have ever done…and love us anyway. Give us the living water of your love, that we may be a spring gushing out to those we meet.’