Well, well, well. Becoming seen

Last week we heard the story of Nicodemus scurrying in the night and not seeing. This week we have the story of the woman from Samaria and Jesus (John 4) meeting at noon at Jacobs well for all to see. Wells are important in-between places where all go. Wells are where patriarchs and Moses meet their wives. The well is where critical life changing encounters with God occur.

Bill Loader[1] says is a wonderful piece of drama with many levels of meaning. “As always in John its central character is God and God’s gift of life through the invitation to live in the holy space of love, the true worship in the Spirit, which is also the living space of the Father and the Son. That love, embodied, cuts across racial and cultural prejudice, affirms women, engages and loves sinners. In a man’s world a woman is the supreme example, exercising ministry, but doing so with the fragility and hesitancy and perhaps inadequacy which happens when ordinary human beings engage in ministry. That is also cutting across a prejudice of perfectionism with which we plague ourselves. The fruit of such faithfulness is the setting free of others from what binds them (including us). It is bringing to birth and caring with that as the goal. The stereotype, Nicodemus, the teacher, will not see this either.”

Jesus sees as invisible woman for who she truly is. In return she sees him for who he is – the messiah and hears the first “I am” with all it’s echoes of exodus. Nicodemus for all his learning and maleness could not see who Jesus was. She becomes the first evangelist – bringing other Samaritans to this life.

I wonder what this woman made visible by Jesus offers us as we reflect on people of persistence this lent, and gather for our AGM. Who does she invite us to see as we seek to be who Christ calls us to be?

[1] http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MtLent3.htm