Third Sunday in Lent 2005Exodus 17.1-7, Ps95, Romans 5.1-11, John 4.5-42.Risk.
Moses took a huge risk in leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. I mean, its always a risk leading a group of people on a journey, be it spiritual, emotional or an actual physical journey. But this one was out into unknown territory, through the wilderness for 40 years, wandering, surviving on what they could and faith in their God. So whenever the faith of the people flags, whenever it gets a bit tough, Moses is the one who cops the complaints. He is the focus of the whinging. So it must have been a pretty tough job for him.
Its not as though the people had nothing to whinge about though, it must be said. Water is essential for life. If we don’t have a certain intake of water each and every day, which varies according to the conditions in which we live, then we will die. And none of us wants to die sooner than we have to. So it is understandable that they remember life in Egypt, with water and food, with fondness and longing. At least they were fed and watered there. Even if they were slaves.
It’s often easy to look back on the better days. The passage of time and present difficulties make the negative parts of previous existence a bit harder to remember, as we compare where we are to where we have been. Because we will always compare, its how we make value judgements, and comparing our present to our past is inevitable and natural. Dire circumstances in the present will usually lead to the past being viewed favourably. It’s a part of our nature, and there’s nothing wrong with it in this sense. What we don’t often see, however, is the hope for the future.
With wandering around the wilderness for 40 years its probably understandable that the future hope will at times seem a little distant. The Israelites are often held up as a negative example in this respect, yet they are human, like the rest of us. We will all lose hope at times when things are looking bad. It’s not something to beat ourselves up about though, it is to be human. If I were never to have moments of despondency, those dark times of the soul, then I would not be real. And I don’t think I would be a true Christian. I mean, even Jesus had his moment of despair and depression in the Garden of Gethsemane, so powerfully portrayed in the film ‘The Passion of the Christ’. So why should we expect ourselves to be better than this? I guess though that Jesus worked through this despair and God’s promise was fulfilled. Just as it was with the Israelites, even though it took quite a while. The risks for the Israelites of escaping slavery were worth it eventually. Jesus’ risk of taking on the established power structures of the time, and being killed by the power structures of humanity, were vindicated in the end. It was all worthwhile, because the promises were fulfilled. Hope lived.
How do we expect God’s promises to be fulfilled? How does hope live on?
There are many who think that by prayer alone, God’s promises will be fulfilled. That in order for a good outcome, for healing, or whatever else is the desired outcome, just prayer will make it happen. Now I don’t want to say that it doesn’t happen, because it does. What I am saying is that often we need to do the work as well.
There was a man who every week prayed for a win in Lotto. Every week, just before the drawer, he prayed and prayed, but he never won the lottery, not a cent. Finally, after 10 years of this, he was getting a little bit angry with God, and he told God that he was angry. “God, why won’t you make me win the lotto. You’ve let me down.” Shaking his fist towards the heavens. To this man’s surprise, God answered and said to him “Look, give me a break. You could have at least bought a lotto ticket.”
Sitting about waiting for the outcome we desire won’t make it happen. It’s through prayerfully discerned action and taking risk that God works in us. When Moses asked God about the water situation, God didn’t just say “Ok, here’s the water” – ZAP – and an oasis appeared. Or a spring water cooler. No, God sent Moses and the people on to a place where water was more likely to be, and told Moses what to do to get it. It was a partnership, with action on both sides, not a magician’s trick, or a bolt from the blue. It was the people of God who were prepared to be proactive in achieving their outcome, a people who were prepared to take action, take a risk.
Jesus took a risk in this mornings gospel reading. This woman at the well was a Samaritan, of course, so in that sense was not the sort of person that Jesus, a Judean Jew, could or would normally associate with. Jesus’ people hated samaratins. They were half breeds, inferior, unclean. And being an unaccompanied woman, it is more than a little scandalous that Jesus would speak to her on her own. But perhaps the most telling part of the risk is in the woman’s circumstances. We are told it was noon, when Jesus stopped at the well, and she came to draw water. Women usually went to wells to draw water early in the morning and later in the afternoon, at dusk. That this woman went at lunchtime signifies that she is an outsider. She has possibly been shunned. If you add to this what Jesus tells her about her marriage status, we see that she may be a promiscuous woman. Some commentators go as far as to say she is the town prostitute. Whatever her perceived sin or social standing, we know that she is a person that felt she had to collect water when no others would be around. Jesus took a risk speaking to this woman. There was a risk in terms of his state of religious cleanliness. This woman was unclean, so association with her would make Jesus unclean. But there is also a risk that being seen with this woman may associate himself with her and the reason she is ostracised, and this could lead to Jesus himself being ostracised. Her bad reputation could rub off on him.
I’m sure we have all had times when we have had similar pressures. It happens in the school yard, and in all other parts of society. Certainly the way the previous Archbishop has been ostracised is an example, whether it is able to be proved to be justifiable or not. The behaviour is the same. To be seen with a certain person is to be seen to be a collaborator, a fellow sinner. This goes a little further then and exclusion is more active than just avoiding. So Jesus risked this.
But Jesus was like that. He took risks. He took risks both because he had to, his very being was grounded in it, and because he always knew hope. He knew the hope because he was the hope. In the same way, we are also called to take the risks, to risk exclusion in the pursuit of justice and hope. And to ensure the continuation of the Kingdom and the growth of God’s church. It’s not always going to be easy, but then it’s not always going to be hard. Risk means a possibility of failure. But not to take a risk will usually ensure failure is inevitable. We don’t stay at home because it is too dangerous to go out. And lets face it, every time we drive, we are at the mercy of God knows how many other people. But that doesn’t stop us. Neither then should the possibility that it may take us several different tries at different things to achieve what it is we want to achieve, to be we want to be, to reach out to those we want to reach. But with prayerful action, with risk taking, we can step out in hope, take the risk and grow the kingdom. And grow ourselves, to be the Christians and the Parish we are called to be.
I want to finish by again praying the collect with you. I think it sums it all up, especially the reason and the inspiration for it all.
Let us pray together:
O God, the fountain of life, to a humanity parched with thirst you offer the living waters that spring from the Rock, our Saviour Jesus Christ:
stir up within your people the gift of your Spirit, that we may profess our faith with freshness and announce with joy the wonder of your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ , who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
