The Water of Eternal Life

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 5:01 pm Post subject: The Water of Eternal Life

The Water of Eternal Life

Scripture:

So the people were thirsty there for want of water, and murmured against Moses, saying: Why did you make us go forth out of Egypt, to kill us and our children, and our beasts with thirst? And Moses cried to the Lord, saying: What shall I do to this people? Yet a little more and they will stone me. And the Lord said to Moses: Go before the people, and take with you of the ancients of Israel: and take in your hand the rod where with you did strike the river, and go. Behold I will stand there before you, upon the rock Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it that the people may drink. Moses did so before the ancients of Israel: And he called the name of that place Temptation, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and for that they tempted the Lord, saying: Is the Lord among us or not? (Exodus 17:3-7)

Being justified therefore by faith, let us have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access through faith into this grace wherein we stand: and glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God.

And hope confounds not: because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit who is given to us. For why did Christ, when as yet we were weak, according to the time, die for the ungodly? For scarce for a just man will one die: yet perhaps for a good man some one would dare to die. But God commends his charity towards us: because when as yet we were sinners according to the time. ( Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 )

He comes therefore to a city of Samaria, which is called Sichar, near the land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now well of Jacob was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well. It was about the sixth hour. There comes a woman of Samaria, to draw water. Jesus said to her: Give me to drink. For his disciples were gone into the city to buy meats.

Then that Samaritan woman said to him: How do you, being a Jew; ask of me to drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews do not communicate with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her: If you did know the gift of God and who he is that says to you: Give me to drink; you perhaps would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water. The woman said to him: Sir, you have nothing wherein to draw, and the well is deep. From whence then have you living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank thereof, himself and his children and his cattle?

Jesus answered and said to her: Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him shall not thirst for ever. But the water that I will give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting. The woman said to him: Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw. Jesus said to her: Go, call your husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said: I have no husband. Jesus said to her: You have said well: I have no husband. For you have had five husbands: and he whom you now have is not your husband. This, you have said truly.

The woman said to him: Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers adored on this mountain: and you say that at Jerusalem is the place where men must adore. Jesus said to her: Woman, believe me that the hour comes, when you shall neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, adore the Father. You adore that which you know not: we adore that which we know. For salvation is of the Jews. But the hour comes and now is, when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeks such to adore him. God is a spirit: and they that adore him must adore him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith to him: I know that the Messiah comes (who is called Christ): therefore, when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her: I am he, who am speaking with you.

And immediately his disciples came. And they wondered that he talked with the woman. Yet no man said: What do you seek? Or: Why do you talk with her? The woman therefore left her water pot and went her way into the city and said to the men there: Come, and see a man who has told me all things whatsoever I have done. Is not he the Christ? They went therefore out of the city and came unto him.

In the mean time, the disciples prayed him, saying: Rabbi, eat. But he said to them: I have meat to eat which you know not. The disciples therefore said one to another: Has any man brought him to eat? Jesus said to them: My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, that I may perfect his work. Do not you say: There are yet four months, and then the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and see the countries. For they are white already to harvest. And he that reaps receives wages and gathers fruit unto life everlasting: that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together. For in this is the saying true: That it is one man that sows, and it is another that reaps. I have sent you to reap that in which you did not labor. Others have labored: and you have entered into their labors.

Now of that city many of the Samaritans believed in him, for the word of the woman giving testimony: He told me all things whatsoever I have done. So when the Samaritans were come to him, they desired that he would tarry there. And he abode there two days. And many more believed in him, because of his own word. And they said to the woman: We now believe, not for your saying: for we ourselves have heard him and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world. (John 4:5-42)

Reflection:

In our modern day, we often take for granted the availability of water. In days past, people did not stray far from water sources as the average person cannot go more than three days without it, else they will perish. To embark into new lands without knowing where water might be found was done at great risk. So it was for the people who followed Moses, for as they journeyed into the desert, they had to trust that water would be found along the path of their travels. In times of adversity, trust often wanes.

The water which the people with Moses sought is the water which enables life within the world. As it becomes scarce, all other concerns become moot, for what can be done if one does not have water to survive? Even the greatest wealth of the world has no meaning for the person who is without water.

When water is plentiful, we give it no thought. In our modern era, all we need do is turn a faucet, and there it flows to meet our needs and quench our thirst. Our thoughts, then, turn to other things. We have little concern as to where we would turn if no longer a drop may be seen. Perhaps we should ponder, what would we do if we found ourselves without this life sustaining liquid? How might we change in what we choose to do and choose not to do? If these are our concerns for the water of the world, we might, then, ask ourselves as to our concern for the water which we might receive through the Son of God?

The water of the world may be lost to us for many reasons beyond our control. If we are not able to solve the problem of an available source, we can no longer sustain our body. This is grave, but then, we must consider that the day will come where our body will fail us and shall begin the decay to dust. We might delay this day, but it cannot be stopped. We are naturally concerned about our sustenance in the world, but should we not have an even greater concern as to that which provides eternal sustenance?

Jesus spoke of such water to the woman at the well, but her response revealed she did not fully comprehend of what He spoke. As she listened, she had the opportunity to learn. She perceived there was good reason for her to listen to this Man before her, but was it possible for her to learn in a few moments all which He had to teach? She went to bring others so that they, too, might see, perceive, and believe. They saw and listened, and from what they observed, they asked Jesus to stay with them so they might learn further. Was it possible for them to learn all which they could receive from Him in but a couple of days?

It is one thing to perceive the opportunity to learn, but it is another to allow ourselves to be taught. We might ask ourselves, is it possible to learn, in just a few minutes, all which His Word offers? Can we learn in but a few days or should we seek to take advantage by seeking to learn from Him all our remaining days?

Will we seek to comprehend the difference between the water of the world and the water of eternal life? Blessed are those who do, for, with the water which we may receive by the grace of the Son of God, we may receive the blessings of eternal life. Let us, then, seek to learn from Him. Let us, in prayer, seek the water of eternal life so we may never thirst again.

Questions for further reflection:

What is the importance of trust in the Lord to our learning?

In what ways do we fail in our opportunities to learn the difference between what is of the world and what is of God?

In what ways might we receive the water of eternal life?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier