Water Continued

Kenny:

A few scriptural points:

The verse you quoted is actually not the Samaritan Woman at the well although it’s nearly identical.

In John 4 Jesus tells the woman at the well:

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life”

It’s important to know that after this, in the next 2 chapters Jesus begins to reveal his identity:
“I am the bread of life”- John 6
“It is the spirit that gives life…the words I have spoken are spirit and life. No one can come to me unless the father beckons”- John 6

Then (note this is all chronological) John 7: 37
“Jesus stood up and exclaimed: Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scriptures say, ‘rivers of living water will flow from within him’. He said this in reference to the Spirit”. I think the ‘rivers of living water will flow from within him’ comes from Isaiah.

Anyway, I think Jesus said that we need to be baptized by “water and the spirit” because we need a tangibles. Jesus always gives us tangibles. We need normal everyday things (like water/bread etc.) to accompany these mysteries. Also, water is the perfect thing because it is a cleansing and purifying agent as well as life-giving and life-sustaining!

But, it’s not only an act of symbolism- it’s a direct encounter with the Holy Spirit thus an encounter with the Trinitarian God. “Because that is the great mystery into which we are called” (Bailie).
At the baptism of Jesus it says, “When he came out of the water the Holy Spirit descended from the sky” I think this is also identification because God says, “you are my beloved son and I am well pleased”. God, the almighty creator, is identifying Jesus as a beloved son!

I think John the Baptism said that to emphasize that Jesus is the savior. John the Baptism simply, “prepared the way” for Jesus.

“You my child shall be called the prophet of the most high for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way, to give people a knowledge of salvation by the Forgiveness of their sins. From the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet to the way of peace”
Canticle of Zachariah- (and to think Zachariah hadn’t spoke in months and then he busts into this awesome poem!)

Blood and water represents humanity and divinity.
In the mass…
"By this mingling of water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity”

Again, I think water (that flowed from his side) represents purification and life even on the cross, and the blood represents saving and mercy. Also, the liquids represent a universal ‘baptism’ because the water gushed form and spilled “on to everyone”.

I’m thirsty for actual water and for an encounter with Jesus.

And I love watersheds.