“The Living Water Window”
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An appreciation –
By Dr. John A. Dalles
In the Gospel of John,
Chapter Four, we find the encounter between the woman of Samaria and Jesus
Christ which is depicted in our new Sanctuary stained glass window. It is to this Samaritan woman that Jesus
speaks of giving “living water.” He does
not share this message with His disciples or with the women of his inner circle
of followers, but only to one who was for all intents and purposes outside the
covenant, on the fringe of acceptability.
This is why the two central figures of the window are shown in colorful
detail. This is how Christ meets each of
us—individually—at the place of our deepest need. All of the many other figures in the window
are shown indistinctly and at a distance.
They are busy or distracted, going about their lives, moving in and out
of the picture. One figure, closer at
hand, appears to be listening as the conversation unfolds. That figure reminds us that an eyewitness
overheard and then repeated the story to John the Evangelist, who recorded it
forever in his Gospel.
Jesus wears His seamless
white robe—even on the darkest day, His presence is the brightness of any
scene. The Lord’s hand is outstretched,
open, showing His willingness to give.
The woman is beautiful and well-dressed.
But notice she is garbed in somber tones, a visual metaphor of her
solemn frame of mind. She holds her
empty water jar tightly, clasping it close to her with both of her hands. The empty jar symbolizes the deep thirst of
the woman’s soul. Even the ground around them is parched and dusty; it can
support only the heartiest of scrub-like plants and weeds. Beside the well are other jars—representing
other souls—longing to be filled.
When Jesus talks about
giving “living water” the expression connotes running water, or a spring of
water. This is shown in the woman’s
reply. It is as if she says to Jesus, “You cannot even draw well water—so how
can you offer me spring water?” But
we who are privileged to listen and learn from their conversation understand
that more is meant when Jesus speaks of giving “living water.” The “more” that is meant is Jesus,
Himself. Living water comes from Christ
alone. Jesus is the only one who can
give it. In John 4:14 Jesus says, “Those
who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in
them a spring of water gushing up eternal life.” And to Christ, the Samaritan woman answers: “Sir, give me this water, so that I may
never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” This is the central moment in the longer
conversation, as Jesus reaches out to someone on the margins of society and
reveals to her the secret of the ages.
Jesus knows that within the human heart is a great spiritual thirst for
God. Jesus also understands that the
only way we can quench that great spiritual thirst is by turning away from
materialism and pleasure-seeking.
The woman of Sychar had to go to the
well every day. She went, in the heat of
the day. She went alone—unwelcome among
others. The woman of Sychar’s special needs may not have been the same as
ours. But like the Samaritan woman, we
also long for:
“A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat
And the burdens of the day.”
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Elizabeth C. Celphane, 1872
Just as water is
indispensable for human life, so too Jesus is indispensable for salvation. Christ’s life giving power is based on His
purity and His holiness. Jesus is the
source of all that we need and Jesus can quench all that we are thirsting
for. Jesus brings life. Jesus gives life. Jesus is life. By trusting Him, parched souls are refreshed
in ways no ordinary water can accomplish.
There is a natural end to our search for a deeper and more meaningful
life, and we find it as we enter into relationship with the Living God. To be “in Christ” is for our souls to never
be thirsty. To be “in Christ” is to no
longer have to keep coming to the well to draw water.
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