"The Living Waters of Baptism" - Sermon for the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

The Living Waters of Baptism
Epiphany 7 – Narrative Lectionary 4
John 7.37-52
Grace Lutheran Church, Mankato, MN
February 23, 2014

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.” (John 7.37-38)

Our reading from John 7 is highly evocative today, as we have discovered every Sunday as we read the Jesus story in John. We get a small snapshot of yet another extended conversation that Jesus has with others. Although he doesn’t perform a sign this week as he usually does, he nonetheless declares himself one. And, though he doesn’t come right out and say, “I am the Living Water” as he does on numerous occasions in John, he just as well could have. And, as we have seen already in previous weeks, Jesus gets mixed reviews from the crowds. We will also see how the distance between positive and negative responses will grow in the weeks to come.

The festival referenced in the reading is Festival of Tabernacles or Booths, one of the three big pilgrimage feasts in the Jewish tradition. It was a fall harvest festival rooted in the memory of Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness from their bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land. Part of the week-long celebration was the daily libation brought from the Pool of Siloam. This outpouring of water would remind the people of God’s provision of gushing water from the rock struck by Moses’ staff. So, when in the midst of this ritual, Jesus declares that he brings living water, he again reorients people from Jewish traditions, particularly around the temple, to himself. In effect he declares that religion involves a person, not a place.

Last week, Jesus declared himself to be the Bread of Life and now he claims to be Living Water. Do you know how long humans can survive without food? Depending on many factors, most scientists believe you could survive eight weeks. That is, of course, assuming they have at least a small amount of water. Do you know how long a human can survive without water? Again, depending on factors, you could survive only two to three days. Notice that Jesus doesn’t simply provide water, but living water, water that moves and flows. That’s because water that sits in a pool becomes stagnant, not only dead but dealing death.

Now, unlike last week’s story about Jesus as the Bread of Life relating to Holy Communion, if you check a few commentaries about this week’s text about water, they’ll scream, “It’s not about Baptism!” Even so, my mind kept coming back to baptism, particularly since we rehearse many of the great water stories in our baptismal liturgy and, as we did today, in the Thanksgiving for Baptism. As I thought about Jesus as Living Water and baptism, I wondered about what our baptisms mean to us personally. In fact, I even asked a bunch of people this week, including a group of pastors.

As people reflected on the meaning of baptism, they often told a story. Many talked of how their baptism connected them to a larger community in a way they hadn’t been connected before. One person recently baptized talked of being able to take Holy Communion. A college student told of being assured that her worthiness doesn’t come from what she does, but rather who she is as God’s child. That’s a far more powerful resource for us as the baptized, one that some in Jesus’ day reject. There are two types of responses from the leaders of Jesus’ time that I see prevalent in our society today. The first is arrogance: “We know better, so just stop trying to think for yourselves.” The second response is a head-in-the-sand approach: “Don’t confuse us with the facts, we know what to think and believe.” I think many in our political system today especially embody one or both of these attitudes. How sad, for them and for us.

I was reminded yet again this past week about how our Lutheran heritage provides us an incredible grounding in grace and faith, one which allows us to reach out to people of other denominations and faiths. So, perhaps being baptized means being secure enough in God’s love to welcome and accept all people as God’s children. We believe that we know something about Jesus as Living Water, but we aren’t so arrogant that we believe we know everything. Furthermore, because of our baptism we are open to what God may be teaching us through others. As you come forward to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life in Holy Communion, I invite you to dip your fingers in the waters of baptism, remembering how Jesus provides the Living Water of grace, mercy, and love, enabling us to reach out to do the same. Amen.