Are You Thirsty?

The Gospel of John and its complex structure has challenged Bible scholars through the years. Jesus' actions and his discourses at the principal feasts are reported in Chapters 5-10. Much of his public ministry takes place in Jerusalem at the temple in the context of the major feasts.

A seminary professor and Bible student said recently, "Every text that is handled by anyone is interpreted. The texts must continue to be interpreted to stay alive." My title is an invitation for this study to come alive as we examine it in context and use our relational method for interpretation.

I. Listen: Read aloud John 7:37-44

Allow yourself to question what might be happening here, then read the larger story, chapter 7:1-44. (If you are in a group, assign parts for the many different voices in these verses.) Try to identify all of the different reactions to Jesus. Are any of them yours? What would your question be? Why would the invitation "to come if you are thirsty" have such appeal and stimulate such varied reactions?

II. Reflect: The Feast of Tabernacles

To understand what Jesus says we need some knowledge of the celebration of Tabernacles. The feast was dramatized by a solemn ceremony. On each of the seven mornings, a procession went down to the fountain of Gihon which supplied water to the pool of Siloam. There the priest filled a golden pitcher with water as the choir repeated Isaiah 12:3, "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." The procession went up to the Temple through the Water Gate. The crowds carried symbols of Tabernacles – branches of myrtle and twigs of lemon, a sign of harvest. (The autumnal feast was celebrated outside in the vineyards where they made huts of tree branches remembering their time of living in tents in the wilderness, Leviticus 23:33-43.) They also sang the Hallel, Psalms 113-118. The priest went up the ramp to the altar to pour the water into a silver funnel whence it flowed into the ground. On the seventh day there was a sevenfold circling of the altar. The libation of water was understood to symbolize the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. At this solemn moment Jesus stood up in the temple court to proclaim that he was the source of the living water. (Raymond Brown)

Also, on the first day of the feast, the great golden candlesticks are lit in the Court of Women. Thus two of the themes in this gospel, light and water, are associated with this festival.

Visualize the ceremony and all its meaning. Read Psalm 118. Read John 7:37-44 again. What do you feel about Jesus breaking into the liturgy? Notice again all the comments of the people. What are yours? Why?

III. Connect: Find Living Water

Imagine yourself at this ceremony, remembering all of God's mighty works. As we are caught up in its tradition and beauty, Jesus interrupts! How embarrassing! And yet, how many times have you come away from worship or a conference or your own quiet time still thirsty? The living water of Jesus' invitation has to do with the energy of the Spirit! Jesus' interruption gets our attention and challenges us to a new way of seeing. A too literal interpretation of the Scripture can stifle our imagination and vision (see verse 41).

When have you seen religious tradition put ahead of love and relationships? The symbols can become charged with new meaning as we open ourselves to new questions. Pose the question, "For what am I thirsting"? Serenity? Energy? Time management? Priorities? New relationships? What have you found helpful in releasing the stream of the Spirit in your life? Are you refreshed as you allow your life to flow as spiritual refreshment to others?

The way of Jesus was (and is) not about living within tradition and observing its requirements but about a new way of seeing. It is a vision of the religious life as a relationship to that which is beyond tradition... The life of performance becomes a life of relationship. (Marcus Borg)

IV. Act: Response to the Invitation

God's interruptions can call us to new relationships. A different interpretation and honest questions can begin a fresh dialogue and an expanded theology. How will you respond to the invitation to come and see? As you discover what is blocking you from the "Living Water" of the Spirit, what action steps are indicated? Can you really believe that Jesus longs to give us this water and that our lives can become water for others? "Lord, pour out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth!"

Suggested Readings and Commentaries

• The Jerome Biblical Commentary, Edited by Raymond Brown, Fitzmyer and Murphy, Prentice Hall, 1990.
• Readings in St John's Gospel, William Temple, London MacMillan & Co., 1961.
• The God We Never Knew, Marcus Borg, Harper Collins, 1998.
• Bible Basics for the next generation, by Nancy Boyle, 1999 - a collection of Nancy Boyle's relational bible studies (1995-1999).