This past Sunday I preached on the text about the woman at
the well, with a slight variation, that changed the story to Jesus meeting a LGBT
person at the well. Since I don’t preach from written text, this is a recapture
of what I said on Sunday.
John 4:5-42
Text: Who That At The
Well?
Jesus asked the Lesbian “Give me a drink” and She said, How
can you ask me for a drink, your church says I’m abomination, your church says
that I’m unnatural. Jesus response was “did I say that to you? I’m the word of God, not the rules, not the
book or the church. They have words
about God, but I’m the real thing. “If you knew who you really were talking too
that I can give this living water”. So Jesus says let me give you living water
and a living word from which you will never thirst again.
Jesus says to gay man” go get your partner and others in
your life that is on the margins” Jesus said I know that you have that have not
always lived a spiritual life. You may have some regrets about relationships,
past actions “The gay man said, “Jesus you know all things that I’ve done in my
life”
I would be can’t go to church to worship you”
They stare at me, laugh behind back, talk about me and besides you said that I
had to worship at the big mega church in Tacoma. Jesus said that time will come
when you will worship me, wherever the Spirit and Truth shows up. You will worship with all “sorts and
conditions of people”
A place that has a
word for you that heals and restores and not condemn, “My house is a house of
prayer for all people” Come on in to your house.
The Transwoman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is
coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all
things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking
to you." I’m proclaiming to you
that when you live in truth, you will be free.
I’m telling you, if that church
won’t welcome you, I have others that will welcome you.
The transman went back to the community and said “I met this
man who told me everything I had done” He said he loved who I was before and
who I’m now.
I don’t know if you
hearing me today, Spirit of Christ, but somebody need to know that we got Samaritans
in our life, we had such a person who came to our church last weekend. He was
homeless and mentally ill. He was taking off his shoes and socks, but he
is our Samaritan in the middle of worship. Yes his feet smelled, but guess what he came to worship Jesus. He came in our midst and challenged us on who
all are welcomed here. Are we ready for what other Samaritans God will bring
through these doors?
There other Samaritans in Tacoma who are skeptical about our church or any church. They are afraid if they come to
the well, they find judgment and rejection. We can’t just wait for people to
come to the well. Let’s go meet them in
the coffee shops, nightclubs and streets of downtown. If
Jesus wasn’t afraid to go to places that others thought he shouldn’t be seen in
or with people that he shouldn’t be caught talking to them. We can’t be either. We need to go to the Samaritans, straight, homeless, addicted,
poor, rich and middle class Samaritans. Undocumented and Queer Samaritans. Thanks to
Father Shannon Kearns and Brian Murphy for helping me to embrace the word
Queer. There are so many Samaritans , I can’t name them all today, but let’s keep
looking for them.
We have a Jesus who was willing to cross boundaries of his
culture, so must we. We have a Jesus who
said that he will them give water from which they will never thirst, then we
must be a people who having been baptized in the living waters, must ensure
that all of God’s children know this good news and share the living water with
others.
Who that at well? A
homeless man with smelly feet. Who that
at the well? Somebody needing to know “Jesus and Justice”. Who that at the well? A child of God! You don’t have to thirst or
hunger, Let Jesus fill you.
Finally as your pastor, if Jesus didn’t say it to you, don’t
be listening to those other folks, who know everything, but not love in their hearts.
You are welcome at the well!
