In Chapter One, in a section that my Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition subtitles: The Lamb of God, John the Baptist proclaims (verses 32-34), "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven and remain on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God."
Obviously, John the Baptist's proclamation that "This is the Son of God" is the big attention-getter, but immediately preceding, take note of the fact that John the Baptist is differentiating between how he baptizes, with water, and how Jesus will: with the Holy Spirit. Things are changing. The arrival of Jesus is changing them in permanent and beautiful ways.
Note: As a general rule, I try to italicize biblical text and use italicized red for words of Jesus. Sometimes I may forget, but that's how I try to do it.
The following, Chapter Two (verses 1-11), describes Jesus's first miracle, which in the Gospel According to St. John is referred to as 'a sign'. Jesus takes six large jars, jars used for the Jewish Rite of Purification, not exactly nice drinking water, and converts the ritual water into the finest wine. "Fill the jars with water," Jesus instructs the workers.
Chapter Three begins with a beautiful discourse between Jesus and a Jewish leader named Nicodemus. In verse 5 Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." This is the third chapter in a row that water is prominent and has significant meaning as we learn about salvation and what would become a new covenant established by Jesus.
Chapter Four opens with the discussion between Jesus and a woman of Samaria at a well. The woman is there to draw water, obviously an important task at a time long before running water existed, and in a place as dry and arid as the Middle East is. Jesus asks her to (verse 7), "Give me a drink." This, considering the differences between Jews and Samaritans at the time, was quite a thing.
The woman balks, questioning Jesus. His reply (verse 10), "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The exchange with Jesus continues, and he says (verses 13-14), "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." She's sold. She says to him (verse 15), "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." Even though she doesn't fully realize who Jesus is yet, she wants it. She wants Jesus's water.
The conversation with the woman at the well continues. When she comes to realize who she's speaking with, she leaves her jars behind, so important a short time before, now dropped, and runs to town to tell the others. It reminded me of Jesus's disciples, when they left their fishing nets behind to follow him. Is Jesus a high enough priority for us? Are we willing to drop our stuff to follow him or to tell someone else about him? Hmmm... I wonder.
This thread continues to grow in Chapter Five, as Jesus heals a paralytic. What always escaped me is the part about the pool where this took place. Near a place called Sheep's Gate there's a pool called Bethesda. And there, people with infirmities would go. The pool was isolated, and cut off from flowing water. When a valve from an adjacent pool was opened, water would flow from it into the first pool. That movement of water is called "living water." This, as opposed to stagnant or cut off water. The way I understand it, persons with infirmities would come beside the pool, and when living water rushed in, they'd rush to get into the pool, and in so doing, be purified, and hopefully cleansed. The man Jesus healed was too infirm to get up and into the water by himself, and lay there, helpless.
Jesus asks him, "Do you want to be healed?" The man explains he has no way to get into the water. Jesus heals him with but a few words: "Take up your pallet and walk."
What is the meaning of it all, then? John is building a case. The storyline in his gospel is beautifully structured. First, John the Baptist attests to the difference between his baptism and how Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. The water for Jewish purification rites is transformed into fine wine by Jesus. Jesus teaches Nicodemus about the need to be born of water and the Spirit, and promises the woman at the well "living water," that she would never again thirst. Finally, in sight of whoever was there, Jesus heals a paralytic NOT by helping him into the pool for ritual cleansing, but rather, with just a few words, "Take up your pallet and walk."
I suppose we could say all this water talk in five chapters of the Gospel According to St. John is just a coincidence. I think we'd be wrong. Jesus changed the world and changed salvation history. His presence here is still a miracle hard for us to comprehend. Some might say the water is a metaphor for life-giving faith. Others, a reference and prelude to Baptism. Whichever way your pleasure tends, I hope Jesus's words will bring you home.
Am I the only one who found John, Chapters One through Five a ball of twine to unravel? Are we, or are we not, brave enough to trust Jesus with our infirmities and our uncleanliness? We all have troubles: whether our mundane work and life, theological doubts, sinfulness, or infirmities. We are imperfect. He is not. Are we willing to ask Him: "Lord Jesus, give me this water, that I may thirst no more."
