Today's Sermon in a Nutshell:

Today's Sermon in a Nutshell:

Christ is Risen!

You cannot go to, or watch a sporting event on television without seeing somebody holding up the proverbial sign which reads, John 3:16. Today's gospel, however, focuses on John 3:17: "For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."

If our Lord would have wanted to go around condemning people, the Samaritan woman would have been an excellent candidate. There was nothing in common between His Divine Goodness and her sinful way of life. Being a Samaritan, she was a heretic. She had been divorced five times and was now living with a man. She might even have been lazy since the noon hour is a little late to be getting the day's water (verses 6-7). Jesus could certainly have found plenty of things to berate her with. Instead, Jesus struck up a friendly conversation and offered her "Living Water," revealing to her Who He was; and through this conversation came the woman's conversion.

Jesus certainly did not approve of her multiple partners, nor did He intimate that Samaritan beliefs were just as valid as Jewish beliefs. This woman had done nothing to merit what Jesus offered her, but he offered it anyway….and offered it before pointing out her sins and mistakes.

Jesus treats us in much the same way: desiring to reveal Himself so that we might turn and change our life. All we have to do is what the Samaritans asked Him to do: "Stay with us!"

Fr. John