Tag: Lent Readings 2025 (Page 3 of 3)

John 4:1-30

Today we meet a Samaritan woman who has found herself treated very badly by life and society, but finds herself in conversation with the Messiah himself, discussing ‘living water’.

Everything about this interaction is wrong. To be in Samaria is risky, to stop to talk to a Samaritan is not culturally acceptable. Worse than that, she is a Samaritan woman who is alone. The disciple’s reaction in 4:27 shows us how surprising this was. She has come at noon to collect water, the worst time of day, perhaps because she is an outcast and her life circumstances are reviled.

None of that matters to Jesus, who gets straight to the point and challenges her need for living water (John 7:37-39). She doesn’t understand to start with, but she is desperate and in compassion Jesus draws her need out of her and then reveals himself as the answer to her pain. As he does so we learn that places, either Jerusalem or Gerizim, are not important when it comes to the worship of God. What matters is what is happening in our hearts. As soon as she knows who he is she puts aside any social difficulties there may be to tell her neighbours about what has happened. It seems that they too are desperate for answers and come running to meet him.

Jesus approach to this woman may feel a little uncomfortable in our modern society with its anxiety not to offend, but Jesus knows the kindest thing he can do is break past our defences to draw us to the father.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Introduction

This series of reflections for Lent are going to take us on a journey through John’s gospel. It is a gospel I have always loved, maybe, dare I say it, more than the synoptics. Each gospel has its own strengths, and they are all incredibly important in giving us a full picture of Jesus’ life and ministry.  John does not attempt to tell us everything, he says as much at the end, but he carefully curates what he is going to draw from Jesus’ life so that we might understand, believe and so find eternal life. He creates wonderful imagery with his seven ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus, and the miraculous signs that explain who Jesus is. John is the ‘beloved disciple’ of this gospel, a young man at the time of Jesus’ ministry, he had many years to reflect on his faith before writing this beautiful gospel. It is likely that it was written in Ephesus around AD 80-90. Traditionally he is believed to be the son of Zebedee, the brother of James.

Lent runs for 40 days up to Easter Saturday , but does not include Sundays.

Lent Reflection Day 1,  5^th March

John 1:1-28

John starts his gospel at the beginning of time with Jesus’ pre-existence as the eternal Word. He tells us of his involvement in creation, with language that is reflective of Genesis 1. Jesus is the source of life and light, the light that overcomes the darkness. He is the one who is full of grace and truth, and his glory has been revealed to us through Jesus. The meaning of ‘Word’ in this passage is of an idea that finds a concrete expression. Jesus is the culmination of God’s revelation to humanity. He is the revelatory word in human form, the absolute expression of God, his nature and salvation plan, and the means of rescuing humanity.

Everything that has happened from Genesis 1 to now has been about this: God’s heart for the salvation and redemption of humanity. He has revealed God’s glory to us so that we might be saved. This glory, grace, truth, and light is about to be revealed in this person, who is the son of God. John is not bothered to retell the stories of Jesus’ birth; it is more important for him that we understand the magnitude of who he was and what he has done for us. When Christ comes into the world something utterly stupendous is happening the ramifications of which will never end.

Response: After each reading choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.