Genesis 7 and John 4:1-26
These short summaries and questions are based on the Morning Prayer Scripture readings from the 2019 BCP Daily Office Lectionary.
Genesis 7
Summary
In 7 days God created the heavens and the earth, now God gives Noah 7 days to gather animals from the creation before the de-creation event of the flood. The 7s continue: Noah is to take 7 pair of clean animals and the birds of the haven. The watery judgment will last 40 days and nights, another biblically significant number. The "fountains of the deep" and the "windows of heaven" will open up a deluge, and on that particular day Noah and his family will enter the ark. During the flood every living thing on the face of the earth will die.
Reflection Questions
- Why is it significant that the Lord shut the door of the ark?
- 1 Peter 3:18-22 refers to the flood in relationship to baptism. How does the flood symbolize baptism?
John 4:1-26
Summary
Jesus crosses three barriers in his dealings with the Samaritan woman. That she is a Samaritan is striking. Samaritans and Jews hated each other, the latter regarding the former as half-breeds. Jesus is chatting with a woman who is alone! And this woman is of questionable reputation. The woman comes to the well at a time when she is least likely to be noticed, and Jesus does more than notice her, he engages her in a revealing conversation uncovering her troubled past.
The location is also important: Jacob's well. Wells are not just watering places but match-making places. Abraham's servant goes to find Isaac a bride at well (Gen. 24:11-20), and asks for a drink of water. Jesus has previously been identified as a groom in John 3:29 and now we have a setting associated with marriage proposals, with Jesus and a woman together. What are we to make of this scene?
Jesus asks her for a drink, but he says if she understood who he was, she would ask him for living water and he would give it. This is not literal water, but life-giving spiritual water, which Jesus will speak about more later (John 7:37-39).
Reflections Questions
- The Samaritan woman asks Jesus a question about the proper location of worship. How does Jesus respond?
- How might the marriage proposal theme looming in the background shed light on Jesus' mission?