Saturday, February 4, 2017

THE FALL


These pictures were taken on Friday.
A lot more snow has fallen.
Yes the snow has continued to fall all night,
I walked down to me the paper girl in my house coat the jacket as I did not want her to fall coming up our driveway.

Chapter 4 of John's gospel is a story about Jesus meeting a "fallen" woman at the well.  He was there having a rest and the disciples have gone into town for food.  The woman was shocked and embarrassed when she arrived to see Jesus sitting there.  She was even more surprised when he asked her a Samaritan for a drink of water. There are very bad feelings among the Jews and the Samaritans.  Also men did not talk to women.  Race and religion and sex had become barriers.

Then even though he does not have a bucket he offers her living water for her soul.

She had comes after everyone had left because she was wounded by those who judged her and condemned her.  To her surprise Jesus knows her history of having five husbands and she is now living with a man but not married,

A symbolic conversation that speaks to the religious division that has separated the Jews and the Samaritans.  Jesus offers words of healing and acceptance.  He tells her it is not important where she worships but that she worships in spirit and in truth,

Their religion was based on the Old Testament character of  Abraham and Isac and Jacob and David and the temple at Jerusalem were rejected.

God accepts both the fallen woman and wipes out prejudice and hatred.  She runs to bring the news to the others in the town.  Jesus stays at this town to teach for several days.

Jesus looks into her heart and sees the goodness within her.

A story about what it means to be human.  The greatest gift we can give is about forgiveness.





3 comments:

nancy-Lou said...

A good story of compassion and love for all. The world needs to remember this.

One of my piano students 7X grandmother was a slave. She had two masters and bore 11 children.
They just recently found out about her when researching genealogy for the family.
She was freed in 1867 and went to live with her son and lived to be 87. one of her GGrandchildren was the first black senator in Washington. Her family have all done well. There was a photo of her and what a beautiful woman she was. A courageous and brave woman. It is hard to imagine the sorrow she saw in her lifetime.

Love and Compassion for all as Jesus led by example and teachings.
Will the world never learn?

I was just reading in Time magazine about people fleeing from war torn countries in Africa. They head north to attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to freedom and when travelling through Libya ( which is an ungoverned country now with many criminals ) they are caught and sold as slaves to others. The photos were simply awful.

Well off to make homemade noodles for my homemade chicken soup which is filling the house with an awesome smell. MMMMMM.

Have a wonderful evening, Beth,

Love, Nancy



beth bennett said...

Amazing stories Nancy.

Enjoy your wonderful soup I think I can smell it!

love Beth

Sandra said...

I am pretty sure your choice of going to the end of the driveway was not approved by dad.

Here is hoping there are no falls in your near future.

Sandra