Reflecting on Lent: The Thirsty God
The following is indebted to and inspired by a reflection in Hauerwas' book "Cross-Shattered Christ."
The point of Lent is to draw us into the demeanor of Jesus on his road to Calvary. It is to enable us to identify more closely with the suffering of Jesus so that we can better grasp the glory of his resurrection. The despair of the former is only exceeded by the rapture of the latter--and we can only appreciate the one with the other; they are inseparable. The texts that I want to reflect on this week are from John. John 4 records the woman at the well who, in her shame, has come to the well in isolation to draw water. To her, Jesus offers living water--fresh water. In verses 13-14, Jesus says, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." With this in mind it becomes remarkably surprising that John 19:28 records Jesus, from the cross, saying, "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.'"
How could the one who offers living water that will quench all thirst himself be thirsty? I believe this shows the inseparable nature of God's glory from his crucifixion; of Jesus' death and his resurrection. Jesus has said words recorded of those in exile from God. On the cross Jesus experiences the broken relationship of the Christ being forsaken by his God--the very broken relationship of Israel and her God when she is in exile. Thirst is the description of being away from God. By thirsting Jesus is saying more than his tongue is dry; he is saying he is away from God and identifies with humanity. But never forget that he offers living water--water that shows the restoration of relationship. This is somewhat paradoxical, of course, but John never shies away from paradox. That is why he records Jesus' words: "When I am lifted up (on the cross), I will draw all people to myself." The thirsty God is the one who knows how meaningful living water becomes.
Lent shows us the paradox of a Thirsty God. Only in remembering the thirst of Christ from his position on the cross can we again taste the freshness of the living water he offers. Lent invites us into the thirst.
The point of Lent is to draw us into the demeanor of Jesus on his road to Calvary. It is to enable us to identify more closely with the suffering of Jesus so that we can better grasp the glory of his resurrection. The despair of the former is only exceeded by the rapture of the latter--and we can only appreciate the one with the other; they are inseparable. The texts that I want to reflect on this week are from John. John 4 records the woman at the well who, in her shame, has come to the well in isolation to draw water. To her, Jesus offers living water--fresh water. In verses 13-14, Jesus says, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." With this in mind it becomes remarkably surprising that John 19:28 records Jesus, from the cross, saying, "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.'"
How could the one who offers living water that will quench all thirst himself be thirsty? I believe this shows the inseparable nature of God's glory from his crucifixion; of Jesus' death and his resurrection. Jesus has said words recorded of those in exile from God. On the cross Jesus experiences the broken relationship of the Christ being forsaken by his God--the very broken relationship of Israel and her God when she is in exile. Thirst is the description of being away from God. By thirsting Jesus is saying more than his tongue is dry; he is saying he is away from God and identifies with humanity. But never forget that he offers living water--water that shows the restoration of relationship. This is somewhat paradoxical, of course, but John never shies away from paradox. That is why he records Jesus' words: "When I am lifted up (on the cross), I will draw all people to myself." The thirsty God is the one who knows how meaningful living water becomes.
Lent shows us the paradox of a Thirsty God. Only in remembering the thirst of Christ from his position on the cross can we again taste the freshness of the living water he offers. Lent invites us into the thirst.
posted by Aaron Perry at
12:28 PM
3 Comments:
AP,
Thanks for this reflection on lent. My pastor has alluded to it in services and most of the congregation, including myself no little about it. What I learned came from Dean Higle and the Ash Wednesday service he had and from reading Webber and his emphasis on the church year. Still, I would like to learn more about how to really engage the season, understanding its goals and practices.
Regarding the thirsty Christ. I know in a previous post you mentioned the idea of a broken or severed trinity and you seemed to be alluding to that here a bit.
If he was separated from the Trinity, what changed? His attributes, his communication (of ideas, of love), I think you mentioned his ontology. Would that make him less than God? It is hard because we have to make rules or definitions of what God is or can be based on the limited data we have but God is who he is.
AP,
what a great image of the incarnation... I find that life experienced in these paradoxes...in the tensions...is sometimes where we find our faith stretched and strengthened... I recently preached a message called "Life in the Tensions" where I touched on a few paradoxes... life on the edge of something refreshing and new...that is what this blog was for me...
Grace and Peace,
Benson
ps-- "if the levy had held"
pss-- "say it again"
Joseph, I am not sure I am comfortable with Jesus being separated from the Trinity as the starting place, or even as a statement. If Jesus is separated, then there is no Trinity. I would prefer to take as seriously as possible that Jesus was forsaken by the Father. It seems to me that that is a stretched and broken relationship, except that the Spirit is the eternal personal bond of love between hte Father and the Son. So even as God puts himself in our position of forsakenness and exile, he is still greater than that which threatens his creation. God can absorb broken relationship because as Triune broken relationship involves more than two parties.
So, to answer your question, I would say that Jesus does not become "less than" God, but his relational personhood of Son to hte Father is "stretched;" he is truly forsaken. But even in this stretching the relationship of love between Father and Son is not broken because the Spirit raises him from the dead. This is working outside what I think is an essential definition of what it means to be divine, which I think you might have hinted at, and working with more relational categories.
Oh, Benson. If the levy had held. Say it again. Hilarious. THanks for the encouragement.
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