Jesus - Living Water

    Living in Southwestern Ontario versus living in the land of the Bible times are two very different matters. Lush green versus desert country. Humid continental vs arid climate. It is difficult to imagine living in a land where rain is rare. We have been experiencing abundant rain but the rains only fall in Israel periodically from late November to mid-February. During that time, the people collect rain water into cisterns for the eight months of drought that always follow. We can imagine how stagnant and polluted the water becomes after months in a cistern. Flies and little critters need that water, too.  Polluted cistern water was considered gathered by the hands of humans and not, therefore, God-given water. The other kind of water is living water. It is water not collected by humans, but flows from the hand of God. Rain is living water. Water that flows underground and bursts out of the ground is living water. Water that flows off of Mount Hermon to the north to fill the Sea of Galilee and Jordan River is living water.
    John records a story in chapter 7. Verses 37-38 say, "It was the last and most important day of the feast. Jesus stood up and spoke in a loud voice. He said, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Does anyone believe in me? Then, just as Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from inside them.'" Jesus declared himself to be the Messiah, Living Water. Then, he said that those who believe in him, follow him, and make disciples for him are living water, too. And when the people of God act like the people of God, rivers of living water will flow from God's community of believing disciples. That is the effect when the people of God are living water to a world dead in sin. We are called to be disciples and to be like the one who we serve. Jesus. Messiah. Living Water.  (Source material: J.Blamer, Christian Schools International)
                            C. Verbeek