Thoughts for the Day

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

A year after my marriage in August 1996, Adrian and I flew out to Cyprus for a three-year posting with the RAF. The heat was terrific that year and we would stop for a drink of water every third shop. This was no problem for the Cypriots would offer a chair and a drink instantly. All was fine till we went to Salamis to look at the amphitheatre and the king's tombs. There were no visitor facilities and nowhere to buy water. The sun blazed from a blue sky - so hot it felt as though the top of one's head was burning. We quickly realised that drink-stops had to be built into every trip.

Today's words from Jesus occurs during the Festival of Tabernacles (or 'Booths') when all adult males who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem must attend the Temple. During the seven-day festival the people built temporary shelters to live in - where one could still see the stars through the roof - in order to remember that the people had wandered as nomads in the desert for 40 years. It also celebrated the final ingathering of all the harvest produce. Water played a huge part in the rituals in the Temple as each day it was drawn from the pool of Siloam, and God was praised for his goodness and His gifts with the singing of the Hallel psalms.

Jesus uses the image of being thirsty and the desperate need for a drink, to teach the people about the coming of the Holy Spirit. As we thank God for water, that quenches our thirst and keeps our bodies alive, so we must go to Jesus to satisfy the thirst of the soul. For it is he who will send the Holy Spirit after his death and resurrection at Pentecost. The question for us is how thirsty are we?

Lord Jesus,
our need for refreshment never ends,
both for our body and for our soul.
Help us to see the importance
of coming to You to quench our thirst.
When we are spiritually low
or have forgotten You,
may we realise our need this Lent,
and come to You once more,
so that revived we may continue
our journey once more.
Amen.