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 glorified.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) there was a part of the elaborate ceremony in the Temple that involved pouring water from high up, as though it were coming from heaven. So it was likely at this time that Jesus stands up and cries out "Let anyone who is thirsty, come to me". Isaiah 58 says of those who worship God faithfully:

'The Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places....
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.'

Water has always been important to the Hebrew people in such a hot country, whether it was during the 40 years in the wilderness, or in Jerusalem. As a city on a hill, the people relied on the Pool of Siloam on the southern slope of the City of David which was fed by the Gihon Spring. But as important as this water was to all those in Jerusalem, water only quenched their thirst for a short time. Jesus uses this idea to talk of spiritual water and of spiritual thirst. He is speaking of the real needs that we all have for love and purpose in our lives, which only God can fulfil.

Tomorrow is Pentecost, the day when the disciples receive the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that will change these frightened men and women turning them into confident Christians able to to withstand all that the Roman and Jewish authorities can throw at them. When we open ourselves to the power-arm of God, we are quenching a spiritual thirst. Pentecost is one of the most important days of the Christian Year, it is effectively the Church's birthday! Let us all say "Come, Holy Spirit, Come!" and allow ourselves to be satisfied 'like a spring of water, whose waters never fail'.

Lord God,
we know the importance of water to our life.
We know that we are predominately made of water.
We know that all living things rely on water.
In the same way know we need You for our eternal life.
Help us continually to turn to You
to quench our spiritual thirst,
both today and in the future.
Amen.