PARISH NEWS

Be Careful - Don't Break Boundaries

Just so typical of Jesus!

He doesn't understand how to work the media, how to grease palms and hit on the rich and influential. If he wants to build a political constituency, he should be smooching with the civic and religious leaders. Certainly not mixing with unimportant sinners, non-Jews and undesirable people!

Instead, this week’s gospel (Jn 4:5-42) records the longest conversation he has with anyone and is it someone of importance, like the chief priest or the governor? No, it is with a woman! And not just any woman but a Samaritan woman, and not just a Samaritan woman but one of pretty questionable moral circumstances. And he knows just exactly who he is dealing with but, it seems like he doesn't care that she is the lowest of the low!

His Good News message is intended for women as for men. He promotes relationships based on the fact that everyone, woman or man, is created and loved by God who accepts them in his reign with equal dignity as his sons and daughters. 

Instead of condemning the Samaritan woman for the errors of her ways he patiently invites, challenges and affirms her. It seems his message must be for everyone, not just Jews or males or people with the “right stuff”. Maybe he really doesn't care about my failings either, about whether I am male or female, or Aussie or Afghan, or one of the in-crowd or a loner, or saintly or a sinner.

Maybe he is concerned only for what my future can be. Maybe he knows about my spiritual thirst too. If I'm not careful he'll convert me and I'll be out of my comfort zone, my safe space. I'll end up out there proclaiming and teaching others about Jesus too. And we wouldn't want that - would we?

Deacon Mark Kelly