Strong Drink!

Something was happening in Jerusalem! A group of previously insignificant and uneducated men had suddenly gained prominence, starting what looked like a movement of sorts and making some astounding claims – claims that could get them it serious trouble. They did not seem afraid of arousing the anger of the religious elite or to care what the consequences could be. Why, just a few days ago at a gathering on the day of Pentecost about 3000 people from all over the Roman empire came under the influence of these men as they listened to them proclaim their strange message. With nothing more than their words they were having an impact on the city that had the religious leaders worried enough to have them arrested.

The whole thing started one day while some of these people with strange beliefs were hiding and praying to their spiritual leader. It was reported that something remarkable happened in that room that completely transformed these men into fearless and outspoken proponents of their cause. The man who was now the leader of the bunch was a common fisherman. He had the reputation, before the transformation, of a coward. One day under pressure he had denied knowledge of the man who was their leader and friend – the man he had sworn to follow to the death. Yet here he was now, completely unafraid and daring anyone to stop him. He was not the only one displaying this radical departure from the normal. The whole group had been fearful of persecution since their leader was crucified and, though they claimed he had arisen – a pretty wild claim by all standards – they still remained in hiding. Not so after that fateful day. It was almost as if they were intoxicated – under the influence of some strong drug. In fact those who witnessed the immediate effect of their transformation concluded they were drunk with wine when they started to speak in a variety of languages they had not spoken before. In the ensuing days it seemed that whatever had a hold of this small group of people was contagious. Similar instances of transformation accompanied them wherever they went. Unremarkable people suddenly became unrecognizable to those who knew them: An activist lawyer gave up his zealous persecution of a small sect of Jews and actually joined them, becoming their most ardent proponent; a Roman soldier and his family become followers of a Jewish carpenter the Romans crucified; people gave up their possessions or shared them with total strangers; renounced long held beliefs and practices, and claimed allegiance to a teacher and master they could not see but who was said to have died and then risen again. Most remarkable of all, this transformation occurred regardless of a person’s nationality, prior beliefs, gender or anything else.

All these events had one thing in common – Joshua. Joshua is the one who had taken a motley group of a dozen men and taught them that they could each be something more than ordinary. He taught them that an ordinary fisherman could be a partner with God in bringing in a human catch; that God was going to build a new temple for himself with humans as the very bricks; that each one of them had a place in the scheme of the Father’s plan. He gave them hope, taught them about a well whose water would fill them like never before. As they walked with him and heard a lot about this amazing water from this amazing well, there were times when they thought they got a sip of this water. It was not until that day at Pentecost that they truly drank their fill: and what a drink! Who knew that water could go to a man’s head the way this water did. Joshua had been known to turn water to wine and maybe this was one of those times. Yet if they had drunk the strongest wine in the land its effect would not come anywhere close to what this drink of pure water did. The sheer exhilaration of being completely free of every care and fear, the sublime peace from knowing they were cared for in an unimaginable way, the strength and boldness to do things that may have been unthinkable before and the assurance of hope – the confidence that the sum of all things would always be good! No drink on earth could do this. This was heavenly water coming from none other than the keeper of the wellspring of life, Joshua. So they had no choice but to spread the word. As they did they marveled over and over again at the intoxicating effect of this strongest of drinks.

All this happened thousands of years ago and there are some who say that these stories are merely legends. There are also those who say the well has run dry or that the water it gives only refreshes but does not intoxicate, that for that extra kick you need something more, or that there are other sources of water. There are some however who believe that the keeper of the well still lives and that the well still gives its water; that the water of life is still as potent as it has ever been. There are still reports today of ordinary people being transformed into unlikely heroes, unrecognizable to their peers. Some defying long established norms, renouncing previous practices and beliefs, giving up their worldly possessions or sharing them with total strangers and fearful cowards becoming brave warriors. These people have drank from Joshua’s well and the change is undeniable. Could the stories be true after all? Could the God of the universe really have a use for mere men or care for the ordinary? Could a drink of water really turn your head? There is one way to find out. Have a drink but brace yourself, this is one strong drink!

Enjoy your drink

Joshua told the story of a young man who got the idea that waiting for his father to die so he could really begin to live was a waste of time. So this prodigal did the unthinkable and demanded his share of the inheritance. His wise old man gave him what he thought he wanted hoping he would realize what he already had. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the famine ravaged and now slightly wiser son was compelled by circumstances to come crawling back home. Instead of just coming empty handed though, he came with a plan. He had squandered his portion of the inheritance and thus given up any claim to the Father’s wealth. The best he could hope for was to he be accepted as a day laborer. He would earn his keep and not ask for anything more. Standing before his father with his well rehearsed speech, he was swept off his feet by his fathers embrace, his speech, lost in the paternal gush of delight at the return of the lost son. In a frenzy of activity that must have left his head spinning, he found himself a guest of honor in the house he had rejected, wearing the robe and ring of the man whose authority he had despised and eating at a table he had previously though little of. What was he thinking when he left, what a fool he had been and how lucky he was that his father had not ordered his guards to throw him off the property. He certainly would have deserved it.

Joshua did not provide any insight into the young man’s thoughts but if he's anything like most people we can guess what his thoughts were. He certainly sounded contrite as he rehearsed his speech to his father. In the speech he acknowledged the magnitude of his offense, made no excuses and was prepared to take responsibility. However it is also possible that though he had physically come home his heart, his affections, respect and devotion had not returned. He may have merely come as a matter of necessity to escape the famine. After that display of affection he may have wondered: What was life going to be like with the old man? Was he going to have to pay for this act of generousity in some as yet hidden way? Was this his father’s way of holding him in debt forever? If he accepted this act of kindness he would never be able to be his own man again. Maybe he should have insisted on the original plan. That way when he began to feel the walls closing in again or got restless he could simply walk away with whatever he had earned without feeling guilty. On the other hand, in view of what he had done, his Father’s generosity may have felt like a pile of hot coals of guilt and shame on his head. Well so much for independence. As the Father celebrated his son, his wine goblet probably raised to toast the lost and found, it is easy to imagine a very uncomfortable returnee. A now bewildered son brought his goblet to his mouth but hardly tasted the wine as his mind reeled with all the possible ramifications of the days events.

Joshua told this story to more than his immediate audience. In a way it is the story of why the well came to be and is for all who come to the well thirsty. The well in not merely the place where the thirsty come to quench their thirst. It is a place of rejoicing where the Father brings restoration to his lost sons. At the well there is a robe, a signet ring, a fatted calf waiting for whoever comes. No one is worthy and there are no terms of employment to earn the water that flows here. The Father’s pleasure is not in enslaving his sons or exacting full payment for offenses committed. His desire is not to crush the returnee with the guilt and shame of their past. Instead His delight is in the lost and found. So for every lost son who feels thirsty, there is water with no condemnation at Joshua’s well. And for those who have come to the well, this is a celebration and you are the guest of honor. The Father has raised his glass – to your health. Go ahead, drink deep of his goodness and enjoy your drink!

One thing I do know (Jn 9:1-34)

Joshua once met a man born blind. His blindness was neither his fault nor that of his parents. With mud made from dust and his own saliva Joshua covered the man’s eyes and commanded him to go wash in a nearby pool. Sure enough as soon as he washed he could see. Impossible! That would be the cry of the people of his day as they met the man they had known as blind, in his new state. In an attempt to deal with this obvious departure from the ordinary some dismissed him outright as a mere look-alike. Easy explanation requiring no acceptance of the supernatural. Well, not quite! That theory was quickly thrown out by the man’s parents. Once it became clear that something extraordinary had happened the religious “experts” set out to investigate it. Their efforts seemed almost noble as they questioned every detail of the story in efforts to expose the “truth”. Finally, though they could not deny what had happened, they declared authoritatively that the means by which this thing had occurred was not lawful. The perpetrator of the act of healing had to be a sinner and that was that! As for the man who had been healed, when asked what he thought about the whole thing his response was: “Whether he is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.”

Some things are common to all people. First, like that blind man we all grope in a dark and fearful world with a blindness that is not physical. Second, in a world of uncertainty and multiple opinions, every man knows at least one thing for sure. It may be fear, loneliness, emptiness, doubt, guilt or shame. Though the monster that haunts him may appear different for each man, in essence it is the same. And so also is the remedy. Joshua offers a solution that seems too simple – mud and water in one case, confession and repentance in others. Yet those who have stood at Joshua’s well in desperation and been washed by its water know another thing for sure: Relief! For some it comes in an instant and for others by degrees but it always comes to those who seek it. Sweet life changing relief that banishes fear, fills up the emptiness, brings faith and hope and casts out guilt and shame. There is no explaining or rationalizing it away. It has only one source, cannot be falsified, cannot be bought or bargained for and cannot be earned. Once cleansed, the darkness inside yields to light and all the fearful shadows depart. Though appearing the same on the outside, the man who now sees is a new man. Of course there will always be the skeptics who would dismiss the obvious with all manner of explanations. Others, though acknowledging the transformation, are loath to acknowledge the author of the change. And so with many such devices they deny both themselves and their listeners the privilege of healing. As for the one whose eyes have been opened however, there’s only one thing to say: One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.

If only you knew!

She came to the well, pitcher in hand, all alone, to get some water. She didn’t expect to meet anyone there least of all this Jewish man. She certainly didn’t expect him to ask her for anything let alone a drink of water. How many times had she come here? More times than she cared to remember and as she drew the water she had often thought how pointless the whole this was. Come to the well get some water take it home, drink (or use it for whatever) and then come back for some more. It was almost like a curse. Even more cursed was her loneliness – that aching longing for companionship that ate at her inside and felt like a yawning hole that could never be filled. Like this futile trip to the well, it seemed she was doomed to a fruitless search for fulfillment. After 5 husbands she was still alone. So who was this Jewish man who, with no vessel in hand claimed access to life giving water? What did he know that she didn’t?

As he sat at the well Joshua watched her approach and saw more than anyone else could see. Perhaps even more than she could see. He saw the dry barren loneliness inside that plagued her as she went from marriage to marriage looking for what no man could give her. Five times disappointed, rejected or abandoned and still counting. She was thirsty but couldn’t quench her thirst. With her pitcher in hand she was surprised that he with nothing, offered her a drink. If only she knew.

That was just the problem. Like all the others who had come to Joshua’s well before her, they didn’t and couldn’t know. How could they know how desperately dry and barren their souls were? They had grown so accustomed to the emptiness, they thought it was normal. Still in spite of themselves they went to great lengths to fill the emptiness with everything but water. How could they know how deep the well was? So deep that without the help of the one who owned it no one could drink the living water. How could they know to ask when all their lives they had been taught that they were in control? How could they know how sweet and filling this water was when they were consumed with the pursuit of everything else? If only you knew, he thought, you would have asked me and I would have given you water that would quench your thirst forever.

As he spoke to her and laid her soul bare to her the water flowed in and she was not alone anymore. Could this be the One she had been waiting for? With her heart now filled, as it had never been before she left her pitcher of clay at the well and ran back home with a new song. “Come and see a man who told me every thing I ever did. Could he be the messiah?” Now she knew how thirsty she had been, how impossible it would have been to get this water by herself and how sweet the living water was. And all she had had to do was put down her pitcher, ask for a drink and receive it!

Rich man, Poor man

Among the many who come to the well each day two men who came for a drink long ago stand out. They were similar in that they were both wealthy, powerful men. One was described as a rich ruler the other a tax collector. The similarities however, end there.

One, the rich ruler, was a religious man who prided himself in his observance of the religious rules and regulations. He was probably counted among the “righteous” elite. He came to Joshua asking what more he needed to quench his eternal thirst. As far as he was concerned he had done all that is humanly possible with no regrets. He almost dared anyone especially Joshua deny him a drink. Joshua in his wise and knowing way quietly spelled out the cost of a cup of this water. When it became apparent to the ruler that a cup of water from this well would cost him everything he valued - his money and his position, he turned and left the well sad, dejected and still thirsty, still holding on to everything he came to the well with. “How hard it is for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God”.

On the other hand the tax collector came to the well with no religious pretensions only curiosity. In fact he was generally considered a sinner and hated and probably feared by the people of his day. As far as his contemporaries were concerned he deserved to die from his thirst for all his sins. However that very thirst is what drew him to the well. Is it true what they said about Joshua and his well, that a drink from it could cure the eternal thirst of man? Even at the well he did not dare ask for a drink and certainly did not expect any favors from anyone least of all Joshua. Yet while he felt the heat from the hostile stares everyone else gave him, he also felt the warmth of a friend’s attention as Joshua called him by name and offered him a drink from the well. No questions asked no price to pay just open your mouth and drink. Overcome by the offer and struck by the sheer generosity it spoke of, he responded the only way he knew how. With a forthright admission of his unworthiness and a pledge to make restitution with all he had – his money and his position. That day salvation came to the house of this rich man.

How is it that 2 rich and powerful men came to the same place and responded so differently? Well of course they were 2 completely different people whose wealth and position meant different things to them. Most importantly though it is the value they placed on what was offered to them that determined which direction they went. It is the magnitude of their thirst in comparison to what was offered and what they thought they already had. The first rich man did not think he was thirsty enough to give up everything for a drink of water whereas the second thought this offer was too good to be passed up. The former left still a “wealthy”, thirsty man with a heavy heart; the latter left a "poor" but satisfied man. In the final analysis who was the wealthier? The one who had all the money and could not quench his thirst or the one who had no money but no need for it anyway? Joshua says “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”. To him a man’s wealth is measured not in how much he has to his name but how much he is willing to give up for a new name.

Hello

Hi I don't really expect anyone to read this first post but myself. This is one of those times when I get an idea and decide to run with it before all the what ifs start stiffling it. "Joshua's well" is intended to be a place of refreshment for those who are thirsty and have not found water that quite quenches their thirst. I do not make any pretentions to have all the answers to the enigma of life. Indeed I do not know if I have any answers. But Joshua does. In his quiet but confident and authoritative way Joshua breaks it down for all who will listen. He is the altimate teacher and when one comes to him with ears to hear and an attentive heart one will hear reason that confounds the wise. Joshua as it were takes his bucket and throws it into a well whose water is otherwise inaccessible and brings forth the sweetest, coolest most satisfying and refreshing water. What is more Joshua doesn't care who or what you are only that you are thirsty. There is no cost the only requirement is that all lay down their buckets and ropes. Only come with a cup and he will fill you to overflowing.