Jesus was once in Jerusalem for a national Jewish celebration that lasted for eight days. On the last day there was a water ceremony where water was collected in a golden vase from the Pool of Siloam. As musicians played, the crowd would watch as a priest would step up high above the altar (where the ashes of burned animals lay) and pour the water down a silver funnel, channeling the water into the dry, dusty ashes. By pouring the water from above the altar, the idea was to represent the water as coming down from heaven.
Can you imagine that ceremony today? After the long walk down the hill to the pool of Siloam, and then back up the hill, across several city blocks back to the Temple, I can imagine that many of the pilgrims walking with the priest were thirsty. As he poured out that water, and as it crackled in the dry, thirsty ashes of burned sacrifices, our generation of pilgrims today would then pull out our water bottles, unscrew the cap and take a refreshing swig.
But in Jesus day there were no public water fountains to take a sip. There were no plastic bottles for the pilgrims to wet their whistle. In Jesus day these pilgrims would have been thirsty, and even more so, after the long walk, as they watched that water from the golden vase flow down into the ashes and become ruined. And not a drop to drink.
At this moment, as the pilgrims felt their own parched throats, their thirst would have been sorely triggered. Is it then that Jesus stood up? With a loud voice He cried out,
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”
(John 7:37)
Thirst for what? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus had said, “Blessed is everyone who thirsts for righteousness, for he shall be filled.” But Jesus didn’t say that here. He just implored, “If you thirst.” Is it a thirst for water? A thirst for love? A thirst for forgiveness? A thirst for what? Jesus doesn’t say.
Does He do this on purpose?
Is He leaving the door wide open, to fill any thirst, of any kind, in any heart? We all have a thirst, a thirst of some kind, and most all of our thirsts are different. So, did Jesus leave it open so he could reach all of us? He seemed to imply, “Whatever you are thirsty for, come to Me, and see if I don’t have what you need.”
I remember early in high school, my freshman and sophomore years, I thirsted for more confidence and courage around my peers. I thirsted to be regarded as capable, adequate, an emerging “somebody” who was worthy of others attention, especially the attention of a certain someone. There were others around me with whom I compared myself. There was Randy who needed attention, and dressed in colorful colors of a progressive hippie. There was Tom who had that fine pair of shoes, which I silently sensed gave him a definite advantage over me. There was John who was tall and athletic, and seemed to have the social graces that made it easy to talk to the girls. I thirsted for that grace.
Today, I have come to know that some of us in high school thirsted for peace in our homes; we thirsted for parents to stop drinking, to stop fighting, to get back together, or to please get a divorce!
We were bundling life, home and auto even back then! We thirsted for a life full of love, romance and adventure. We thirsted for our homes to have more peace, and we thirsted for certain cars to validate our identity.
Today, what do you thirst for, and how do you quench it?
Do what He said.
Jesus said simply, Come to Me and I will quench your thirst. He will quench it. He Himself. He is the water. He is your life. He is your love, your romance, your adventure. He is your peace, and He is your identity.
Your thirst is quenched in Christ. If it happens in church, it is Him. If it happens in Bible study, it is Him. When it happened at Pure Heart Weekend, it was Him.
Your thirst is satisfied In Christ; in His life, His love and His acceptance; in His forgiveness, His comfort and His grace. Meet Him in His word. Meet Him in your prayers. Meet Him in your story.
Drink up.