This Is God’s Well!

Our Gospel text for this morning is one of the most difficult in all of Matthew’s Gospel.  It speaks to us of things we would rather not hear – and of things we would rather not do.  It speaks to us about relationships and about the need to let go of them when they are disruptive to the Christian community

You may not be aware of the fact that it is this text that is quoted, and used as a model, in the constitution of every ELCA church.  It is a mandatory section and it is found in Chapter 15.

Now ex-communication is something we do not want to experience – either for ourselves – or for anyone else – after all, aren’t we always looking for new members instead.  Yes, that’s true, and maybe you didn’t even know that there is a method of ex-communication outlined in our constitution.

But the truth of the matter is that this text was written in Matthew’s time for a special reason.  And that reason was not ex-communication, but the exact opposite of that – it was written to provide the members of the new church with a method for reconciliation!  – not retaliation!

Then, if all else failed, they were to let go of the relationship so that it might not tarnish everything else.

And the text closes with the comment that:  where two or three are gathered in his name, there Christ is also!

This morning I share with you a story about the animals to help illustrate my last two sentences.  It is a tale, or maybe a fable, from Haiti and it goes like this:

There was once a drought in the country.  The streams dried up and the wells went dry.  There was no place for the animals to get water.  The animals met to discuss the situation – the cow, the dog, the goat, the horse, the donkey, and all the others.  They decided to ask God for help.  Together they went to God and told God how bad things were.  God thought and then God said: “Don’t bother your heads.  They don’t call me God for nothing, you know.  I will give you one well for everyone to use.”

The animals thanked God.  They said that God was very considerate.  God said: “But you will have to take good care of it.  One of you will have to be the caretaker.  He or she will stay by the well at all times to see that no one abuses it or make it dirty.”

“Matouka the ground lizard looks like the best caretaker.  Therefore, I appoint him.  He will be the watchperson.  The well is over there in the grove.”

The animals went away.  The lizard went directly to the well.  When the other animals began to come back for water, Matouka challenged them.  First, the cow came to drink and the lizard sang out: “Who is it?  Who is it? Who is walking in my grove?”  The cow replied: “It is I, the cow.  I am coming for water.”

And the lizard called back and said: “Go away!  This is God’s grove and the well is dry.”

So, the cow went away and suffered from thirst

Then the horse came and the lizard challenged him, saying: “Who is it?  Who is it?  Who is walking in my grove??

The horse answered: “It is I, the horse.  I am coming for water.”

And the lizard called back and said: “Go away, this is God’s grove and the well is dry.”

So, the horse went away, and she too suffered from thirst.

Each animal came to the well and the lizard challenged all of them in the same way saying: “Go away.  This is God’s grove and the well is dry.”

So, the animals went away and suffered much because they had no water to drink.

When God saw all of this suffering going on, God said: “I gave the animals a well to drink from, but they are all dying of thirst.  What is the matter?”  And God went to the well.  When the lizard heard God’s footsteps, he called out and said: “Who is it?  Who is it?  Who is walking in my grove?”

God answered him and said: “It is I, your God.  I am coming for water.”

And the lizard said: “Go away, God.  The well is dry.”

This made God very angry and God said once more:” It is I, your God.  And I am coming for water.”

The lizard called back once again and said: “Go away, God, for the well is dry.”

God said no more to the lizard and sent for the animals to come to the well.  God said: “You came to me because you were thirsty, and I gave you a well.  I made Matouka the caretaker, but he became conceited and gave no thought to the suffering creatures around him.  Nor did he consider what the water could do for them.  If a person has an apple tree, it belongs to that person, or if a person has a garden, it belongs to the person –  but if a person has a well, only the hole in the ground belongs to them.  The water is God’s and belongs to all creatures.

Because Matouka did not understand his responsibility and because he did not share the water in the well, he is no longer the caretaker.  Henceforth, he will drink his water from puddles wherever the rain falls.  The new caretaker will be the frog.  The frog will not say:  “Go away, the well is dry.”  He will say: “This is God’s well, this is God’s well.”

So, the animals drank at the well, while Matouka the lizard went away from it and drank rainwater wherever he could find it.  The frog is now the caretaker.  And all night he calls out: “This is God’s well!  This is God’s well!  This is God’s well!”  And it is now a saying among the people: “The hole in the ground is yours, the water belongs to God!”

Jesus is the water in God’s well!

Jesus walked among the people sharing the wisdom that had been given to him and doing mighty works.  Through scripture, Jesus continues to let us know that “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

The lizard was like one who was “excommunicated!”  For he refused to work for the good of the community.  He refused to share!  But notice that, even so, God provided water for him – that he might live!

Today, the Holy Spirit is the water in God’s well – and we are called to share that Good News with each other, and with the world!  This is the Good News that we find through the church – through the sacraments – and through scripture!  Again, and again we are reminded that God, in Christ and through the Holy Spirit, is present in our lives.  Though we sometimes find comfort – and sometimes confrontation – as we did this morning in our Gospel text – though at times we find quiet peace and at other times we find prodding truth – we always find the reassurance that God is a living presence in our lives – just as Jesus promised!  When he said: where two or more are gathered together, there I am also!

Like the frog in our story, may we always delight in the sharing of the Good News – that this is God’s well (Bible) – this is God’s well (sacraments) – this is God’s well (the church)!

Amen.