Lent-Encounters with Jesus, Part One

By Fr. Michael Plekon

We have passed Ash Wednesday and are on our way through the season of Lent, heading toward holy week and Easter. Lent is many things, a time for doing good things, thinking the good thoughts God thinks, of forgiveness, sharing, love. It is also a school and this year we will be learning from a series of encounters Jesus has with individuals, all recorded in the gospel of John. Each of these is an intense meeting and exchange from which we have much to learn. We will look at three of these here and the rest in another article.

First, Jesus confronts the Evil One, Satan, the devil. Well, of course, we would think that Jesus has to take on the public enemy number one! What is important to note is that the Evil One comes looking for Jesus, not the other way round. Isn’t that the case for us too? When we least expect it, there is the pull toward lashing out, wanting to hurt another, wanting to take care only of ourselves, perhaps even hoping to destroy someone we detest. Jesus is confronted with three temptations—turn stones into bread, throw yourself off the temple roof and hope the angels will save you, and finally, bow down to the Evil One and admit evil is stronger than good. Jesus says no to all of these. He’s not a magician, hoping to attract followers with his miracles. So stones are not turned into bread nor is there an effort to fly off the temple. And Jesus knows evil is no match for what is good, kindness trumps hate, we care for the stranger and those in need. We don’t just love our own little world of family and friends. Doing what is good, what God does, is a miracle, and we give others a new hope and life in this. By the way, the account of Jesus’ encounter with the Evil One is from Matthew’s gospel, from which we will hear all the rest of this year, later on.

The second encounter is from John’s gospel. It describes when a leading member of the Temple clergy comes to visit Jesus, under the cover of darkness. This was for fear of what his colleagues might think, so there’s some cowardly behavior here on the part of a religious leader, a teacher, who should be able to show greater integrity. No problem on Jesus’ part. Nicodemus is welcomed. For someone with great learning. Nicodemus seems at first clueless at to what Jesus tells him in response to his questions. He should know better that the spirit blows where it wills, and that God certainly can be present in this teacher, Jesus, as God spoke through Elijah, Moses, Isaiah and the rest of the prophets. Whether Nicodemus was playing dumb or really could not get it, Jesus’ patience persists. In one of the most famous lines in the gospels, Jesus assures Nicodemus that God is all about love. God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, so that all would be drawn closer to God. God condemns no one—something many cannot accept even today.  Jesus emphasizes God’s abundant love to Nicodemus, with patience and compassion. There’s a lesson here, not only for Nicodemus but for ourselves.

A third encounter, again from John’s gospel, is the beautiful story of Jesus’ long conversation with the Samaritan woman from the village of Sychar. The Eastern Church preserved her name as Photini, the one who brings light to all around her. Tired out from travel on foot and preaching, Jesus finds himself at the town well in Sychar, one that went all the way back to the patriarch Jacob. He asks Photini for a drink. She’s come to fetch water for her household. She’s astonished that a rabbi, a teacher like Jesus, a Jew, has asked her for this as Jews despise Samaritans. 

The two of them drift into an amazing conversation, first not about water from Jacob’s well but the living water, which stands for God’s presence and love. Water is huge in a desert, don’t we know! The conversation turns to who is Photini’s husband—she has been married before. Jesus isn’t judging her. He respects her, allows her to be honest about herself and her life. His honesty meets hers. She sees the light.  She begs him for the living water, which she now knows is his teaching, his friendship.

They talk further and she hears that from now on the Spirit will be present everywhere, for all people. God has no favorites, only beloved children. And back into the town she runs, telling everyone that she’s met a teacher like no other, the Chosen one of God, the Messiah. She has become an apostle or messenger and her neighbors come to welcome Jesus. They ask him to stay and teach. They exclaim that after her bringing the news they too have come to see him as the Promised one.

What do we learn here? An honest, thoughtful woman risks talking to someone she likely fears, only to find great friendship and acceptance, love. Is there a lesson for us here? I think so.

The rest of our Lenten encounters will follow in Part two.