The second lovely invitation from Jesus to people is His passionate call on any who is thirsty to come to Him and drink. The devotional is dwelling on relationship exposition and not the usual evangelical exposition. Meaning, fellowship of sharing and caring for people. The ongoing event and the time Jesus’ call to those who is thirsty to meet Him for drink subscribes to passionate call to being kind to those seemed neglected. Jesus called out on the last day of a great feast, called the Feats of Booths. According to one Pastor Joe Anady of Emmaus Baptist Reformed Church, Jerusalem is usually parked full with people this time of the feast. It supposed to be a day that foods and drinks ought to be in surplus supply, including drinking water. One peculiar ceremony on this last day of the great feast, is fetching water from the Pool of Siloam to be poured on the altar of the Temple. This is a religious ritual carried out by the Priests.
Is likely Jesus saw something fundamentally wrong. There could be preferential treatments given to the rich and the wealthy while the common people are neglected. While “those who matter” were having enough drinks, the less privileged were left out, hungry and thirsty. Jesus who has Spiritual foods and drinks was moved with passion to invite the neglected people for Spiritual free water that quench thirst for ever. The lesson here is that leaders are to be concerned with everybody under them, either rich, wealthy or the less privileged. We do see in our world how many less privileged attend celebration and ended up going home hungrier and with dried throats. Jesus called out to this group of people. Jesus cried out to “everyone who is thirsty” because He saw segregation and bias treatment on the poor amongst others. Jesus saw absence of brotherly fellowship or relationship here. In a celebration like, this foods and drinks were meant for giving free. Prophet Isaiah’s message says: “Come, everyone who thirst, come to the water, and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55: 1 ESV).
Today’s devotional, is in no way contradicting the evangelical presentation of these verses, talking about the water representing Holy Spirit; which everyone must receive so that his or her inner heart becomes a spring of living water. In the literal sense, we Christians are to be more Christ-like by being sensitive to those we are leading. We should be able to know when they are thirsty and provide them with free drinks. Jesus said; “come everyone”. We must extend our love and care to everyone. There should be no preferential honour for the high class people and reserved negligence on the less privileged. Jesus stood up in the crowd and cried out inviting everyone who feel thirsty to meet Him. Brethren, when last did you call out to those struggling for foods and drinks to come to your house?
PRAYER:
LORD JESUS, thank you for being a perfect leader who cares for the less privileged. Grant me the wisdom to see those struggling for feeding themselves in my church. And, give me the boldness to invite them for feeding them. Amen.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch