Rags to Riches

First Lesson: Exodus 17: 1-7
Responsive Reading: Psalm 95
Second Lesson: Romans 5: 1-11
​Gospel Lesson: John 4: 5-42

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Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
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Calvin Robertson was born in Montreal in 1911[1].  At the age of 11, Calvin would be forced to deliver newspapers on Montreal’s icy streets, just to help his family of nine survive.  Calvin’s life was not easy.  His home didn’t contain a bathtub, running water, or heat other than the stove. The family was so poor that they could never even celebrate Christmas.  His dad was an alcoholic.  Calvin would spend the night hiding under his bed, fearful of what Dad was going to do to him when he got home[2].  Calvin’s temperament was such that he was either getting into fights at school if he wasn’t skipping altogether.  In 1921, Calvin’s family situation seemingly grew even more desperate with the birth of two new twin brothers Jimmy and Billy. 

In the summer of 1922, an Aunt named Addie came for a visit[3].  Addie was appalled at the conditions in Calvin’s home.  Addie makes the suggestion that Calvin and his sister Thelma come down for a visit in Washington D.C.  When Calvin arrives in Washington D.C., his first stop was to see his Uncle who he had never met a man named Clark Griffith[4].  Clark Griffith would soon take Calvin in as his child.  Clark was most well-known for owning a baseball team called the Washington Senators, who eventually became the Minnesota Twins.  One encounter in Montreal had totally changed Calvin Griffith’s fortunes from struggling to survive to becoming an eventual owner of a Major League Baseball team.  Now picture Calvin Griffith’s tale of rags to riches, let’s look at our Gospel lesson.

Our Gospel Lesson is one that we know of John 4:5-42.  Jesus and the Woman at the Well from the town called Sychar. Our lesson for Today centers around a woman who has been married five times and is now living with another guy.  Now this woman often has a reputation of possessing ill-repute. 

The woman possessing such a reputation for questionable moral behavior is certainly a possibility.  There are though a couple of other possibilities.  The first possibility is that she was a victim of divorce laws[5].  You see in Jesus’ day; men could get rid of spouses for nearly any reason, however, trivial.  She could have been divorced for being unable to bear children.  Another possibility for the woman from Sychar is that she was a repeated widow.  The practice in Jesus’ day was that when one’s husband died, their brother would inherit his wife, and with husbands often much older than wives (this could explain why she was so unlucky in love[6]). 

The most relevant explanation for the woman at Sychar is that she had a troubled heart on account of her broken relationships.  She had been down in the dumps whether for weeks, months, or years.  She was clamoring for a different kind of life.

So this woman is going through her daily routine when she sees a man down by the well.

The man is Jewish.  She is Samaritan.

Grandma was born in Lindstrom.  She spent the majority of the first seventy years of her life in Lindstrom. Grandma then sold the family home for being too big to her.  Grandma moved to a senior living complex about four miles away.  Grandma was moving into a nice, place.   The only problem with the complex is that it resided in Chisago City.  Grandma’s husband and father both were mayors in Lindstrom.  Grandma has used plenty of inappropriate slang to describe Chisago City over the years, where they’re supposedly not as high-brow as Lindstrom. Grandma because of this could never consider herself a resident of Chisago City, even as she’s lived in Chisago City now for nearly twenty years.  Now picture Grandma and Chisago City.  Picture your or your loved one’s Chisago City, the place of the stranger, the place of the other.  The historic rival through whom he could show no mercy. 

Jesus was going to approach the Jews historical rivals in this Samaritan woman.  Samaritans were considered to be fake Jews and traitors to their religion. Jews and Samaritans had hundreds of years of animosity between them.  This woman probably sees Jesus is Jewish approaching, assumes he’s going to go the other way, only he doesn’t.

You see Jesus doesn’t see her as a Samaritan.  Jesus sees her as lonely, and broken longing for not well water, but living water. 

“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.”- John 4:13-14.

Jesus approaches this woman not like she’s the worst outcast in the entire village, but rather like she’s the most important woman in the whole, wide world[7].  Jesus is the first person that she’s encountered in her life who can move beyond her baggage, move beyond what anyone else might think, and give unto her a promise of living water instead. 

This woman like Calvin Griffith in just one encounter has her life forever changed turned from the greatest of outcasts to the greatest of witnesses of the saving power of God.  All because she received living water from the well of Sychar. 

There are all sorts of people out in our world Today just like this woman from Sychar.

Marie Miller is a devout Roman Catholic singer.  A few years ago, her best friend was in a lot of pain.  His mom was suffering from bipolar disorder, and he was struggling with how to cope[8].  You see most of his Mom’s friends had abandoned her not willing to engage with the extremes of her behavior.  He felt that absolutely no one understand his loneliness just like the woman from Sychar. Marie Miller spoke to her friend words of promise, no different than Jesus speaks to the Woman at the Well on this day.

“I’m gonna roll up my sleeves. I’m gonna fight for you; I’m gonna fight till I bleed. So, listen to me now. I’m not gonna stand here, when my friend’s down and out.  I’m not gonna run when, it’s hard to figure it all out. If there’s anything I’d say, I will tell you right now: you’re not alone[9].”

What Jesus is saying is that there might be powerful forces fighting against you, but my presence shall never leave your side, whether you’re Samaritan or any other outsider shunned by the world.  Jesus doesn’t care what anybody else thinks, he will claim you as his own.

Joseph Merrick was born in England in 1862[10].  Merrick like Calvin Griffith was born in the slums.  Merrick within the first few years of his life developed lumpy skin, enlarged lips, a bony lump on his forehead, oversized hands and feet.  Merrick is better known by his nickname “Elephant Man.”  At the age of 9, Merrick’s mother died.  His mom was the only person who accepted him as he was in the whole wide world.  His new step-mom didn’t take too kindly to Merrick.  At the age of 12, Merrick’s father put him to work as a door to door salesman.  People would scream at him, and slam doors in his face. One day, his father finally snapped, beating him and throwing him out of the house.  Merrick’s next stop was a workhouse for the mentally ill.  Merrick hated this so much; he decided to lower himself to becoming a sideshow act at the circus.  Everyone in the world thought that Joseph Merrick deserved nothing but laughter and contempt[11].  Pretty soon, Merrick meets a Dr.Fredrick Treves who takes him in.

Joseph Merrick was permanently scarred[12].  Whenever Dr. Treves or anyone would walk into his room, he would act like a frightened child.  Treves soon discovered there was much more to Merrick than what everyone else thought.  Merrick was quite bright and worthy of attention.  Merrick though had one great fear, ever since the loss of his mother he had experienced nothing but rejection from women. They would literally run in the other direction upon encountering his presence.

Treves then decides to track down an attractive woman in Madge Kendal to visit Merrick[13].  Kendal was one of the best known and prettiest actress in all of London.  Kendal[14] comes into his room and doesn’t do anything extraordinary, she merely shakes his hand and gives him a smile.  Merrick is so moved by her outreach that he breaks down into a ball of tears, having not experienced kindness from a woman since the death of his mother years before[15].

This one encounter though totally changed Joseph Merrick.  Merrick began to open up in the presence of others.  The years ahead would bring numerous encounters and even friendships with royalty[16].  What the story of the Elephant Man and the Woman from Sychar show us is how powerful one simple act of grace can change lives.  Joseph Merrick was not merely just a sideshow act.  The Woman from Sychar was no longer just unlucky in love.  Just like in the case of Calvin Griffith, one simple encounter and their lives would never be the same again. They are no longer merely going through life all alone.  The point for the morning is this;  Jesus doesn’t see you as the world sees you.  Jesus doesn’t see you as old, young, Jew, Samaritan, rich, poor, single, divorced, widowed, healthy, sick,  pretty, ugly, white, black, or yellow.  Jesus sees you as his child, longing for grace to break free from the chains which afflict you. 

Jesus met a woman on this day from a town called Sychar.  Jesus promises unto her that her past shall no longer define her. Jesus promises unto her that the judgment of others shall no longer define her.  Jesus instead says “Come and drink Living Water, which only I can provide. So you may never thirst again[17]” Amen


[1] Kerr, Jon. Calvin: Baseball’s Last Dinosaur. Calumet Editions. Minneapolis. 2016. 2nd Edition.  Print. P.17-21.
[2] Kerr, Jon. Calvin: Baseball’s Last Dinosaur. Print. P.17-21.
[3] Kerr, Jon. Calvin: Baseball’s Last Dinosaur. Print. P.20. 
[4] Kerr, Jon. Calvin: Baseball’s Last Dinosaur. Print. P.21. 
[5] Zingale, Tim. “An Encounter with the Messiah”. Sermon Central. 05. Feb. 2005. Web. Mar.13.2017. 
[6] Zingale, Tim. “An Encounter with the Messiah”.
[7] McDavid, Will. “Bible Wednesdays:Jesus Met the Woman at the Well.” MBird (Mockingbird Ministries). 12. Jun.2013. Web. Mar.13.2017. 
[8] Rebecca. “Marie Miller:You’re Not Alone.” Finding Order in the Disorder: Bipolar Disorder and Depression hosted by Blogger. 09. Oct.2013. Web. Mar.13.2017. 
[9] Rebecca. “Marie Miller:You’re Not Alone.”
[10] Stories for Preaching. “The Elephant Man.” Stories for Preaching. Found in Welcoming the Vulernable section. Taken from www.elephant-house.fsnet.co.uk. Web. Mar.13.2017. 
[11] Stories for Preaching. “The Elephant Man.”
[12] Stories for Preaching. “The Elephant Man.”
[13] “Joseph Merrick.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 06. Mar.2017. Web. Mar.13.2017. 
[14] Kendal’s visit to Merrick is unconfirmed via historical record.  The scene appeared in the 1962 Elephant Man movie. 
[15] Stories for Preaching. “The Elephant Man.”
[16] Stories for Preaching. “The Elephant Man.”
[17] Paraphase of John 4:11-13.