As I mentioned last week about the Samaritan woman at the well, this is another massive text with extensive commentary. And this long text can get even longer because it should be read alongside chapter 5’s healing story in contrast. AND it can get even longer, because it can be read historically as one of the catechetical stories of baptismal preparation along with the Samaritan Woman (4:5-42) and the Raising of Lazarus (11:1-45).[1] Themes of the Light of the World, Blindness vs Seeing, Belief and Unbelief, Choice and Rejection, and Sin, can all be thoroughly examined throughout our preaching. But I would say “Seeing and Believing Jesus vs. rejection” is the main issue at hand. In many ways that can be described as the greatest “sin” in the Gospel of John, rejecting God after seeing God face to face. Again, if you want to go the theological route, there are so many incredible commentaries out there and there is so much that we can choose to go over (though narrowing would be crucial). But again, I wonder if there is a way to connect with the humanity of this man. Like with Nicodemus and Samaritan woman what if we connected with the encounter with Jesus. What it felt like to be with him. What it felt like to witness to him afterwards. After all, the Greek of man is anthrōpos, theologically “every person.”[2] How do we experience the encounter with the divine, the Light of the World?