3. Water in the New Testament
The first mention of water in the New Testament is found in the Gospel according to John. In chapter 3 Jesus has a conversation with Nicodemus and he says: “very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit”. This is something new for Nicodemus, even though he is a teacher of the Law. How can a man be born again? is his next question. Nicodemus is not able to see beyond natural birth. The water that Jesus speaks of is different from the natural water of birth. The water he speaks of points to something beyond a human understanding, it requires faith. Ratzinger says
Baptism, the gateway into communion with Christ, being interpreted for us here as rebirth. The rebirth
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Sources of fresh water are necessary for health care, agriculture and industry. Water supplies used to be relatively constant, but now in many places demand exceeds the sustainable supply, with dramatic consequences in the short and long term. Large cities dependent on significant supplies of water have experienced periods of shortage, and at critical moments these have not always been administered with sufficient oversight and impartiality. Water poverty especially affects Africa where large sectors of the population have no access to safe drinking water or experience droughts which impede agricultural production. Some countries have areas rich in water while others endure drastic …show more content…
The ‘little one’ can represent a poor person, someone uneducated, or a new or vulnerable disciple, so the cup of water can mean the actual fluid needed for physical survival, or teaching needed for spiritual well-being. The text links the subsistence good and the spiritual good in a social setting”. So in this case water can be a spiritual blessing which is the reward for the one who offers and social well-being for the one who is being offered. A spiritual blessing for the one who gives and physical well-being for the one who