Readings:
Exodus 17:3-7
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
John 4:5-42
The Gospel reading for this Sunday is the exquisitely beautiful story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. In this story, we encounter two thirsty people. The Gospel writer tells us that Jesus sits down by the well; he is tired from his journey. It is not often in the Gospels that we meet a tired Jesus, but here we do. Then there is the Samaritan woman, arriving at the scene to draw some water. She encounters the tired and thirsty Jesus, who asks for a drink. What she does not realize is that it is her own deep thirst that will become the topic of their conversation.
At the start of this encounter, things do not look very promising. In the first place, these two should not be conversing. Jesus is an observant Jew. The woman is a Samaritan. There was deep distrust and even enmity between Jews and Samaritans. There had been violent conflict between them. Moreover, for a lone male to address a woman in public at that time was not viewed as proper.
The woman’s initial response to Jesus’ request for water sounds cold and indifferent: “How can you, a Jew, ask me a Samaritan woman for a drink?” There is an air of suspicion and even cynicism here. But Jesus will not be put off that easily. He pursues the conversation, drawing her along with great ingenuity and love. Soon, she is asking him for a drink: “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water” Her initial indifference, addressing Jesus as “You, a Jew” gives way to curiosity, to greater respect. She addresses Jesus as “Sir,” and even gives some recognition of her own need.
Then Jesus speaks to her about her life. She has had five husbands, and man with whom she is now living is not her husband. Her life is a bit messy. But she is honest with Jesus about that: “I do not have a husband.” Despite her troubled life, there is a sense of integrity about the conversation. And Jesus does not abandon or demean her because of her difficult past. Rather, he remains present to her, continuing to engage her. At that moment she proclaims that he is a prophet. This is an initial step, a partial glimpse into the identity of Jesus.
After further dialogue about the Messiah who is to come, this unnamed woman moves away to speak with her friends and neighbors. And there she goes further in speaking of Jesus: “Could he possibly be the Christ?” This is still not a complete faith, but she is moving in the right direction. Not only does she perceive Jesus with greater depth; she becomes a witness to Jesus, giving testimony to him to the people of her town. The Gospel writer tells us, “Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified.” They came to believe in Jesus because of the strength of her witness.
This Gospel story has a lot to say to us about our own relationship with Christ. It speaks to us about the way in which the risen Christ acts in our lives. Jesus continues to encounter us, to start the conversation. He does that when we join in the celebration of the Eucharist or other sacraments; in moments of personal prayer; through the faces and words of other people we meet; in the significant events of our lives, and in so many other ways. He offers himself to us as the one who satisfies our deepest hungers and thirsts: “The water I shall give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Sometimes our initial reaction to Christ can be cold, indifferent, defensive. We find it difficult to trust him, to invite him into our lives. We would prefer to keep the Lord at arm’s length. Yet Christ patiently remains present to us, drawing us closer. Sometimes in our encounters with the Lord we, too, become more keenly aware of the troubled parts of our lives: our struggles, failures, confusion and sins. Yet there too Jesus does not abandon us or demean us because of our struggles or failures. He continues to engage us, and in so doing, we discover his mercy. We, like the Samaritan woman, are gradually brought to a stronger, more trusting recognition of who Jesus is as the Christ, the Savior and Lord.
In our relationship with Christ, we too, like the woman at the well, are sent forth to give testimony to others; to give testimony to the refreshment that he gives. We are sent forth so that others may find faith and hope because of the strength of our witness. There are many ways to do that, of course. During this season of Lent we are reminded in a special way that we are called to give witness by becoming people of prayer and by offering generous service to others, especially those most in need.
As we move forward in Lent toward the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection, you and I are invited to deepen our relationship with Christ. We ask the Lord to give us the living water of his word, his mercy, his guidance and inspiration. And we implore him to show us how to give testimony to him, so that others may believe through the strength of our witness.
Robin Ryan, CP