THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

III SUNDAY OF LENT - Jn 4:5-42

In this Sunday's gospel, we read Jn 4:5-42, which presents Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. As we hear the passage being read, it is good that we look at both sides and scrutinise the attitudes both of Jesus and of the Samaritan woman.

I am thirsty!

Looking at Jesus, we see him tired and thirsty, seated by the well, waiting for someone to come by to draw water. When the Samaritan woman appeared, he made a very simple request: Give me water.

Jesus presented himself as someone in need, and he asked for something very easy to give, water. While he asked water for the body to quench his thirst, he was at the same time ready to offer water for the soul, the living water.

We must remember that, according to the same gospel of John, on the cross Jesus said: "I am thirsty" (Jn 19:28). But then he was given vinegar instead of water.

As the dialogue proceeded, it seems that Jesus forgot about the water, as if his thirst was quenched or as if it was only a pretext to initiate a conversation. Jesus was thirsty for an encounter, to reveal himself and to lead the Samaritan to faith and to salvation. He forgot about the water from the well and refused the food brought by his disciples. There is only one food that may satisfy him: to do his Father's will; and there is only one drink that may inebriate him: open hearts ready to welcome him.

Give me this water

Looking at the woman, we see her surprised at Jesus' request and very suspicious about the stranger who dared to talk to her and ask for water. In Jesus, she saw nothing more than a man and a Jew, who might constitute a threat to her. In spite of that, she dared to speak, expressing her surprise and her fears. By answering Jesus, she allowed the conversation to go on.

Immediately, Jesus changed the subject of the conversation, passing from the water of the well to the water of life, and presenting himself as the giver of that water. Even without understanding well the meaning of Jesus' offer, she did not waste time and asked: Give me this water! Like her, we must make the same prayer: Lord, give us this water, so that we may live, because we are thirsty with the thirst of life that can be quenched only by the Holy Spirit that Jesus will bestow on us.

Confronted by Jesus, she recognises her sinfulness

And then Jesus confronted her, leading her to face the mess of her life and become aware of her own sin. Whenever we encounter Jesus, this encounter leads us to be confronted with our own sinfulness. She recognised her sin, and her sincerity and truthfulness made it possible for Jesus to reveal himself to her as the Messiah.

Certainly, it was not by chance that the Gospel of John presents Jesus revealing himself to an outsider, that is to a woman who was more or less an outcast. As a Samaritan, she was as good as a gentile. You may notice that she went alone to the well; maybe she had no friends, being despised even by her neighbours, who most probably were afraid that she might steal their husbands. What else can you expect from a woman who had been married five times and now was just living in a relationship, maybe in concubinage!

By revealing himself to an outsider, Jesus wanted to show that nobody is excluded, except those who exclude themselves.

Taking others to Jesus

After the revelation, she went to proclaim the Good-News to her village, bringing people to Jesus; and then they asked him to stay with them. Jesus consented and stayed with them two days, which seems so little, but it was enough for them to recognise Jesus as the Saviour of the world. In the journey to Emmaus, the two disciples also asked Jesus to stay with them (Lk 24:29). This request made it possible for them to recognise Jesus as the risen Lord.

Jesus leads us in our journey of faith as he did with the Samaritan woman. He can transform our lives as he transformed hers. And then we must give witness to Jesus as she did.