Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst

 

 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 

Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.  A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  

 

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"  Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."  the woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."  

 

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."   Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

- John 4:1–26 

 Yesterday we read that, after the Passover (the first of three Passover feasts mentioned in John's Gospel) Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

  Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Samaria was the region that was north of Jerusalem, between Judea and Galilee.  Jesus is traveling to His "home" country in Galilee, from Judea.

Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.  A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  My study Bible comments that while the Old Testament doesn't mention Jacob's well, it is known that Jacob dwelt in this area (Genesis 33:19).   It notes that wells were significant in this region because of their rarity and their value in desert life.  So, therefore, wells came to symbolize life itself  (Psalms 36:9-10, 46:4; Isaiah 55:1).  This well has been maintained as a shrine even in recent times, and pilgrims can drink from it.  Jesus is wearied from His journey, which shows us His complete humanity.  The sixth hour is noon.  In the tradition of the Orthodox Church, this woman is identified as St. Photini.  

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  The Samaritans were a mixed race, and they were also traditional enemies of the Jews.  My study Bible explains that although they worshiped the God of Israel, and also awaited the Messiah, they only accepted the first five books of the Old Testament (the Torah, or Pentateuch) as their Scriptures.  They had built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim, which was destroyed by the Jews in 128 BC.

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"  Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."  In the ordinary sense of the term, living water means fresh, flowing water, from a stream or spring rather than a pond or a cistern.  But Jesus is using this phrase to describe the grace of the Holy Spirit, which leads to eternal life (John 7:37-39).  My study Bible comments that this gift not only remains in a person, but it is so abundant that it overflows to others.  It notes also that this woman misunderstands Jesus, and asks Him, "Are You greater than our father Jacob?"  In the Scriptures, it explains, Jacob is a "type" of Christ, as Jacob received the vision of the divine ladder (Genesis 28:12), of which Christ is fulfillment.  Moreover, just as Jacob gave this well for earthly life, Christ gives the well of the Holy Spirit for eternal life. 

 

 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."  the woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."   Since Jesus has perceived that she was living with a man without being married, and He also knew of her string of husbands, this woman perceives He is a prophet.  As the Samaritans accepted no prophets after Moses, but only prophet they expected was the Messiah foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18).  My study Bible says that Christ's insight into people's hearts, which is reported many times in the Gospels (and remarked upon in this blog), emphasizes Christ's divine nature.  

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  If Christ was truly the expected Prophet (of whom Moses wrote), then He could settle the historical argument about where worship was to take place.   But Jesus avoids this question and instead elevates the discussion to the way in which people should worship.  More importantly, Christ turns her attention to the One whom we worship:  God.  The Father is worshiped in spirit -- that is, in the Holy Spirit, my study Bible says -- and in truth -- that is in Christ Himself (John 14:6) and according to Christ's revelation.  Jesus declares that God is Spirit:  this indicates that God cannot be confined to a particular location.  My study Bible says that those who receive the Holy Spirit and believe in Jesus Christ can worship God the Father with purity of heart.  Jesus also states that salvation is of the Jews:  in so stating, Christ affirms that true revelation comes out from Judaism.  My study Bible quotes St. Athanasius the Great:  "The commonwealth of Israel was the school of the knowledge of God for all the nations."  More importantly here, Jesus testifies that the Messiah, prophesied from among the Jews, has now risen from among the Jews.  The gift of salvation in Christ is to all the nations, but it has come from within Judaism.  The hour is a reference to the death and Resurrection of Christ, and also to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of Pentecost, inaugurating the worship of the new covenant.  

The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."   Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."  My study Bible points out that "I who speak to you am He" is literally translated "I AM [Greek ego eimi], who speak to you."  This "I AM" is the divine Name of God.  It's use is an indication of what is called a theophany, or revelation of God Himself.  The use of this Name by a mere human being was considered to be blasphemy and was punishable by death (see John 8:58; Mark 14:62).  But as He Himself is divine, Christ's use of this Name is a revelation of His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit; we are given to understand that He is God Incarnate.

The Holy Spirit is here invoked by Jesus through the image of living water.  Jesus gives us two further statements about this living water:  "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."   It's a kind of water which in some sense is so satisfying that a person will never thirst.  And it is a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.  This living water doesn't just give life, it springs up into everlasting life.  It has an eternal quality, and it satisfies deep need for an eternity, for one will never thirst again.  Jesus uses this metaphor of thirst elsewhere when He speaks of the deepest desire within ourselves for the depth of a true spiritual life.  In the Beatitudes, He states, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).  So whatever qualities there are of this living water, and whatever this living water really is, we can put His comments together and understand how it satisfies the very depth of need for a soul that knows its Master, and seeks what the Master has to offer it.  A soul, after all, is meant for life that is eternal, and Christ is here to give us what we need to feed that soul for such a life.  The Psalmist speaks of such a thirst for God:  "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God" (Psalm 42:1).  So, we could ask, what is it that you hunger and thirst for?  What is it that is such a strong impulse within human beings that Jesus can speak of its sustenance by offering living water?  His very human thirst on this day at noon, in a hot desert place, and finding an ancient well gives the framework for a kind of thirst that is only satisfied with an eternally-giving spring, something that sustains with the quality of eternal life added to the earthly life we know.  And the great catalyst for this revelation is this sole moment when Christ is alone with a stranger, a Gentile woman, and He asks for a drink of water.  It's shocking to her because first of all, a Jewish Man alone with a Samaritan woman is not something that would normally be permissible in such a culture -- let alone this Man speaking to her and asking for a drink (hence, her response to Him).  But this is a microcosm in itself of this eternally giving water springing up into life, for from this one unusual moment, a great revelation is born, and it is a revelation that continues to give to us the words of Christ, the unforgettable image of this living water.  Jesus reveals even more than this to this unlikely woman; that He is the Messiah Himself.  But today let us ponder what is missing in her life, what she needs, and what quality of eternal life we need as we thirst for something more than our daily, earthly lives.  What is it that can satisfy a thirst eternally?  What is it that never stops giving?

 

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him

 

 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (thought Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea an departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  

 

So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.  A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  

 

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"  Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  

 

The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."  Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

 

- John 4:1-26 

 

Yesterday we read that, after teaching Nicodemus by night, Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

  Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (thought Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea an departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  Samaria was the region to the north of Jerusalem; it was between the regions of Judea and Galilee.  Since the Pharisees now know that Jesus' ministry is growing, and that He has made and baptized more disciples than John the Baptist (who was himself a very popular figure), it seems likely He leaves the region of Judea and travels north to be further away from their scrutiny and influence.

 

 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.  A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  My study Bible says that the Old Testament does not mention Jacob's well, although Jacob did live in this area (Genesis 33:19).  Wells, it explains, were significant because of their rarity and their value in desert life.  Therefore, wells came to symbolize life itself (Psalms 36:9-10, 46:4; Isaiah 55:1).  This particular well is maintained as a shrine even now, and pilgrims can drink from it.  Jesus is wearied from His journey, showing His complete humanity.  The sixth hour is noon.  In the tradition of the Orthodox church this woman is identified as St. Photini.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. The Samaritans were a mixed race, and they were traditional enemies of the Jews.  Although they worshiped the God of Israel and they also awaited the Messiah, my study Bible says they accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament (the Torah or Pentateuch) as their Scriptures.  They had built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim, which was destroyed by the Jews in 128 BC.

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"  Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  Living water in the ordinary sense means fresh, flowing water; that is, from a stream of spring rather than from a pond or cistern.  My study Bible says that Christ uses this term to mean the grace of the Holy Spirit that leads to eternal life (John 7:37-39).  This gift not only remains in a person, but it is so abundant that it overflows to others.  The woman misunderstands Jesus and asks Him, "Are You greater than our father Jacob?"  In the Scriptures, my study Bible explains, Jacob is a type of Christ, as he received the vision of the divine ladder (Genesis 28:12), which Christ fulfills.  Moreover, just as Jacob gave this well for earthly life, now Christ gives the well of the Holy Spirit for eternal life. 

The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."  Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet."   As Jesus perceived that she was living with a man without being married, and He knew of her many husbands, this woman believes that Jesus is a prophet.  My study Bible explains that the Samaritans did not accept any prophets after Moses, so the only prophet they expected was the Messiah whom Moses foretold (Deuteronomy 18:15-18).   It says that Christ's insight into people's hearts, which is reported many times in the Gospels, underscores His divine nature.  

"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."   My study Bible comments that if Jesus was indeed the expected Prophet (foretold by Moses, as explained above), He could settle the historical argument about where worship was meant to take place.  Jesus refuses to answer this earthly question, and instead elevates the discussion to the manner in which people ought to worship.  Even more centrally, He turns the attention to the One whom we worship:  God.  The Father is worshiped in spirit -- in the Holy Spirit -- and in truth; that is, in Christ Himself (John 14:6) and in accordance with Christ's revelation.  That God is Spirit means that God cannot be confined to a particular location.  My study Bible says that those who receive the Holy Spirit and believe in Jesus Christ can worship God the Father with purity of heart.  Jesus says that salvation is of the Jews, thus affirming that true revelation comes from Judaism.  My study Bible quotes St. Athanasius:  "The commonwealth of Israel was the school of the knowledge of God for all the nations."  More importantly, it says, Jesus is testifying that the Messiah, who was prophesied among the Jews, has risen from among the Jews.  While the gift of salvation in Christ is to all nations, it has come from within Judaism.  The hour refers the death and Resurrection of Christ, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which inaugurates the worship of the new covenant. 

 

The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."  I who speak to you am He is literally translated "I AM [Greek Ἐγώ εἰμι/Ego eimi], who speak to you."  "I AM" is the divine Name of God.  My study Bible says that its use indicates a theophany, which means a revelation of God.  The use of this Name by a human being was considered blasphemy and punishable by death (see John 8:58, Mark 14:62).  But, as Jesus is divine, His use of this Name reveals His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit; He is God Incarnate.  

 

So how does Christ come to this woman, of all women, to reveal Himself?  In tomorrow's reading, we will come into more detail about this woman's eventual life (as St. Photini).  But for now let us consider what is happening in our reading for today.  Jesus seems to come to this place of Jacob's well, when she is there, entirely by happenstance. One must wonder what it means that it is the sixth hour.  Clearly, it means that at noon when the sun is high in the sky, and after a long day of traveling, Jesus is thirsty.  But this woman, who is there to draw water, would normally be one He, being a Jew, wouldn't even speak to.  Moreover, we will see (again, in tomorrow's reading) the startled response of the disciples when they come upon this scene, for it is potentially scandalous not only that Christ speaks to a Samaritan woman, but also that He speaks to her alone.  Just think, He the Teacher!  But this tremendous revelation also reminds us of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and that she is the one whose supplication initiated the miracle of the water turning to wine at the wedding in Cana.  Here, Jesus asks a woman for water, and it is another occasion to transform her understanding and ours to the image of "living water" as Christ uses it, for the image of the Holy Spirit.  So we see in this conversation an important reaching out in Christ's ministry not only to women but also to outsiders.  These significant factors add concrete meaning to Christ's words that "the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."   For if we are each the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19), with the Holy Spirit indwelling, then to worship in spirit and truth means that this capacity extends equally to women and to outsiders, although "salvation is of the Jews."  This is the new covenant spoken through Christ, to one who will become a part of that new covenant, for whom "new wineskins" are necessary (Mark 2:22).  So is this meeting by chance, or is it yet one more landmark moment of revelation, for the opening up of the gospel to the world, and a new revelation of God that builds on what was already known?  We cannot know the mind of God, but we understand that, as Jesus told Nicodemus, explaining the mysterious work of the Spirit:  "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).  Jesus extends our understanding by revealing God to us through His encounter with this woman, and opens our eyes to the potentials of worship in spirit and in truth, "for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."

 

 

 

 

 

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.  A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"   Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."   The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

- John 4:1-26

Yesterday we read that after the Passover in Jerusalem,  Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.   A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  Samaria is to the north of Jerusalem; it is a territory located between Judea and Galilee (map).   Jesus leaves Judea because the growing popularity of His ministry has gained the attention of the Pharisees.  The sixth hour is noon; this is after Passover, possibly late spring or even summer.  We can imagine the heat in this region.  In my mind, I imagine a quiet time.  Jacob's well is deserted, save for Christ alone with this woman who came to draw water.  My study bible tells us that, although the Old Testament doesn't mention Jacob's Well, Jacob lived in this area (Genesis 33:19).  It notes that wells were significant because of their rarity and their value in desert life.  Therefore, wells began to symbolize life itself (Psalms 36:9-10, 46:4, Isaiah 55:1).  This well still is kept as a shrine, where pilgrims may drink of it.  That Jesus is wearied from His journey shows His complete humanity.  This Samaritan woman is identified in the Orthodox tradition as St. Photini.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  My study bible explains that the Samaritans were a mixed race and also traditional enemies of the Jews.  They worshiped the God of Israel, and also were awaiting the Messiah.  They accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament (Pentateuch, or written Torah) as their Scriptures.

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"   Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."  My study bible explains that living water in the ordinary sense means, fresh and flowing water, from a  stream or spring rather than pond or cistern.  Christ uses the term to mean the grace of the Holy Spirit which leads to eternal life (7:37-39).  It is a gift that does  not simply remain within a person, but rather overflows to others in its abundance.  This woman misunderstand Jesus, and asks if He is greater than our father Jacob.  Jacob, my study bible explains, is a "type" of Christ, having received the vision of the divine ladder (Genesis 28:12).  Earlier, in John's Gospel, Jesus referred to Himself as one whom upon whom Nathanael would see angels ascending and descending, a reference to Himself as Jacob's Ladder (1:51), the vision which He fulfills.  Moreover, as Jacob gave this well for earthly life, Christ now gives us the well of the Holy Spirit for eternal life.

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."   The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet."  As Jesus understood that this woman was living with a man without married, and also that he knew of her whole history of many husbands, she perceives that He is a prophet.  As they followed the Pentateuch, the Samaritans had not accepted any prophets after Moses.  So the only prophet they expected was the Messiah foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18).  Once again, John's Gospel teaches us about Jesus' knowledge of people's hearts, underscoring the divine nature of Christ.

"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."     This woman refers to the temple the Samaritans on Mt. Gerizim, which had been destroyed by the Jews in 128 BC.  If Jesus was the expected Prophet referred to by Moses, He could settle this historical argument between the Samaritan and the Jews regarding where temple worship was to take place.  But Jesus has come to bring a fullness of worship with a new understanding, and He does not answer this earthly question.  Rather He speaks of the way in which people ought to worship:  in spirit and truth.  My study bible comments that Jesus goes beyond this, to teach about God.  The Father is worshiped in spirit; that is, the Holy Spirit -- and in truth, in Christ Himself (14:6).   Jesus reveals that God is Spirit; as such, God cannot be confined or determined in one location.  My study bible suggests that those who receive the Holy Spirit and believe in Jesus Christ can worship God the Father with purity of heart.  Jesus also tells her that salvation is of the Jews.  That is, the true revelation of God comes from Judaism.  St. Athanasius writes:  "The commonwealth of Israel was the school of the knowledge of God for all the nations."  Moreover, my study bible adds, Jesus testifies that the Messiah, who was prophesied among the Jews, has risen from among the Jews.  It adds, "While the gift of salvation in Christ is to all nations, it has come from within Judaism.  When Jesus speaks of the hour that is coming and now is, He refers to His death and Resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."  This statement is literally translated from the Greek as "I AM [Greek εγω ειμι/ego eimi] who speak to you."  I AM is the divine Name of God revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14).  The use of this Name indicates it is what is called a "theophany," a revelation of God.  The use of the Name by a human being was considered to be blasphemy and therefore punishable by death (see 8:58, Mark 14:62).  As Jesus is divine, His use of this Name is a revelation of His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Christ is God Incarnate.

What can we say about the gift of Christ to this woman?  How is it possible that He reveals Himself first to this woman, this native of Samaria of the people hated by the Jews?  How can we possibly compare the gift of Christ to any gift we have received in our lives, when He reveals Himself not to the nominally "greatest" people of this world, but to this particular woman, alone at this well, who has had a string of husbands and lives with a man she's not married to?  How can we possibly compare this gift that He gives to anything we have received in our own lives?  In revealing Himself as God this woman, Christ has said to the world that He reveals Himself to each one of us, and gives, and offers, each of us this gift.  What must we do to be unworthy of the gift?  He does not ask us for worthiness.  He asks us to receive and take the journey of faith toward His fullness, and that is commitment -- and sacrifice -- enough.  Let us make note that in today's reading Jesus also reveals Himself as the cup, the chalice of reconciliation of all things.  He is the answer to all questions.  What the woman perceives (and rightly so under the historical circumstances) as a historical fight or disagreement between the Samaritans and the Jews is in fact resolved in Christ.  There is no dispute here.  God is worshiped in spirit and in truth -- and the Father is seeking those who are capable of this worship to be called to the worship that Christ offers, and to the fullness of the reality of the Trinity.  Jesus is the Son who comes searching for those who can receive this gift, and who are capable of receiving and worshiping in this way, through this understanding -- through the power of the Trinity at work in our world and in our lives.  Everything becomes transfigured in this worship, in this message, in this gift that is on offer to us in the encounter at the well.  How appropriate that John tells us it is high noon, the time when the sun is highest in the sky, and burns most brightly upon us, making visible all things in its light.  But the Gospel also reminds us that Christ will be in the midst of His own cup at noon, on the Cross, when darkness came over the whole land until His death.  There are times in our lives when the sun seems darkened, when the light of our faith doesn't seem to shine so brightly as on other occasions.  But this remains a part of the offering, the cup which He offers to each of us, as we follow Him and remain faithful even at those times.   At this deserted well under the hot sun, just He and this woman converse, and the entire Gospel of illumination is given to her.  And so she is named in the Church, St. Photini, meaning "Enlightened" or "Luminous."   We worship the Light in Spirit and in truth, and He comes to us as He comes to her.  Let us hold on to that light, in the way He teaches!

Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world

 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"  The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."  Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish his work.  Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For in this the saying is true:  'One sows and another reaps.'  I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."  So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of His own word.  Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." 

- John 4:27-42

On Saturday, we began the reading that continues today, of Jesus' journey into Samaria, and His meeting with the woman at Jacob's well.  When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour -- noon.   A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"  Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may neither thirst, nor come here to draw."  Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband, in that you spoke truly."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."  The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

  And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"   My study bible points out that the disciples marveled "because Jews were not allowed to speak publicly with a woman, and a Samaritan woman at that.  Jesus' words and actions transcend ethnic and gender-related customs of the time." 

The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.    A long note tells us something about this woman, and her significance to the Church:  "The Samaritan woman becomes the first evangelist, testifying to the advent of Christ and bringing others to Him.  According to an early tradition, after the Resurrection of Christ she was baptized and given the Christian name Photini, 'the enlightened one.'  Along with her two sons and five daughters she went to Carthage to spread the gospel.  There they were arrested, taken to Rome under Nero, imprisoned, and later martyred.  According to tradition, St. Photini, who first met Christ beside a well, was martyred for Christ by being thrown into a well."

In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."  Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish his work."  Again, we find this device used in John's Gospel:  first the Samaritan woman (in yesterday's reading) did not understand His words, now it's the disciples who don't understand what He's talking about.  These "inscrutable" words have a way of bringing a point home to us, as well:  we're 'hooked in' and through the eyes and ears of the disciples, we come to understand an unforgettable saying.  My study bible says, "His food is to bring people to believe in Him and be saved."

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For in this the saying is true:  'One sows and another reaps.'  I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."  The townspeople, traditionally thought to be dressed in white, are approaching Jesus.  Therefore, to "lift up their eyes and look at the fields white for harvest" is a continuation of Jesus' statement about His food.  These people who come to Him are the ripe "fields white for harvest."  My study bible says of His following statement:  "The Father is the sower; Jesus is the reaper.  Jesus will send the disciples to reap; their apostolic mission has been implicit from their initial calling. . . . The others are all those who have prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah:  the Old Testament patriarchs, prophets, St. John the Baptist and more."

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."  So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of His own word.  Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."  A note reads, "The Samaritans are the first to recognize Jesus as Savior of the world.  The gospel is for all people." 

I find the process of faith illustrated in these Gospel passages (today's reading and yesterday's)  to be very striking in the ways in which God's word works.  There's first of all the "mysterious" sayings of Jesus, which seem to mean one thing in plain view on the surface, and quite another when we dig deeper, or rather, when He reveals more behind them.  Today He speaks of His food, to do what the Father wills, and to finish His work, to bring His people to "harvest."  And then there is the way the Gospel works with this Samaritan woman, the least likely person for Him to reveal Himself to (as He did in yesterday's reading), and through her experience of Him, she brings others to Christ.  They then encounter Him for themselves.  We have a parallel here for our own faith.  We can hear all about Christ, but there's no real substitute for the work of the Spirit in our lives, for our dialogue in prayer, for the help and love we feel through this experience.  And that's illustrated for us in today's text.  We don't know who God may come through to find us, but we will also benefit from an encounter for ourselves, in personal and substantial ways.  Furthermore, the Gospel always works through others, through others' labors whom we don't know, through thousands and thousands of the "great cloud of witnesses" who've come before us, and who will come after, along with the great figures we know who are recorded in Scripture or perhaps the histories of the Church.  In other words, God works through others, among us, and within us.  We're not alone in what we do, and yet, paradoxically, there is no substitute for our own prayer, our dialogue with God, our experience of our faith at work in our lives -- and this we may share with others and then become, in whatever way available, a part of this harvest and His work.  We may join in their labor.  So today I invite you to think about the ways in which Christ works:  through His "inscrutable" sayings, hooking people in to His words, through His teachings and His food and His labor and through the experience and love of countless others who join in at that harvest.  How do you experience this for yourself?  In what way then do you - as witness - become a part of that labor?  "One cup of water" is even a form of witnessing, let us not forget.

Sir, give me this water, that I may neither thirst, nor come here to draw

 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"  Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may neither thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband, in that you spoke truly."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."  The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

- John 4:1-26

In yesterday's reading, the Gospel told us about the growing ministry of Jesus.    Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ' am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

  Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria. My study bible says, "Because of the growing opposition of the Pharisees to His work done in Judea [see yesterday's reading, above], Jesus leaves for Galilee. The Pharisees earlier took note of the activity of John the Baptist, and now show interest in Jesus' ministry since it has gained momentum."  If one looks at this map, one can see clearly the route Jesus had to take north, through Samaria, to get to Galilee from Judea.

So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.  One can see on the map the town of Sychar, tracing Jesus' route.  My study bible says that this town is identified by scholars with Shechem or a village nearby.  It notes that the Old Testament doesn't mention Jacob's well, but Jacob did own property in the area.  "Wells and springs," it says, "are significant in Scripture because of their rarity in desert life.  In the Old Testament they often symbolize the life given by God, especially a life of blessedness.  This particular well, located at the foot of Mt. Gerizim, is maintained as a shrine and pilgrims can drink from it to this day.  Jesus is wearied and thirsty from the labors of His journey, showing His complete humanity which He voluntarily assumed.  The sixth hour is noontime."  John's Gospel, I find, is so vivid in its images.  A dry, hot, dusty day.  It's noon, and the sun beats down.  A very human Jesus is exhausted from His journey, and sits by the well.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."   For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  In the customs of the time, it's not strange that Jesus would tell a woman to give Him a drink.  What is strange is that she is a Samaritan woman.  Again, John sets us a vivid scene:  Jesus is alone there; His disciples have gone away into the city to buy food.  So, it is an encounter of opportunity.  In His divine capacity, we come to understand this is no coincidence, no "accident."

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  My study bible tells us, "The Samaritans were a mixed race and traditional enemies of the Jews.  Although they worshiped the God of Israel and were awaiting a redeemer, they accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch) as their Scriptures.  They had built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim, which the Jews destroyed in 128 B.C."

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water."   My study bible tells us that "living water in the ordinary sense means fresh, flowing water, from a spring rather than a pond or cistern.  In the spiritual sense it symbolizes true life from God, who is the fountain of life."  What's really remarkable about this passage, truly eye-opening, is the fact that Jesus opens up about His identity to this woman, alone with her at the well.  She's surprised He's even speaking to her.  But He directly addresses her with His real identity.

The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.  Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"  Although we now understand Jesus' words regarding the "living water," to her they come as a surprise; she tries to figure out what He means.  It is a typical case of John's Gospel, in which metaphor and type combine to open up doors of insight to the gradually believing.  Here, her question opens up a comparison to Jacob, of the Old Testament Patriarchs. 

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may neither thirst, nor come here to draw."    In this language of the poetic and symbolic, Jesus opens up "how" He is greater than "our father Jacob."  The water He gives is different; it not only quenches the thirsty in a more powerful way than the water at Jacob's well, but it will become in that person "a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  My study bible points out that this is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which "becomes a fountain of water which flows with eternal life.  That this extraordinary water is springing (or leaping) up denotes the vigor of true life from God."   She still doesn't understand, of course, this spiritual water and quenching of thirst He's talking about.  But she wants to know more, she wants this water.

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered and said "I have no husband."  Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband, in that you spoke truly."  Jesus has drawn her in.  Using the metaphor He gives His disciples, that they are to be fishers of men," we can see this woman as a sort of fish on the hook.  Jesus has initiated this encounter, and initiated and hooked her interest.  But now He goes deeper into relationship, revealing all He knows about her and her life.  In this way, He reveals more about Himself, the depth of His knowledge and understanding -- how He knows us.  There is nothing for her to hide in this encounter.

The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."   My study bible notes, "The Samaritan version of the Ten Commandments decreed they worship on Mt. Gerizim, whereas the Jews worshiped on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem.  The woman, thinking Jesus was a prophet, posed to Him this burning dispute between Jew and Samaritan."

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews."  Jesus affirms the validity of Jewish spiritual heritage.  My study bible is careful to point out that Jesus' real disputes involve chiefly the leadership -- not the people themselves.  But John's Gospel also tells us there are key figures who are Jesus' followers among the leadership (see the readings of Wednesday and Thursday, in which Jesus speaks to Nicodemus).  It adds, "The Messiah was prophesied within Judaism; the Incarnation took place among the Jewish people.  God's universal gift of salvation arises within the context of His promises to the Jews and their religious tradition."

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."  The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).  "When He comes, He will tell us all things."  A note here reads:  "While the Jews and Samaritans historically argued about where true worship takes place, Jesus teaches that worship is not tied to any certain geographical place.  Instead He turns to the heart of the matter:  the object of worship, God Himself, and how worship takes place.  The Father is worshiped in spirit -- that is, in the Holy Spirit who is given upon the completion of Christ's mission -- and truth, which is Jesus Christ Himself and His revelation.  God is Spirit, that is, He possesses a spiritual nature which cannot be confined to a particular geographic location.  Those who believe in the revelation of Christ and have the power of the Holy Spirit can truly worship God anywhere."

Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."  Literally in the Greek this passage reads "I am, who speak to you."  The Greek ego eimi echoes the words of the name of God in the Old Testament, the "I AM" of Genesis 17:1 and Exodus 3:14.  Its use, therefore, suggests theophany or revelation of God, according to my study bible.  It says, "This is the first instance in John of Jesus' use of the formula of self-revelation.  Jesus reveals Himself to be more than the Mosaic Prophet and more than the Jewish Messiah.  Indeed, He is the Incarnate God Himself."

My first question regarding this passage would be, "Why this woman?"  And second upon it, and related, is, "Why here?"  We'll see how the disciples react when they come upon this scene in Monday's reading. (They'll be so astounded He's even speaking with a woman they won't be able even to question Him!)  By tradition, this woman went on to be a saint, and we'll read about how she brought others to faith (also in Monday's reading).  But what's striking for us, still today, is not only the fact that He speaks with a woman this way, completely shaking the customs of the time, but even that this is a Samaritan woman.  And it's a still, quiet scene, in a hot place, among a tired and thirsty Jesus, and this one woman -- of a traditional enemy group of the Jews, someone who would, in terms of worldly expectation, be despised.  And that's a great revelation for us.  It's the least likely place for Christ's divinity to be revealed!  It's a type of scene of the burning bush, at which the I AM was revealed to Moses, but so many things here are reversed.  God's not talking to Moses here, although a burning bush in the desert might well be the scene of a blisteringly hot day at high noon in the sun, in which our Savior is tired and thirsty.  No, this time -- perhaps in some sense as at the bush that wasn't consumed by the fire -- it's the least likely time and place, the least likely encounter for this revelation of God, to a single woman, inferior, immoral, of the "wrong" race and therefore faith understanding.  But she becomes the stand-in for all of us, for each of us.  How was she deserving?  In what way did she make a special qualification?  She is simply this "fish" in the desert, this one whom our Savior knew, capable of faith, of having her eyes opened at Jacob's well, and discovering the true place from which to draw true water that quenches the spirit and feeds the depths of life within us.  This encounter is one in which we are truly known, and in that blazing sun of Light we can hide nothing.  And that's a part of the requirement for this water, this revelation.  So she is a gift to us as well -- and that's the power of this Gospel.  You don't know who you may encounter in life and what you may find.  But there are times when something may be asked of us, even in a way we don't expect nor that custom would embrace, that lead to a Gift we can't measure and has no end to its giving.

If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, "Give Me a drink," you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but who ever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

- John 4:1-15

In yesterday's reading, we were told that Jesus was with His disciples, as they baptized in Judea. John the Baptist was also baptizing with his disciples. John's disciples had a dispute with some of the leadership from the temple about purification. But John's disciples came to him and told him that Jesus and His disciples were baptizing, "and all are coming to Him!" John the Baptist was most likely at the height of his ministry and popularity among the people at the time -- but his message to his disciples was about the importance of Jesus. He said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." He also spoke of Jesus' divinity: "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. Once again, we see Jesus traveling in John's Gospel. This time, it is because He has become aware that the Pharisees will now bring Him under scrutiny as they previously have done to John the Baptist. John's popularity was widespread -- but now Jesus' is beginning to eclipse John's. We know, also, that John will be arrested and put into prison. Jesus returns to Galilee to continue His ministry.

But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. This is quite interesting, as a passage that shows us Jesus on His journey. We don't often think of John's Gospel as the one that describes for us the events of Jesus' ministry in a sort of historical vein. But here, He's in the midst of a journey, on His way elsewhere. It is high noon, and we can presume the sun is hot; we are told that He is wearied from travel. Jacob's well takes us back to the events of the Patriarchs of the Old Testament, the promises of God through the history of the people, Israel. But we are not in the territory of Israel, but among the Samaritans. My study bible says, "The Old Testament does not mention Jacob's well, but Jacob did own property in the area. Wells and springs are significant in Scripture because of their rarity in desert life. In the Old Testament they often symbolize the life given by God, especially a life of blessedness." Wells, of course, are important to the people of the Near East -- and they do play a great role throughout the early books of the Old Testament.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Here we note that Jesus is the one who initiates this conversation, and throughout it He takes the initiative. According to my study bible, "The Samaritans were a mixed race and traditional enemies of the Jews. Although they worshiped the God of Israel and were awaiting a redeemer, they accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch) as their Scriptures. They had built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim, which the Jews destroyed in 128 B.C." Jesus' behavior is so remarkable that she must ask Him about it.

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." We have to note once again that Jesus takes this extraordinary initiative. It is He who wishes to speak to her of even holy things, the tremendous gift of living water. In a conventional sense, this phrase "living water" denotes flowing water that is fresh -- as from a spring. Of course, Jesus has a deeper meaning in mind, and is drawing her into a new understanding of a completely different subject. He is also revealing Himself. We also note that Jesus is in some way chastising her for her response -- if she knew who He was, and the gift of God, she would be the one asking Him. Again, we are given a hint of the power of meeting and recognition in the reality of faith. But He is also drawing her more deeply into the conversation. Jesus' personable engagement with her also hints back to biblical stories that emphasize the importance of hospitality -- we may be entertaining angels unawares (as did the Patriarch Abraham). And even greater than angels.

The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" As elsewhere in the reporting of such an encounter of Jesus with a non-Jewish woman, she responds in a challenging way; their talk is rather feisty. "Are you greater than our father Jacob?" How can He get what He's claiming? Her questions also reflect her predictable misunderstanding of His words -- which He will go on to correct and enlighten.

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but who ever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." Jesus' words draw her in further, tempting her with something mysterious and tremendously promising! Of course, we who read or hear the Gospel know what He's talking about. We understand His promise of everlasting life, and we've just read John the Baptist's words in yesterday's reading, that Jesus offers everlasting life. "Living water" also reflects the meanings of baptism, the subject of the previous reading, in which both John the Baptist's and Jesus' disciples were baptizing around Judea. We recall also the first sign of the gospel of John: the water turned to wine at the wedding in Cana. Most powerfully, Jesus is revealing Himself in His true identity, the characteristic of His saving mission in the world.

The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." This sounds like a good deal! She, indeed, would love some of this living water, that will save her labor and thirst!

To our ears, this scene can seem like a modern-day advertising campaign! Jesus is making promises that really do sound too good to be true. But what we note most powerfully is that it is He who is taking the initiative here. He does something extraordinarily out of character for a Jewish man of His time, so much so that she remarks upon it. But even more powerfully, 2,000 years later, we have to remark on the picture of the Savior introducing Himself to her, initiating this conversation about holy things, the great gift He has come to offer to the world. Why her? Why here? Note that the action takes place outside of the hearing of His disciples, in a private conversation with her (at least as it starts here). A tired and thirsty Jesus chastises this Samaritan woman about the water that she is missing out on. This is not a conversation with one of His disciples, but rather an initiation -- a challenge. We get a glimpse of the personal, and personable, Jesus. It's a very human Jesus, who not only thirsts and is tired from travel, but shows an engagement with this woman, a lively conversation, one in which He doesn't hesitate to challenge and to invite her into something much, much deeper than anything she's been invited to in her life. What do we make of it? Can we assume He knows her, in her heart? We shall see in the next readings. But John also offers us another understanding of how we are drawn into relationship and understanding with Christ. We don't have to start with a full knowledge -- we just have to be willing to be engaged. Jesus shows us the beginning of the struggle with faith -- and here we have an illumination about the setting of Jacob's well. It was Jacob who wrestled all night for God's blessing, and was hence renamed "Israel" because of his struggle with God. And so, here are the seeds of our faith, our understanding of relationship to God. We are engaged, and we must be willing to engage back. God knows us, but also waits for our response, a depth of our desire. When you struggle with your faith, remember that the One who loves you and knows you simply awaits your engagement, and perhaps a good challenge! Such a response may show our own passion and capacity for faith, as we seek to go deeper and receive the gift of living water.