Spiritual Rehydration - The Woman at the well

Cross posted from Pilgrims Progress:

Sometimes we need precisely that moment where we catch a glimpse of our own reflection and realise that the face that looks back at us is sad, tired and confused and needs to be hydrated from the wellspring of life, the encounter with Living Water, Jesus Christ. After the encounter with Jesus at the well, the Samaritan woman becomes a well-woman. Then, the reflection which she sees is that of a beloved child of God, beloved of the Father.

It took a while for her to get to that place where she could feel that. Yet, without realising it, she is like the empty water jug which she carries. It is ready to be filled. She is a container to be filled with the living water which gushes forth from the wellsprings of life. First she hesitates, she focuses on the law. Jesus focuses on grace. Jews weren't supposed to speak to Samaritans. More so, men weren't permitted to address women without their husbands present. And "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman," she reminded him. "How can you ask me for a drink?" (John 4:9).

If we're honest with ourselves, we're not very different. It can take us a lifetime to believe that anyone would want to seek us out, talk with us, hear our story, acknowledge our hunger and thirst for something more. We can find excuses, focus on stereotypes, customs or prejudices. Jesus focuses on love, compassion and mercy. We are often dehydrated without even realising.

"If you knew the gift of God … " (John 4:10). Do I know the gift of God? Do you know the gift of God? What do we thirst for? Many people thirst for meaning in life. Do we strive for popularity and acceptance? Are you longing to belong? We’re often reminded of what we lack when we search for our self-worth in others. A thirst for love and intimacy is often behind that search. Trying to satisfy our thirst can be difficult. Striving for perfection in relationships can be a constant struggle. That unquenchable thirst seems like it will always be a part of us. But it doesn’t have to be. The gift of God, his Son Jesus Christ, is being offered to us every day, every moment. But first of all, we need to accept the truth about ourselves. Jesus gently but firmly tells the woman at the well about her life, encouraging her towards change. It is not to judge or to castigate but to move her towards that fullness of life promised later in John's Gospel (Jn 10-10). She is free to choose.

There are so many articles and websites out there about the benefits of proper  hydration and drinking more water is one of the safest, healthiest ways to detox the body. For many of you reading this, if you're thirsty, you just turn on the tap and fill up a glass of water and drink it. Simples. There is no reason to be dehydrated but yet often we are. I confess, I'm not always the best for drinking water but one of  my Lenten resolutions has been to be more attentive to this. It reflects the spiritual thirst too which I carry and the commitment to aligning my life more to Christ by hydrating with the Word of God and the Sacraments, healthy relationships and as well as detoxing sin and unhealthy habits.

Jesus is thirsty....we see him expressing this very human need. We will hear him vocalise this need even more poignantly on the cross as he cried out: "I thirst". This Sunday as we look at our own emotional and spiritual thirst, let us be mindful of our brothers and sisters throughout the world who lack clean and running water and for whom thirst is a daily reality.

The Samaritan Woman at the Well

Every time I read the Samaritan woman's story, something new catches my attention.   Not only is this dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman the longest theological debate that Jesus had with anyone, it is also a story where Jesus is challenged by a woman.  In Jesus' time it was believed that a woman's role was in the private sphere, where she was to look after the home and the rearing of the children.  However the Samaritan woman does not follow the accepted norms of her day.  If she had then there would never have been a theological discussion and she would never have become a disciple by spreading the word of God to those in the city.  If she had followed the cultural norms when Jesus had asked for a drink, she would have gone home and Jesus would never have revealed himself as the Messiah to her.     

It is an incredible story to think that it took her only a few hours to challenge Jesus, understand Jesus and accept that he was the Messiah.  The apostles had been with Jesus for a few years but they did not understand who he was.  She challenged Jesus by asking if he is 'greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it'.  She then begins to understand by saying  'I perceive that you are a prophet'.  And when the woman said 'I know that Messiah is coming; when he comes, he will show us all things, Jesus answers 'I who speak to you am he' she accepts that Jesus is the Messiah.  She gained a rich insight into who Jesus was by asking questions.  She was eager to learn.

Jesus said to her when they first meet 'Give me a drink'.  After Jesus spoke to her about water and eternal life, she said to Jesus 'Give me this water.'  She copies what he has said to her.  This shows her gradual understanding and acceptance of what Jesus is saying to her.  The Samaritan woman's story is a powerful story because it places her in the centre of the story with Jesus.  When the apostles return with food, Jesus tries to explain to them about food and eternal life but they did not understand him.  They did not say give me this food, unlike the Samaritan woman who asked for the water and by doing so engaged in a theological discussion with Jesus which resulted in her knowing that Jesus is the Messiah, not his apostles. 

I always marvel at why Jesus chose this Samaritan woman to reveal himself as the Messiah to.  Culturally and religiously speaking it would have been much easier and more appropriate to have revealed himself to his Jewish male apostles.  However Jesus did not do this.  Instead he chose a Samaritan woman, who was alone at the well without any other women and the man she was living with was not her husband.  Yet Jesus does not dwell on these facts as many male theologians have done so throughout the ages.  Instead he sees a woman who challenges, understands and accepts that he is the Messiah.  She brings people to listen to what Jesus has to say and they ask him to stay for two days.  This shows that he is a true disciple of Jesus, bringing people to hear the word of God.    

Just as the Samaritan woman left her water jar behind in order to become a disciple of Jesus, it is time for us to follow in her footsteps, leave our water jars behind and become disciples of Jesus.

E Sexton.

Lenten Reflections (No. 11) - The Samaritan Woman



Samaritan Woman at the Well, by He Qi, China
www.heqiarts.com

The Samaritan woman’s story is traditionally referred to as the story of the Samaritan woman at the well or the woman at the well.  It is important to think of this story as the Samaritan woman’s story because this title places her at the centre of the story.  It emphasises how she interacted with Jesus and ultimately chose to become a disciple and spread the message of Jesus.  Moreover, this title encourages Christians today to engage with the text more and parallel their lives with that of the Samaritan woman as she became a disciple of Jesus.

In the history of theology and spirituality to date, the significance of the Samaritan woman’s story has largely been misinterpreted by many commentators.   She has been referred to as ignorant, someone who should be pitied, a vile prostitute, and sassy.  These interpretations of the woman at the well are very limited and do not allow the reader the opportunity to understand the richness of this story.  The Samaritan woman listened to Jesus’ self-revelation of being the Messiah and became a disciple of Jesus.  This story is a valuable model which can provide hope for the contemporary ministry of Christians, for both women and men in the Church today.

The Samaritan woman’s story has always held a personal interest for me as there is so much to discover about the Samaritan woman, through research and personal reflection.  I find myself returning to this specific story again and again.  I can see parallels between my own life and the life of the Samaritan woman, reflected in the struggles which the woman endured, firstly by being a woman, and secondly by leaving her old life behind after Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah. 

The Samaritan woman’s story offers hope for Christians today in their ministry in the Church.  Not much will be gleaned from the Samaritan woman’s story if the story is only read at a surface level.  Instead the story has to be made relevant to the person’s life for them to find a connection with the story.  I contend that the Samaritan woman’s story has a lot to offer Christians in the approaches to their spirituality and ministry in the Church.

Just as the Samaritan woman left her water jar behind in order to become a disciple of Jesus, it is time for us to follow in her footsteps, leave our water jars behind and become disciples of Jesus. 

Emily
Limerick