III Sunday of Lent:[A]: Ex 17:3-7; Rom 5: 1-2, 5-8; Jn
4: 5-42
Introduction: The gospel reading of today invites us to reflect on
the story of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, so that we
may experience Jesus as the Living Water. The Holy Spirit of God,
the Word of God and the Sacraments of God in the Church are the primary sources
of the living water of Divine Grace. Washed in it at Baptism, renewed
by its abundance at each Eucharist, invited to it in every proclamation of the
Word, and daily empowered by the Spirit, we are challenged by today’s Gospel to
remain thirsty for the living water which only God can give. We
are assembled here in the church to drink this water of eternal life
and salvation.
Background: Jesus was crossing through Samaria – a fact registered at the beginning
that probably doesn’t mean much to us. But most Jews of the period would
not have gone through Samaria;
they would have gone around it. Samaritans and Jews, though they believed in
the same God, had never forgiven each other for earlier issues, especially the
Samaritan intermarriages with pagans. There were also some theological
differences, one main one being that Jews believed God was in the Temple in
Jerusalem while Samaritans believed God was on Mount Horeb where they
worshipped. In any case, Jesus goes through Samaria, making that the first rebellious
thing he does. He and the disciples are tired, so when they reach a famous
watering place called Jacob’s well, he sends the disciples into the city for food,
but they seem to have taken with them their supplies – which meant that Jesus
did not have a container to put any water in. It was noon and it was hot and
Jesus became thirsty.
Now
the woman who comes to the well is not traditional either. Normally women would
come to the well for water early or late in the day to avoid the heat of the
noon sun. No woman in her right mind would come at noon. Women would always be
accompanied. This woman came at noon and alone. Unusual! It might have meant
that she was an outcast and the other women might not have anything to do with
her, for as we see later she was very promiscuous / licentious. In no way would a man sit with a woman,
alone, in Hebrew society. It just was not done. But Jesus asks the woman for
water. Even if he could have talked to her, he certainly would not, for purity
reasons, drink out of her vessel. But he asks her for water. She is rather taken aback by this, and does
ask him if he knows what he is doing. The fact that she would flaunt tradition
and talk to him is important also, and says something about her
character. Was she looking for someone to pick up at the well, that she
would engage in any conversation?
Exegesis: The experience of God often comes in stages. It
is a journey. This was true also for the Samaritan woman. When
Jesus initiated a dialogue with her, her immediate reaction was, “You are a
Jew. How is it that you ask me…“ (Jn 4:9). A blatant refusal to
relate! This refusal comes from her wounded self. As she was wife to many
men, she has a problem in relating to people. She has a very dubious way of
relating to men that makes her suspect Jesus’ intentions. She is too physically
oriented in her outlook of events and persons. She looks at Jesus as a
man – a Jew. And when Jesus talks about water, she is thinking of H2O.
But Jesus has a plan for her. He would not give up.
As
the “hound of heaven” God comes after us. He moves us from within.
He stands and knocks. Waiting! This gratuitous way of relating to the woman
begins to touch her. This is not perhaps how her previous six men had related
to her. She responds. She gets interested. “Sir,” said the woman,
“give me some of that water…”(v.15). Her respect for Jesus increases. She
addresses Him, “Sir!” A step further from verse nine where she wanted to have
nothing to do with that Jew! But still she is physically oriented: she is
focused on the water from the well. When Jesus speaks of ‘the living
water’ she thinks in the Semitic sense of ‘water from the spring’: “You have no
bucket, sir, and the well is deep: how do you get this living water” (V.11)? Further on, when Jesus challenges her at a
personal level and to invite her to get deeper, she begins to discover Jesus
more, “I see you are a prophet, sir” (v.19). Nearing the climax of the
journey, she comes up with a sense of expectation, “I know that Messiah – that
is, Christ – is coming; and when he comes he will explain everything”(v.25). This
was her time.
Anecdote: There is a Greek monastery at Mount
Athos in which nothing female is allowed. Men can enter but not
women, roosters but not hens, horses but not mares, bulls but not cows.
Armed guards patrol the border to insure that nothing feminine passes the
gates. It has been this way for more than 700 years. [Arnold Prater, The
Presence, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993).] Separate but
definitely not equal: that has been the attitude toward women of many churches
through the ages. So, it's really remarkable that this particular
Samaritan evangelist happens to be a woman. She would be as surprised
about it as anybody. When she first met Jesus, she was surprised that
even he talked to her. Once converted, she became an evangelist,
enthusiastically introducing Jesus to her fellow villagers.
Joke: On Sunday morning,
the preacher brings in 4 covered jars with one live worm in each. In one he
poured whiskey, in one he poured liquid chocolate, in the third one he poured
cigarette smoke and in the fourth one he threw in dirt. Result was nothing
unusual. Worms
in first three jars died. He then looked at the congregation and said, "I
don't have to tell much. I believe you have learnt a clear lesson". Then
he pointed at a little girl and asked, "Sweet heart, can you tell what
have you learnt?" Without any hesitation she said," If you drink,
smoke and eat chocolate you'll never have worms".
Practical Applications: 1) We need to allow Jesus free entry into our
personal lives. A sign that God is active in our lives is His
entering in to our personal, “private” lives. Jesus wants to get personal with
us.
2)
We need to be witnesses to Jesus like the Samaritan woman. Let us have
the courage to "be" Jesus for others, especially in those
"unexpected" places for unwanted people. Let us also have the
courage of our Christian convictions to stand for truth and justice in our
day-to-day life.
3) We
need to be open to others and accept others as they are, just as Jesus
did. We have been baptized into a community of faith so that we may become
one with each other as brothers and sisters of Jesus and as children of
God. To live this oneness demands that we open ourselves to others and
listen to one another. We need to provide the atmosphere, the room, for
all to be honestly what they really are: the children of God. It is the
ministry of Jesus that we inherit and share.
Introduction: Third Sunday of Lent
Message: Jesus satisfies our thirst for eternal life. Through his Spirit his grace has been poured
into our hearts. God satisfies the
thirst of the Israelites whose hearts had become hardened and rebellious.
Saints and Events in this week: 25-Twentyfifth-The Annunciation of the Lord;
