Jesus had decided to leave Judaea and go to Galilee and the quickest way, about three day’s walk, was through Samaria. Just half a mile before Sychar at Shechem the road divides one going west and north the other going north-east. There is a piece of ground there, originally bought by Jacob (Gen. 33:18-19). Jacob’s well is there still, just at the fork, about 100feet deep, and contains water that collects through the soil. It was midday; it was hot; Jesus was tired and he was thirsty because of the trek. He sat on the edge of the well and the disciples went on ahead (into Sychar) to buy food. A woman came to draw water. Jesus engaged her in conversation by asking her to give him some water, when she had drawn it from the well. By doing so he broke down two barriers, the one which forbade a Jew to have anything to do with a Samaritan, and the one which forbade a Teacher to talk in public with a woman. Throughout the conversation the woman understands that Jesus is talking about ordinary water-for washing, for cooking, for quenching the thirst of the body “Give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty again and not have to walk to the well every day.” But Living water meant 1) first, running water, cleaner, better and easier to get than standing water; 2) second, God, who satisfies the human soul that desires him as a thirsty man desires water; Living water that would banish thirst for ever meant 3) third, the Messiah, because the age of the Messiah is sometimes described as the age in which people will not hunger and thirst any more (Is.49:10). In answer to the woman’s question- it is not easy to explain how the question comes in – about the correct place to worship God is, that the time is coming when true worship will be offered to God in every place and Mount Gerizim and Mount Sion will not matter anymore, but it is still true that the Jewish people played an important part in God’s plan, because they had accepted all God’s revelation so far. The Samaritans had not and their worship of God was imperfect, mixed as it was with pagan superstition from the foreign peoples who had come to settle in Samaria a long time before. The woman found what Jesus said rather difficult to understand and ended by expressing the hope that when the Messiah came she and others would understand all about it. She received an answer so astonishing that her eyes were suddenly opened with the shock and she put down her water-jar and ran into Sycher to tell the people what she had suddenly realised: “There’s a man at Jacob’s well at the moment, who must be the Messiah.”(while she was going to the town and the people were coming out, Jesus and the disciples were in conversation. vv.31-38) The people came out of Sychar to meet Jesus and many believed in him and became the first people in the non-Jewish world to accept him as the Messiah.
Exodus 12-15 records the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. Exodus 19 begins the section on the covenant at Sinai. The time in between, chapters 16,17 and 18, was regarded as a time when God taught the people to put their trust in him. In chapter 16, finding that they were without food, the people were ready to revolt against Moses and Aaron, but God gave them the manna to eat but in such a way that there was just enough for each person for one day and nothing left for the next day. But the next day it came again. In chapter 17, the people complain again about lack of water and seek a proof of God’s faithfulness. “Let the Lord show us whether he is with us or not.” And that is why the place was called Massah, which means “testing” and Meriba, which means “the place of fault-finding.” They had already forgotten that God had set them free from slavery in Egypt; they had forgotten that God had given them manna and quils as food. Now they grumbled about having to carry water with them from one watering place to another, as any desert traveller has to do. In the midst of difficulties at least two things have to be kept in mind, first that we must not forget all God’s goodness in the past and that we should be thankful to him for it and second that we must put our trust in God at all times, no matter how bad our situation may seem to be. Our life is a journey, like the journey of the Israelites through the desert, and we are familiar with the sort of difficulties we can experience on a journey. This reading, of course, about the water flowing from the rock, is chosen to match the Gospel reading of the living water promised by our Lord.
Mankind was deep in sin and God’s saving action was necessary. It started with the call of Abraham, (last Sunday) and reached its climax at God’s appointed time in Christ. Previously sinners and estranged from God, we are now freed from sin and at peace with God by the obedient life and the death and resurrection of Christ and our situation is completely changed. Before Christ came no one could be near God, and even since he came, no one can be near to God, until he or she accepts what Jesus has taught about God. The depth of man’s sinfulness shows up more clearly the greatness of God’s love in saving us. If God sent his son to us, when we were still full of sin and enemies of God, and reconciled us to himself by forgiving our sins, and then made us his sons and daughters and offered us everlasting life with him as our inheritance, we can be sure of his continuing love for us, now that we are his friends, the proof of God’s love is first, that when we were sinners and unlovable, Jesus came and lived and died for us and second that the Holy Spirit has been given to us in baptism, and is present in us, and is active in our lives. Our hope of everlasting life stands on this love that God showed to us, even though we were sinners, and that is all the more reason why he should continue to love us. God’s love can never disappoint us. It is only we, who can still disappoint him, after all he has done for us.
Kefa W. MHM
What you’ll find here is my personal wrestling with and reflection on Scripture. I don’t claim to have all the answers, only a sincere desire to seek truth. Some of the references used are drawn from past study and experience, and the author may no longer be able to recall all their exact sources. This reflection is not intended to establish doctrine, theology, or official teaching. Feel free to leave your comments or personal reflections below as we continue to grow deeper together in the Word of God. I’ll see you next Sunday.
Cover photo: Fr Tim Greenway talking to the ‘woman at the well’.
