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The story of the Samaritan woman, which will be read at Masses this Sunday, serves as a model of living by faith in Jesus. It is a rich story that deserves to be pondered prayerfully because of the truth it reveals, including the truth that human sinfulness, if acknowledged and repented, poses no barrier to a relationship with God. God, as Jesus teaches, desires to forgive us our trespasses. Hearing the story, one notices that Jesus initiates the conversation with the Samaritan woman, and he also keeps it going. The Samaritan woman would never have begun a conversation with him. Indeed, her indignation directed at Jesus for asking for a drink and for claiming to have living water points to more than just a reluctance to chat. As she indicates forcefully, Jews and Samaritans hate each other.  Editorial credit: Freedom Studio / Shutterstock.com. Printed image of Jesus talking with a Samaritan women, Grace Church, Chiangmai, Thailand, March 31, 2015. |
But Jesus doesn’t give up on her. In response to her jibes, he offers the good news. Responding to her refusal to draw water for him, Jesus offers her “living water.” She thinks she has caught him in a lie; he has no “living water.” That’s when Jesus reveals her sin to her. She’s caught off guard and stammers, “I can see you are a prophet.” Then she tries to change the subject. Now she knows he’s not talking about water in a well, and whatever he’s talking about, she doesn’t want to dwell on her living arrangement. But neither does Jesus. Jesus is not blind to her sin, and he knows that for her to come to faith she cannot be blind to her sin either. What Jesus wants is for the woman to experience something more, so he reveals not only her sin but also himself: I am the Messiah, the one called the Christ. There’s no doubt that the Samaritan woman understands Jesus. Maybe at first she was guarded, but when he reveals himself she recognizes him and realizes that he will save her. This is the moment her faith is born. Essentially, it was her “baptism” into Christ. She comes to see that the “living water” is Jesus himself. How do we know? She leaves her water jar at the well. She leaves the physical water behind and carries the living water to her neighbors. Living by faith in Jesus begins with an encounter with him and continues with bringing him to others. As Pope Francis said in his Wednesday audience on March 8, 2023, “There are not those who preach, those who proclaim the Gospel in one way or another, and those who keep silent. No. Every baptized person … whatever his [or her] position in the Church or level of education in the faith, is an active subject of evangelization.” |
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