The Gospel
According to Saint John
Jesus and the
Woman of Samaria 4:1-26
Read from the Gospel of John below
Q1 – Why is
there a note inserted into the text that says that Jesus did not baptize
when 3:22 just stated that Jesus was
baptizing with his disciples in Judea?
Q2 - Why did Jesus take the route through Samaria?
Q2 - Why did Jesus take the route through Samaria?
Q3- What is the
significance of the sixth hour and the fact that there is a woman at the well?
Q4 - What does
Jesus mean when he says, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is
saying to you, ‘give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have
given you living water?”
Q5 - Why is it
that when the woman finally asks Jesus for water, he begins to ask about her
husband(s)? Why did he not give her the living water?
Throughout
the fourth Gospel, John uses relationships in order to tell who Christ is and
reveals his identity to individuals. Jesus’ relationships tell how he
associates with the Father and the Holy Spirit, with his disciples and
followers and with the men and women who have not yet come to know the truth.
This meeting with the Samaritan woman is a story of Jesus inviting a woman to
faith, but is much different than when Jesus encourages Nicodemus to do the
same. Jesus chooses the setting of the well to address this Samaritan woman
just as the well is a common meeting place for men and women to make relations
throughout salvation history; (Gen 24:11-27: Abraham and Rebecca; 29:1-21:
Jacob and Rachel; Ex 2:15-21 Moses and Seporah).[1]
The story of the Samaritan woman can sound self evident in the sense that Jesus
is simply making know to the region of Samaria, through the woman, that he is
the Messiah; however, this story provokes many questions when looked at
closely.
The
first question that stands out is in verses one and two; “Now when the Lord
knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more
disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his
disciples), he left Judea and departed again to Galilee.” Why is there a note
inserted into the text that says that Jesus did not baptize when 3:22 just stated
that Jesus was baptizing with his disciples in Judea? This note seams
contradictory and has puzzled many scholars. The note is an editorial
refinement of 3:22 made to the text in order to direct against followers of
John the Baptist who may have claimed that Jesus was imitating him.[2] At
this point in the gospel, it is vital to remember that Jesus baptizes with the
Holy Spirit and that there is no Spirit yet because Jesus has not yet been
glorified, as explained in 7:39. Therefore, Jesus could not have been offering
any man a water baptism and this note is merely an enforcing element that
pertained more to early Christians who were announcing John the Baptist as the
messiah. While this note would have fit equally well with 3:22, it is better to
regard it as a remark put into the text by the evangelist and that the disciples
must be understood to have baptized during Jesus’ ministry.[3]
The
next question immediately follows verse three, “He had to pass through
Samaria.” Without a historical and geographical background, this verse just
sounds as though Jesus was simply passing through Samaria on his way; it was
after all the fastest route between Judea and Galilee (see exhibit I). Samaria
however, was considered to be ritually impure and Jews always took an
alternative route across the Jordan River to completely avoid this region.
There was a theological opposition between the Samaritans and the Jews because
of the Samaritan refusal to worship at the temple in Jerusalem.[4] Jews
are forbidden to share anything in common with the Samaritans which is why the
woman at the well is perplexed when Jesus requests a drink from her in verse
nine. So why did Jesus take the route through Samaria? He could have easily taken
the normal Jewish path, but the expression of necessity, “had to,” shows that
God willed and planed to travel through Samaria.[5]
Christ needed to show that he was the messiah to the world and not just to
Jews. Thus, he traveled through Samaria, the most schismatic of Jewish regions,
to proclaim his majesty to a woman. This is the time in God’s plan that the
Messiah whiteness to Samaria.
The
next information that John gives is that it was the sixth hour and a woman came
to draw water from the well. Usually when John is writing a story about an
event in Jesus’ life he gives information that sounds irreverent at first but
indeed has a much deeper meaning. What is the significance of the sixth hour
and the fact that there is a woman at the well? The sixth hour is precisely
noon, the hottest part of the day. The woman’s choice of time for coming to the
well is unusual as these chores were usually done in the morning and evening
when it was cool.[6]
None the less the woman is there and Jesus’ proceeds to say to her, “give me a
drink.” This is the same and only request that Jesus has when he is on the
cross, “I thirst” 19:28. Coincidentally, Jesus was handed over to be crucified
at the sixth hour 19:14. It seems as though something very symbolic is
happening. The woman is coming to the well in the middle of the day because of
her shame since she had been married five times and was now living with a man
that was not her husband. She was avoiding scandal and gossip form others. It
is at this time of thirst and humiliation that the woman finds herself at the
feet of the one who will set her free of her sins, precisely at the same hour
when he thirsts and says “it is finished” 19:30. Jesus is disclosing the fact
that he will bring forgiveness to all of Samaria and the whole world through
his crucifixion.
What
does Jesus mean when he says, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that
is saying to you, ‘give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have
given you living water?” It sounds as though Jesus is changing the subject
since the woman just asked him why he is asking her for water and he wants to
avoid conflict. Jesus is rather telling her about the nature of God. God only
gives to those who ask and he himself is God’s agent.[7] The giving of gifts would not be done by Jesus,
but the woman, who needed to be the one asking.[8] The
gift that Jesus is speaking of is that of living water. The woman perceives him
to be speaking of flowing water; it is after all the same Greek expression.[9]
The woman is confused because the well is a closed cistern with no flowing
water. Jesus is speaking of the water of life. The idea is that the beginning
of the conversation is concerned with the natural law of Jacobs well being a
fountain but, then the conversation shifts to the main theme of Jesus’ living
water; Jesus is now the fountain and Jacob’s well becomes a mere cistern.[10] The living water symbolizes the old covenant
as a medium of John’s baptism (1:26), the water in the jars at Cana (2:7), and
now in Jacob’s well; but it is also the spirit given in Christian baptism. When
the living water is given by Jesus, it itself becomes a symbol of the Spirit
(7:38). The contrast between the covenants and the types of water help to
explain why John introduced this episode into this point of his Gospel.[11]
As
the story continues, the woman finally begins to understand and she says, “Sir,
give me this water so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to
draw water.” She begins to see Jesus as someone greater; she even acknowledges
that he is a prophet. Then why is it
that when the woman finally asks Jesus for water, he begins to ask about her
husband(s)? Why did he not give her the living water? Jesus ignores her request for the water and
tells her to call her husband. Jesus doesn’t want to speak to her husband and
he knows that she doesn’t have one. He does however, know that she has had five
and is living with the sixth man. Jesus is providing her with the opportunity
rather, to realize her true position, so that she can understand that Jesus can
satisfy her needs that she is not even aware of.[12] The
five husbands are commonly understood to represent and allegory of the gods
worshiped by the five nations of Samaria and the sixth husband represents the
God of Israel, which is not being worshiped properly.[13]
At
this present time the Samaritans do not possess the true knowledge of God, for
unlike the Jews, their knowledge of God grew out of national and political ambitions.
Jesus builds a relationship with the Samaritan woman and calls her to faith
which becomes the climax of the passage, the confession that Jesus is the
savior of the world, as well as the counterpart of the self revelation of
Christ that Jesus helped the Samaritan woman see.
John 4:1-26
Notes:
[1] Mcpolin.
James S.J., JOHN New Testament 6 (Delaware:
Abbey Press, 1979), 41
[2] St.
Joseph Edition, New American Bible (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Corp.,
1992), 150
[3]
Sanders and Mastin, A commentary on the
Gospel According to ST. John (New York: Harper and Row, 1968), 138
[4] Brown.
Ramond E., The Gospel According to John
I-XII. Vol. 29 (New York: Doubleday, 1966), 170
[5]
Ibid., 169
[6] Brown.
Ramond E., The Gospel According to John
I-XII. Vol. 29 (New York: Doubleday, 1966), 169
[7] Sanders
and Mastin, A commentary on the Gospel
According to ST. John (New York: Harper and Row, 1968), 141
[8]
Ibid,. 141
[9] Brown.
Ramond E., The Gospel According to John
I-XII. Vol. 29 (New York: Doubleday, 1966), 170
[10]Ibid,. 170
[11] Sanders
and Mastin, A commentary on the Gospel
According to ST. John (New York: Harper and Row, 1968), 142
[12]
Ibid., 142
[13]
Ibid., 142
Love it Pete. This is one of my favorite stories from John. Such a great way to see Jesus is for everyone.
ReplyDelete