Jn.4: 5-42
“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they can find rest in you.” (St. Augustine) what is the greatest need of human beings? We can arrive at various answers such as our need to belong, companionship, name, fame, money, pleasure, etc. None of these needs are wrong in themselves. However, any of these needs satisfy us forever. Once these needs are met again we feel an inner vacuum and automatically that lead us to meet some other needs… The gospel passage of the day describes to us the story of a Samaritan woman who tries to meet her needs in various ways and felt an inner vacuum… and meets Jesus…
The conversation between Jesus and Samaritan woman begins with Jesus asking water from her to quench his thirst. At first sight, Jesus appears as a thirsty to this woman. Therefore, she reminds Jesus of the dissociation that exists between Jews and Samaritans. However, Jesus inspires her to come out of this cultural barrier and understand his person: “If you only knew what God is offering and who it is saying to you…”
Even then she is unable to recognize who Jesus is. She reminds him that the well is so deep and he doesn’t have a bucket to fetch the water. Some spiritual writers would say that this was the polemic of Samaritan woman to speak about the depth of her inner person that is so deep as this well of Jacob and he cannot comprehend her inner depth with shallow measures of a man.
However, Jesus reminds her about the living water that he is going to provide for the entire humanity by offering his own body and blood as a sacrifice on the cross and we see the symbolic expression of this life-giving water gushing forth from the pierced heart of Jesus.
However, the woman can’t understand the depth of Jesus’ words and she demands the living water that Jesus is speaking about so that she need not come again to fetch water. Anyhow, Jesus delves into the depth of her being and revealing her inner person. “Call your husband?” She says that she does not have a husband. Having known her past Jesus makes her understand that only God can satisfy the needs of her inner being. These words of Jesus awakened her inner person and she realizes that this thirsty man is not an ordinary Jew but a man of God, the prophet.
Again the woman poses another question to Jesus about the authentic place of worship, is it Jerusalem temple or mountain? Jesus tells her that the place worship does not confine to a particular place alone rather the true worship happens in Spirit and Truth, and it need not be confined to the four walls of the temple or peeks of the mountain top.
Finally, she opens herself to Jesus, her desire for the long-awaited Messiah and at that juncture, Jesus reveals himself to this Samaritan woman: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.” (Is. 9:2)
The encounter with Christ makes her a missionary of the good news, who recognized her unrecognized need for God and led to the spiritual depth. She goes and proclaims this goodness to her village thus they came to know Jesus.
We need to remember that this Samaritan woman was not a saint; she had her failures nevertheless Christ chose her as his instrument to carry his living water to others and experience God in the depth of our being. As we continue our Lenten journey, let us surrender ourselves at the feet of Jesus realizing that He has made us for himself and our hearts are restless until it rests in Him.