Old Testament: Exodus 17:1-7
Gospel: John 4:5-42
Epistle: Romans 5:1-11
This week I figured we better talk about The Gospel reading from John since it is one of the largest readings the Lectionary ever gives us for a Sunday. Today, the story is the classic account of the Samaritan women at the well. There are so many interesting elements to this story and it works on a few different levels, as do all biblical texts. We probably know the story, and hopefully you read the passages. But real briefly, Jesus goes through Samaria on the way to Galilee. John writes that Jesus "had to pass through Samaria," but this is actually not the case if he followed the normal Jewish route between Judea and Galilee. The Samaritan's didn't like the Jews and would refuse to provide overnight lodging for them when they traveled through their country. Thus, Jews would travel on the East side of the Jordan River in territory that was more friendly to them. So when John says that Jesus "had to" travel this route, it says more about Jesus' mission rather than about his travel itinerary. While, Jesus was in Samaria he meets a woman who has been married five times and is currently living with a different man. Jesus and her talk, much to her surprise, and Jesus tells her that he could offer her living water and she would never thirst again if she would only ask. She accepts Jesus' offer and believes that he is a prophet and even the Messiah, The one who is promised to come. She returns to her village and tells her community about Jesus. In doing so, she becomes what I think is the first evangelist in the Gospel of John. She tells her people about Jesus and in doing so many also come to believe in Jesus and he stays there for 2 days and the passage ends with them declaring that Jesus is "indeed the Savior of the world."
This is the first level the story works on, that of the contemporaries of the event. A couple of other things to point out from this story as well. First, notice there is no "messianic secret" in John. Jesus' identity is clear and anyone who has ears to hear and eyes to see, in faith, can figure it out. Jew, Greek, Samaritan, it doesn't matter to Jesus. John also presents a very different image of Jesus then the Synoptic Gospels on this issue. For example, compare this story to Matt. 10:5 where Jesus won't even go to Samaria.
Moving on to the second level this texts work is that of John's audience. The text is explicit in letting us know that the readers, or hearers, of the story are different then Jesus' Jewish and Samaritan contemporaries. John puts a parenthetical aside in verse 9 letting his probably Roman or Greek audience know that "Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." For the hearers of John's Gospel then, I think the meaning of Jesus' actions and words lose some significance, which is why John tried to explain what was happening. Notice also, that when the disciples return to Jesus they "were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman," not that they were amazed that he had been speaking to a Samaritan, or even a Samaritan women. (vs. 27) But the message for John's readers was the same as for that of Jesus' contemporaries, Jesus was the Messiah for all people. The Samaritans were invited, worship of God wouldn't require a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and Jesus would provide his living water to all who would accept.
This is good news indeed. Especially for us Gentiles who get to be grafted into the people of God. Let us come to drink from the Living water Jesus offers, and let us invite others to the divine banquet.
Grace and peace.
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