Homily for 3rd Sunday of Lent Year A 2017
Exodus 17:3-7; Romans 5:1-2,5-8 John 4:5-42
Introduction
What a long gospel we have just heard! And to think that it all began with a simple request from Jesus for a drink of water.
But this is something we also do all the time. When for example, a friend or business contact invites you for a drink or a cup of coffee, it is rarely just about the beverage. It is more about building friendship, sometimes about making up for a mistake, or even closing a business deal.
Scripture and Tradition
That's seems to be what Jesus is doing when he says to the Samaritan woman: "Give me a drink." This is his way of inviting her to reconciliation with God and others. But she takes him literally, thinking that all he wants is to quench his thirst, since it was hot and he was probably tired.
And yet even this misunderstanding itself opens a door to reconciliation. You see, Samaritans and Jews did not like each other, much like Southerners don't like Yankees, South Shore people against the North Shore people. The Jews considered the Samaritans impure, since they were the descendants of the intermarriage between ten northern tribes of Israel and the Assyrians who had conquered them. Even worse, the Samaritans had set up their own religion and place of worship to rival the temple in Jerusalem. That is why the woman says: "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?"
But Jesus offers her the hand of friendship, offering to give her living water, that quenches thirst forever. Of course she is still thinking literally about actual water and so she asks “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”
Notice the change? She, who a few moments earlier, had insisted that Jews and Samaritans could not share a cup of water, is now asking Jesus for water. Is it perhaps that now she sees beyond his being a Jewish man and sees him as a human being? Jesus has opened her eyes to see beyond human differences!
And yet as good as this change of attitude is, it is not the full extent of the living water that Jesus is giving her; it is just the beginning. The living water is God's Word of salvation, by which Jesus heals her in three ways.
First, she needs healing in her personal life, which is in a mess. Jesus brings her to confess that she does not have a husband, for she has had five husbands, and the one she has now is not her husband. Salvation is not just about being good to other people; it must start with good order in our own personal lives, in our family life. And thankfully as their conversation progresses, Jesus helps her reflect on the commitment or lack thereof in her marriage.
A second area needing healing is her relationship with God. Both the Jewish and Samaritan religion at the time were in a mess as Jesus shows throughout the gospels. For this woman in particular, she is still wondering where the true place of worship is: Samaria or Jerusalem?
Jesus explains to her that the little squabbles between Jews and Samaritans about how to worship God, will no longer matter. He says: ". . . the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth. . ." We know that Jesus was referring to Christian worship, which is not tied to Jerusalem or Samaria, or this shrine or that shrine, but is the Eucharist, in which throughout the world all Christians offer the worthy sacrifice of Christ himself.
This discussion allows the woman to realize that she has met the Messiah himself, “the one called the Christ; [who] when he comes, he will tell us everything.” In fact, when she goes back to her to the town she tells the people: “He told me everything I have done.”
Besides addressing her personal marital situation and her relationship with God, there is a third are that needs healing is her relationship with her neighbours. Did you notice that she came to the well alone and at noon? I can tell you from my experience in Uganda that women usually do not go to the well when it is really hot, but rather than in the morning or evening when it is cooler. Also, they usually go in groups, sometimes for safety reasons, but often for company. Her behaviour suggests that perhaps because of her marriage situation, this woman was ostracized from the community.
But now, after meeting Jesus, she runs back to the city, to share her new found living water with her neighbours. They come and hear Jesus himself speak and in gratitude to her they say: “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.” The outcast has not only become a disciple but also an apostle; her days of being an outcast are gone, thanks to Jesus.
And so, what began as simple request for a drink of water on the part of Jesus and later on the woman’s part, has not only reconciled Jews and Samaritans, but more importantly has reconciled this woman, in her personal life, in her relationship with God and in her relationship with her neighbours.
Christian Application
Today Jesus still comes to us and asks for a drink of water. He does so in the many people who come asking us for all kinds of help, sometimes literally for clean drinking water and food. I would hope that as Christians we don’t respond like the Samaritan woman first did, saying, "How can you, a Jew, Muslim, immigrant, homeless man, Black man, White woman, ask me, a Christian for a drink?" I would hope that we would instead respond like the other Samaritan in the gospel, the Good Samaritan, through whom Jesus has taught Christians to see beyond divisions of religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, socio-economic status.
In addition, today like the woman asked Jesus for living water, we too always ask Jesus to grant our prayers, particularly in the Lord's Prayer where we say: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Thankfully, the Lord continues to be as generous to us as he was to the Samaritan woman.
- In our personal lives, Jesus offers us his teaching on how we are to live ordered lives, how to use our bodies, how to be committed to each other in marriage. He offers us the sacraments, especially those of Matrimony which establishes a lasting bond of love, and penance which repairs any breach in our relationships.
- In our relationship with God, Jesus has revealed himself to us as the Messiah, and proved it by dying on the cross and rising on the third day. And every Sunday we come together at the Eucharist which he left us, to proclaim his death and resurrection, until he comes again, and thus offer true worship in spirit and truth to the Father.
- In our relationship with our neighbours, Jesus has not only taught us how to relate to each other, loving even our enemies, forgiving each other seventy-seven times; he has also asked that after we go to confession, like the woman, we return to those we have hurt, both individuals and communities, and we seek to mend fences.
Conclusion
And so, how fortunate that we can eavesdrop on this beautiful, albeit long conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in today's gospel during our Lenten journey!
- For like her, we are in need of reconciliation; let us follow her example of conversion.
- And still better, like her we have been offered the living water of salvation by Jesus! Let us rush the fountain of reconciliation!
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