The Samaritan Woman and Jacob's Well

We have entered into the third Sunday of Lent and entered one of my favorite readings of Jesus' Gospels; "The Woman at the Jacob's Well", Why? because of the theological and compassionate love that exist in this story. Before we enter into the mysteries behind this story, please stop immediately and read the entire fourth chapter of the Gospel of St John before we continue so all may understand this gospel lesson.

We have read this mysterious story over and over in our lives but do we completely understand what is actually happening? Let us first address the woman. Who is she? She is a woman from the city Samaria and historically the capitol city of the lost tribes of Northern Israel in the time of Jesus, and a non Jew. She has become the representation of the lost tribes of Israel that Jesus calls and converts in order to restore the Davidic Kingdom of Israel and Judah that had become divided from the time after the reign of king Soloman. She is considered by the Jews as a Gentile Dog and unclean but the Lord of love shows no impartiality and demonstrates his unconditional love regardless of gender and race, a trait we should all begin to practice.

Listen how she begins and ends her address to this so-called stranger; "a Jew", "Sir", "Sir", "Sir", "a prophet", "Messiah", "man", "Christ", and finally she calls him exactly who he is; "The Savior of the World"! Is this how we all truly proclaim our Lord, as humble as this gentile dog?

Now listen to the words of Jesus; "Give me a drink", "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is saying to you, Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Now, let us begin to swim deeper into the words of our Savior; "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus says to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly."

What is going on in this dialogue? This woman represents all of the lost children of Israel. The five husbands represent the five books of the Torah or the five books of the law of Moses and the husband she is not married to is Jesus Christ the true bridegroom of all the children of Israel. She begins her dialogue with our Savior in the flesh and eventually ends up completely excepting the fullness of Christ in the Spirit. Have we taken Jesus in as our Lord in the flesh or received him as our Bridegroom in the Spirit as humbly as the woman representing all of the children of Israel, the Church?

This Gospel narrative truly allows mankind the appreciation of the senses in the scriptures from St. John's Gospel. Let us all continue to grow and swim deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world!