THE ENCOUNTER AT THE WELL
Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 94; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4:5-42
We all need water; no man or woman lives without water, so it generally said that ‘water is life’. In the first reading, the people of Israel were in need of water during their sojourn in the desert. They complained against Moses, they saw him as a wicked leader and a failure but the Lord provided water for them. Human life is an “exodus”; we are moving from slavery to the Promised Land; from childhood to adulthood; from earth to heaven. As we journey we sometimes experience the drought and fatigue of life; poverty, lowliness, dryness, pains, hardship etc. we even come to that point when we begin to ask like the Israelites in the first reading – Exd.17:7 “Is the Lord amongst us or not?” The truth right there he is with us as the Fountain of life and the Spring of living water.
Similarly, in the woman of Samaria came to draw water; as against desire Jesus offered her the Living Water. What is living water? Living water is a biblical term which appears in both the Old and New Testaments; Jer.2:13 and 17:13, Jeremiah describes God as “the spring of living water”; Jesus uses the phrase “living water” in two instances in the New Testament; John 4:10 and John 7:37-39. He says ‘he who believes in me from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water’. Here Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the living water. St Cyril clarifies this further saying that by water all things subsist; water brings forth grass, and living things, water comes down in one form and work in many forms. So the Holy Spirit comes to us; bring about new life and work in many forms for the sanctification of the human life.
Jesus said to the woman “If you knew the gift of God” (John4:10). This very words are addressed to us today ‘If only we know the gift of God’ if only we know the grace we command; if only we know the power in the Holy Eucharist; if only we know the grace that comes from the confessional; if only we know the power of God that is present in the Church and her sacraments; then we would not be wallowing in emptiness and frustration. Hosea lamented in Hos.4:6 my people suffer because of lack of knowledge. We wander about because we lack knowledge of his Divine wonders in the Church.
More so, the woman said “I have no husband” an expression of frustrations and pains. There is this void we all express; many have tried to fill it with other things like the Samaritan woman did; we have attempted to satisfy our desires with men; women; alcohol, drugs, power, wealth and other things. Augustine faced with this insatiable nature of his soul in pleasure came to the conclusion that “Because God have made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in God.” The void remains until we enter true communion with God. Nothing else can satisfy our souls except he the Fountain of life. And whoever drinks shall never ever thirst again.
The woman was ready to learn, so Christ revealed himself to her. Anyone who is ready and willing to learn can be taught. Christ revealed himself to her in her sinful state not in her pretentious state, she was not pretending about her identity; she was real and true about herself. Most times we pretend and so we miss out. Just be your true self that is the only way God can actually help you. The Pharisees did not enter the Kingdom of God because of pretence. And Jesus says if our righteous does not exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees we shall not enter the Kingdom of God. For her willing character Jesus revealed mysteries to her that took others years to uncover. Jesus said to her 1. God is Spirit, 2. Those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, 3. That He -Jesus is the Messiah, 4. That He – Jesus is the Saviour of the world and 5. That He – Jesus has come to seek and find the lost sheep. These were mysteries that were not easy to come by.
In this encounter the woman grew in the knowledge of God. Encounter deepens our knowledge of God. Where understanding is limited encounter takes us further. It perfects our understanding. In fact we could see how this woman progressed in understanding; in John.4:9 she called Jesus “a Jew” in verse 11 she called Jesus “sir” in verse 19; she called Him “a prophet”; in verse 29 she called Him “the Christ”; in verse 42 she called Him the Saviour of the world. Encounter gives clarity to all theological definitions; encounter sets you on a spiritual progress. Divine encounter makes the difference between a class teacher and a preacher. What may take a teacher years to explain can be uncovered in minutes by a preacher. So the woman immediately became a preacher and the gospel says in John.4:28-30 that many came to seek Jesus.
LET US PRAY
O God, author of every mercy and of all goodness, who in fasting, prayer and almsgivingh ave shown us a remedy for sin, look graciously on this confession of our lowliness, that we, who are bowed down by our conscience, may always be lifted up by your mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
