Encountering Christ

Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent

By Deacon Thomas Stephenson

March 23, 2014

It may have seemed as though the Gospel reading was a little long, but actually, that was the shorter version. It does leave out a few very important details, some that I’ll mention as we go along, but it still conveys the essence of the story. However, it would be a good idea to take the time at some point to read the complete passage about the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus; even reading the entire fourth chapter of the Gospel of John will help to put things in context.

Is this just a chance encounter? Are any encounters with Jesus simply by chance? Of course not. Just as He encounters each of us by His choice, so it was that He met the Samaritan woman that day. A little background on the Samaritans and the Jews may help us to understand the situation a little better. To begin with, the Jewish people despised the Samaritans, and the feeling was mutual. The Samaritans were originally a group that had separated from the mainstream Jews, probably around the eighth century B.C. It is thought that, during the time the Jews were taken to Babylon in captivity, the Samaritans were left in Israel, eventually mixing with some of the pagan peoples in the area, so they were no longer pure, and they were rejected and looked down on by the Jews. Both groups avoided each other; usually Jews didn’t even travel through Samaria, even though it was the shortest route between Judea and Galilee. Yet, in the verses right before our Gospel reading starts, John tells us that Jesus “... left Judea and departed again to Galilee. He had to pass through Samaria.” Why was it that He had to do that, when other Jews avoided the area? Because that was part of the divine plan; there was no chance involved.

Now, if the Samaritans were outcasts, this woman appears to be even more marginalized, especially by her own people. Most of the women would have come to the well in the morning, while it was still cool. She comes to the well at noon, probably for the very reason that there would be hardly anyone around, and she could avoid associating with the others. We can’t say exactly why this was, but at one point of this Gospel, which we didn’t hear in the shorter version, Jesus asks her to go get her husband, and she replies that she has no husband. Jesus agrees, saying that she has had five husbands, and that she is with a man now who is not her husband. So we can infer that this woman has a bit of a reputation, and may have even caused some difficulties for other relationships in her community.

By asking this woman for a drink, in reaching out to her, Jesus is breaking a lot of rules. And at first, this woman is naturally suspicious – she questions why He would ask her, of all people, for a drink. He then turns her question around, saying that, if she knew who He was, she would have asked Him. Of course, this woman would never have dared ask Jesus for anything, and could not possibly have realized that His drink, the living water, is the Holy Spirit. As their conversation progresses in stages, back and forth, Jesus develops her trust, slowly helping her to move away from her initial rejection toward acceptance. He draws her to Him, not with criticism and judgement but with patience and understanding. There is a part of this encounter that is not included in the Gospel, regardless of the version – the private conversation between the woman and Jesus, when He told her everything she has done, which is part of what she tells the people in the city as she relates what had happened and who was at the well. Her enthusiasm was so great that, even as such an outcast, she was able to persuade the others to come and see for themselves. And not only did they believe, but Jesus actually stayed with them for two days. That would have been unheard of, a Jew staying, eating, and drinking with Samaritans for two days. And in the end, the Samaritans believed that He truly is the Saviour of the world.

So, what does this have to do with us, especially as we go through Lent? For one thing, this is a time when we are trying to get closer Jesus, but we also should recognize that He is trying to get closer to us. We are not unlike the Samaritan woman in some ways, we need to enter into dialogue with Jesus, we need to allow Him to give us the drink of living water, and to give Him the drink He seeks, our love of Him and the Father with the Holy Spirit. Our Lenten practices are meant to deepen our relationship with God. If we give up something, it is not just for its own sake, but as a concrete sacrifice that helps us to keep in mind the enormous sacrifice Jesus made for us. And if we are doing some positive work of charity or penance, it is not just because it is a good thing to do; it should be done in recognition of what we are called to do as Catholics, not just during Lent but all year round.

Just as in some ways we are like the Samaritan woman, in other ways we are called to act as Jesus did, reaching out to those who most need our help, the outcasts and the impoverished, including those who may be materially well off but spiritually poor. Despite the serious cultural prohibitions regarding Jews associating with Samaritans, Jesus made it a point to open a conversation with this woman, overcoming her wariness and bringing her to an acceptance and appreciation of who He is and what He was offering. We should be open to opportunities when we can present our faith, in our actions and in our words, to those who need to experience the love of the Lord through us, regardless of whatever obstacles we think are in the way. How much could we accomplish if we proclaimed the Good News with the enthusiasm and confidence that the Samaritan woman did to her neighbours? What a great thing to do for Lent, to help others understand the living water that flows from a relationship with the Lord. And, for us to work on that understanding in our own lives, too.

These Samaritans recognized Jesus as the Saviour of the world. He is Saviour of the world, and Saviour of each one of us individually. Let us pray that, through our penance, sacrifice and other Lenten observances, we may appreciate all the ways we encounter Christ, and respond to His approach with openness and love.