Truth in unusual places

Today’s lectionary reading was the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1—42 ). I’ve always liked this story, because it shows lots of my favourite things in the Gospels – Jesus breaking barriers, Jesus being cryptic, the disciples completely missing the point. It’s got everything, as far as I’m concerned.

First, Jesus’ actions. In this story, Jesus talks to a Samaritan woman, when they are both at the village well (actually, an important historical monument as well as a well). This is unusual in the extreme. For a Jew (and a rabbi, in particular) to talk to a Samaritan was out of the question – as a current analogy, perhaps Northern Irish catholics and protestants are the nearest we have to the feelings between these two groups. Even more unusual, though, Jesus talks to a woman, in public. Worse even than that, it turns out, the woman isn’t even respectable! She’s had five husbands already and is involved with another man without being married. Any decent Jew would have run a mile. But Jesus doesn’t. He talks to her, reasons with her, asks her for a favour, offers her something new.

Then, we have the conversation itself. It’s great! The woman is confused at first as to why Jesus is talking to her, even more so when He starts to talk about “living water”. Then comes the only miraculous part of the story – Jesus knows this woman’s history. So, He challenges her about her lack of a husband. But, importantly, there’s no hint of condemnation. Indeed, she is praised for being honest about her situation. The woman then tries to reach safe(ish) ground by discussing religious history – should people worship in the Jewish holy places or the Samaritan ones? Jesus cuts through the waffle by saying that it doesn’t matter where you worship as long as you do so. The woman tries again to reach safe ground by, effectively, saying, “Well, who really knows?” To which Jesus answers, “I know, because I am the messiah.” It’s classic Jesus – cutting through fluff to reach someone’s heart; people babbling nonsense to try and keep truth at a safe distance; taking everyday images and remaking them into radically new things.

The disciples then return, breaking the tableau, and the woman runs off to the town to tell people what’s happened (pretty amazing stuff, and pretty wierd!). The disciples are, as usual, clueless, prompting Jesus to have a bit of a go at them. Once the people from the town arrive, the disciples must have been pretty confused! But they seem to have worked it out eventually. Staying for two days in a Samaritan town (as honoured guests, by the looks of it) must have been an odd experience for them, too, just as much as it would be for the townspeople to have honoured Jewish guests! And, by the end, the people are saying (John foreshadowing the experience of the Church) “We don’t believe just because we were told, but because we’ve met Him and heard Him.”

It’s good stuff.

pax et bonum

Article posted at 5:18pm on 27 February 2005
Category: Faith, Musing