Who Woulda Thunk It?
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series VI, Cycle A
Object:
Who woulda thunk it? A Samaritan woman, having come to the village well to draw her water in the heat of the day -- not early morning when the other women would come, meets a Jewish rabbi. He talks to her ... in public, even. He actually talks to her. Right out there in front of God and anybody (even though no one else is around, not in the noonday sun). This is not done. Jewish men do not talk to women in public, even their own wives. In fact, for a Jewish wife to address her husband in public without permission was grounds for divorce! But a Jewish man speaking to a mixed-breed, "racially inferior" female?
What was he doing there, anyway? The animosity between Jews and Samaritans was such that most travelers would have taken the extra nine hours to go around Samaria on a journey from Judea up to Galilee. After all, Samaritans frequently ganged up and robbed Jewish pilgrims passing through their territory, which is why Jesus' later story of the exceptional Good Samaritan would be so striking.
He asks her if she would draw him a drink of water while she is filling her pot. She is surprised and a little irritated. "How is it that you, a man, and with your Jewish accent, ask a drink from me, a woman and a Samaritan?" Fiesty. Perhaps that is why she went through so many husbands. Or perhaps that is how she survived so many husbands and the ensuing isolation coming from the ostracism of a cold-hearted village.
Then Jesus said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." What? Living water? Who is this man? He has nothing with which to draw. Is he making fun? Is he suggesting that "Samaritan water" is not good enough? So she questions, and he confuses her even more -- he begins talking about eternal life. She was not sure what was happening, but she was finding herself more and more fascinated. "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
The conversation continues with reference to her love life and current living arrangements. This spunky lady does what we all do when Jesus wants to talk with us about our personal affairs -- she changes the subject. Religion -- there's a good one. She says, "I can see that you are a prophet ... clergy. Our church says worship God in this place, but your church says Jerusalem. Let's argue about that instead of talking about me." Jesus answers with the gospel for her that day and for everyone everywhere always: "A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem ... God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Cities, states, nations, and denominations are not holy. God is holy. God's people are holy. No more artificial divisions -- Jews/Samaritans, Protestant/Catholic, Presbyterian/Lutheran/Methodist/Baptist -- no more divisions to separate human beings one from another -- good news -- gospel.
The story continues as the disciples return. The woman departs, goes into the village and tells of her encounter. The people are intrigued, come out to the well and, in their words to her, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." Who woulda thunk it?
To this day, that nameless Samaritan woman, the first unexpected evangelist, is revered in many cultures. In southern Mexico, La Samaritana is remembered on the fourth Friday in Lent, when specially flavored water is given to commemorate her gift of water to Jesus. The Orthodox know her as Saint Photini, or Svetlana in Russian. Her name means "equal to the apostles," and she is honored as apostle and martyr on the Feast of the Samaritan Woman.
What was he doing there, anyway? The animosity between Jews and Samaritans was such that most travelers would have taken the extra nine hours to go around Samaria on a journey from Judea up to Galilee. After all, Samaritans frequently ganged up and robbed Jewish pilgrims passing through their territory, which is why Jesus' later story of the exceptional Good Samaritan would be so striking.
He asks her if she would draw him a drink of water while she is filling her pot. She is surprised and a little irritated. "How is it that you, a man, and with your Jewish accent, ask a drink from me, a woman and a Samaritan?" Fiesty. Perhaps that is why she went through so many husbands. Or perhaps that is how she survived so many husbands and the ensuing isolation coming from the ostracism of a cold-hearted village.
Then Jesus said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." What? Living water? Who is this man? He has nothing with which to draw. Is he making fun? Is he suggesting that "Samaritan water" is not good enough? So she questions, and he confuses her even more -- he begins talking about eternal life. She was not sure what was happening, but she was finding herself more and more fascinated. "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
The conversation continues with reference to her love life and current living arrangements. This spunky lady does what we all do when Jesus wants to talk with us about our personal affairs -- she changes the subject. Religion -- there's a good one. She says, "I can see that you are a prophet ... clergy. Our church says worship God in this place, but your church says Jerusalem. Let's argue about that instead of talking about me." Jesus answers with the gospel for her that day and for everyone everywhere always: "A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem ... God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Cities, states, nations, and denominations are not holy. God is holy. God's people are holy. No more artificial divisions -- Jews/Samaritans, Protestant/Catholic, Presbyterian/Lutheran/Methodist/Baptist -- no more divisions to separate human beings one from another -- good news -- gospel.
The story continues as the disciples return. The woman departs, goes into the village and tells of her encounter. The people are intrigued, come out to the well and, in their words to her, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." Who woulda thunk it?
To this day, that nameless Samaritan woman, the first unexpected evangelist, is revered in many cultures. In southern Mexico, La Samaritana is remembered on the fourth Friday in Lent, when specially flavored water is given to commemorate her gift of water to Jesus. The Orthodox know her as Saint Photini, or Svetlana in Russian. Her name means "equal to the apostles," and she is honored as apostle and martyr on the Feast of the Samaritan Woman.
