Jews and Samaritans had a common origin.
But they have hated each other.
Then, the biblical land Samaria is the result of the elimination of the 10 northern tribes of Israel by King David in 926 BC.
Omri, the king of the northern kingdom,
built the city of Samaria as the capital of the northern kingdom.
The Samaritans rejected the exclusive cult of the temple in Jerusalem and built their own places of sacrifice on Mount Gerizim.
We know from history:
Political problems can be solved in time
but religious rivalries remain unhealed and often fiery.
The Jews hated the Samaritans, like all other gentiles.
The following saying is clear evidence to it:
”The blood of the swine is cleaner than the water in Samaria”.
Jesus speaks with a woman in / from this city: that what is not quite normal: either for a Jew or for a Samaritan woman.
There are several theological reflections on this Samaritan woman.
It says she went to the well in an unusual time. The people in that territory remain normally at home because as it is so hot during the midday.
But this woman is out there: then she wanted not to be noted.
She was probably unpopular or expendable to the society?
Jesus comes to the conversation with her:
And he asks water from her too.
This early mentioned “dirty” water from the pagan source?
Now, what tells us this passage in this Lent?
Jesus was weary. But he is willing to help others.
This conversation with the Samaritan woman proves his human love and concern. Jesus knew she had “five husbands” - but in reality not much considered according the number. Jesus takes her situation seriously.
He promised her the “living water”.
The woman, at first sees in the beginning nothing special in Jesus.
Only a deep conversation moves her to faith.
She takes Jesus as some one “sent” as a prophet and then confesses as the “Anointed One” – the Messiah.
Then she announces this conviction in her city.
She herself is now the “ambassador” and the “disciple” of Jesus.
One who avoided the public has no more complexes and fears at all.
Then it is God who healed her.
Dear friends,
Lent asks us exactly this mind-setting and growth in us.
Jesus teaches that those who have a lot in their life, and thereby loses the most important thing, live not real life at all.
We see this growth in Jesus- especially along with the Sunday Gospels in the Lent time.
Then in the first Sunday we have seen, Jesus overcomes the temptations in the desert.
On the second Sunday, he overcomes one more “temptation”;
he avoids the glory and security up there on Mount Tabor.
He gets down from the mountain and faces his life.
He's on the move. On the way Jesus meets the Samaritan woman:
Yes, my dear: Lent invites us all to action.
It invites us to come closer to God: come in to conversation with God.
In this relationship we can experience the “glory of God”.
There we recognize him as the Messenger and the Messiah of God.
This helps us to proclaim Him with our lives.
The Samaritan Woman enjoyed this special gift and she was blessed.
May God bless us too in the same way! Amen!
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil
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