Reading the Johannine Narrative of the Samaritan Woman at the Jacob’s Well amidst the Covid-19 Virus Pandemic – 3rd Sunday of Lent, A

In teaching the Johannine Gospel narrative on Jesus' interaction with the Smaritan woman at the Jacob's well (John 4:5-42) in connection to Exodus 17:3-7 on the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Cycle A), I usually focus on "thirst". In doing so, I put reflection questions on what we thirst for and how we quench our thirst. In doing so, whether the way we quench our thirst draws us closer to God or brings us away from God. To ensure that our efforts to quench our thirst draws closer and closer to God, we can draw a lesson in comparative hermeneutical exegesis of John 4:5-42 (Gospel reading) and Exodus 17:3-7 (First reading), along with Exodus 16:22-27. 

What the Israelites sought to quench thirst in the Exodus 16:22-27 and 17:3-7 and what the Samaritan woman in John 4:5-42 initially sought to quench her thirst does not lead to eternal life. Therefore, our thirst will return cyclically until we die. On the other hand, as we sought the solution for our thirst in Christ, we would not have to go through the endless cycle (like the samsara cycle in Buddhism teaching) of thirst. 

What are we thirsty for? Are we thirsty for what comes and goes? Are our efforts to quench our thirst still keeping us in a cycle of thirst? Or, are our efforts to quench our thirst liberating us from the samsara-like cycle of thirst? If the latter is the case, then, we are also drawn closer to the source of the quench: Christ, who is the well of the living water.

Today, however, I shift the gear on the focus of my teaching from our thirst and efforts for quenching, as I was touched by a reflection that Diana shared with me in our response to the current pandemic of covid-19 virus. She is hermana querida mia en Cristo, with whom I enjoy teaching and learning the Word of God. Her reflection is pointing our pitfall in our response to threat and calling us not to fall in this pit but to our need to reach out to those whose needs are greater in our response to the virus threat. And, I have found a juxtaposition between hermana Diana's reflection and Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman. It is about reaching out as what Pope Francis calls "the current of grace", and it is about the living water, which only Christ can offer.                                                       

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I am sure you are familiar with this Johannine narrative on Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman at the Jacob's well.

So what does this Gospel story mean to you? How does this story affect you? How is this story related to your life?

In fact, this Gospel story reflects how we should live in the covid-19 virus pandemic today. Hermana querida mia en Cristo, Diana, pointed out in her excellent reflection, how our fear reaction to the pandemic can blind ourselves to the needs of the poor and the marginalized. The panic reaction to hoard up not only masks and hand sanitizers but now toilet papers (and what is next?) is an example of this. This shows that we tend to act only for self-preservation at the expenses of the survival needs of others, especially the greater needs of the least among us.  In our panic, we tend to operate ourselves with the Darwinian mode of "the survival of the fittest". And this makes us blind and deaf to the truth in Jesus' commandment: Agape, especially for those who are regarded as the least among us (cf. Matthew 25:40). In her loving and compassionate reflection, hermana Diana shared with me last night, hear heart is calling the world to heighten our love and compassion for the poor and the marginalized as the world sinks in the Darwinian mode out of panic.

With this in mind, let's unpack this Johannine Gospel narrative for this Sunday (the 3^rd Sunday of Lent, Cycle A): John 4:5-42.

Jesus came to Samaria. But pious Jews always stayed away from this area. For them, even it meant to inconveniencing themselves for extra miles, in traveling, the region of Samaria had to be bypassed and avoided at any costs. Why? Simply because they were afraid to be contaminated spiritually by coming in contact with a Samaritan. To pious Jews at that time, the Samaritan's were regarded as spiritually unclean people due to the intermarriages to Assyrians, who conquered the region in 722 BC. Thus it was a taboo for the Jews to have any contact with a Samaritan.

By coming to this spiritually filthy region of Samaria, Jesus sure broke the taboo. But why did he do that? Because Jesus wanted a shortcut in traveling the area to be "cost-effective"? Of course, not!

Being God and savior (2 Petert 1:1), Jesus knew what he was doing and knew his purpose to go to this prohibited place. And it was solely to save the Samaritan with his Gospel through the worst among the marginalized Samaritans. Namely, the worst among the marginalized by the pious Jews was this Samaritan woman, whom Jesus took the initial step to reach-out by breaking the wall of taboo.

This woman Jesus reached out at the well was isolated and marginalized even by the Samaritans, whom were marginalized by the Jews. In a way, she was "untouchable". If not Jesus, breaking the taboo, risking himself of stigmatization for spiritual contamination, who else would care about this woman?!

The fact that this woman came to the well alone indicates that she was marginalized and rejected by the rest of her Samaritan community. Otherwise, she would come to the well earthy in the morning with a bunch of other women, as a public well was like a water cooler in today's office, where folks gather to socialize, besides getting water the need.

Jesus knew what he was doing, and he started with the woman, who was most marginalized, to teach out with his Good News, for which to be proclaimed he came (Luke 4:18, 43). So he came to this region where mainstream "clean" people avoided, initiating the contact with the most marginalized and isolated, to transform the hearts of the despised people.

 Gradually, Jesus melted the layers of obstacles within the woman's heavy heart. As the obstacles were recognized and melted away by the love and mercy of Jesus, transformation began in the woman. And the transformation was progressively growing and growing from deep within in her heavy heart to the manifestation of joy, which override all the pain that had kept her in marginalization and stigmatization. And what began to transform her was, indeed, the living water that Only Jesus can offer. So, filled with fresh joy, she began evangelizing those whom she had been avoiding, those who had marginalized her!

The living water that only Jesus can give ( along with el Pan y la Sangre de la Vida: John 6:47-58) is not only for eternal life per se but also for transforming us through God's grace, as in the case with the Samaritan woman in this Johannine Gospel story for the Third Sunday of Lent (Cycle A). This living water, indeed, is what Pope Francis calls "the current of grace". The living water that wells up and flows from Christ is the transforming and salvific current of grace we all pray just for so that we may be one with each other seamlessly in order to be one body of Christ, as Paul images in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26). In this one body, there is no more marginalization and isolation. In this body, the living water circulates as the current of grace flows freely.

 Through our steadfast faith, we will not let fear of covid-19 virus pandemic stagnate the current of the living water of transformation and salvation, especially flowing to where it is most needed, "Samaria" in our world today, "Samaritans" among us. Let us not make our fear form walls of marginalization and isolation. Amen.