The account of Jesus meeting the woman at the well is one of the most beautiful stories in the Gospels. In this story given to us only in John’s Gospel, Jesus comes to the well and proceeds to have a conversation with a woman about water, places of worship and husbands. The woman is reluctant to give him a drink because he is a man and a Jew. But he wants to give her living water. She tells him that her people worship at their own temple on the mountain but he tells her that, ultimately, worship of God takes place not in any particular place but in the heart and in the spirit. She tells him she doesn’t have a husband but he confronts her with the fact that she has had 5 husbands. After all of that, she finally acknowledges that he must be someone special and she goes off to tell her people that she believes she has met the Messiah.
But, in reality, Jesus is not simply interested in having a conversation about water, places of worship or multiple marriages. Rather, the interest of Jesus is to reveal to this person the real nature of God who she has been struggling to understand. And, through various metaphors in the conversation, Jesus does just that.
First, he reveals to the woman that God is living water. God is not a finite entity like the water in the well. Rather, God is an inexhaustible source of all that we need to thrive and prosper. We can draw water from many wells in life but only one kind of water really satisfies—that is God’s infinite love. And we can draw on this never ending source any time we want and as often as we need. God does not limit divine grace or mercy or forgiveness. God does not say, “Listen, you’ve had enough of me” or “that’s all I can give you right now.” No, God gives of the divine life freely and generously. More than we need. God’s love and mercy is so abundant that we cannot ever make the well run dry. That is the living water Jesus is speaking of.
Secondly, Jesus reveals to the woman that God does not have a real preference about the manner in which we worship. Samaritans refused to worship in Jerusalem and had their own shrine in Samaria. Orthodox Jews said that the Jerusalem temple was the only place to worship. There were many disputes between Samaritans and Jews about how and where one was to worship God. But Jesus tells the woman, “God is spirit and those who worship must worship in spirit and in truth.” That is, true worship of God occurs in the heart and soul of the person. It is by our love and faith that we give true reverence to God. It matters not to God whether we go into a cathedral to pray or step into our room and close the door to pray. We can give fitting worship to God in any place—be it a church, synagogue, temple or mosque. God is spirit and is not bound by our demands for physical structures or styles of worship that tend to separate and exclude peoples.
Third, Jesus reveals to the woman that God is an exclusive lover. He tells the woman, “Go get your husband” and she tells him “I have no husband.” “That is correct” Jesus responds “you have had five husbands.” Some might choose to think that Jesus is condemning the woman because of multiple marriages or lovers. But, in fact, Jesus may be commenting on the many gods she has welcomed into her life. Samaritans were known to mix up their gods and beliefs. Jesus tells her, “you have had many lords in your life but only one is truly your spouse.” Couldn’t Jesus say the same to each of us? How many gods have we invited into our lives? Money? Food? Drink? Possessions? Careers? Aren’t these our own multiple lovers or spouses? Jesus is not talking about the woman’s sexual promiscuity. He is making mention of her spiritual promiscuity. In doing so, he invites her to consider abandoning her false gods and embracing the one true God who is the faithful and loving spouse of each of us.
Finally, after dismissing the limited notions of God that this woman had, Jesus reveals to her that she is speaking to God in the flesh. “I am he” Jesus tells her. Jesus tells her that the limitless love of God, the God who is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth and the God who is the singular spouse of all of us, is to be found in him. Imagine that! For all her mistaken notions about God, this woman ends up having a conversation with the one true God in the person of Jesus and, after realizing this, she goes off to tell others about the God she has met at the well. As a result, the people of her village come to have faith in Jesus.
Lent invites and challenges us to reconsider how we understand God. We are to put aside our preconceived notions about who God is and how God operates. And, once we do just that, we can meet God personally in Jesus. Once we recognize God in Jesus we have no need to create our own categories for God. We can put aside our exclusive views of God and allow others to take hold of God in a way that is inclusive and without boundaries.
Once we come to a truer and more pure understanding of God, then we are freed up to invite others to draw the same life giving water that we share in. We will be free enough to proclaim that all can come into God’s presence and we will be free enough to share Jesus with others.