Jan. 15 - Give Me a Drink

Greetings beloved,

Chapter 4 of St. John's Gospel relates the account of Jesus and His disciples as they were passing through Samaria. It was noon on a hot, dry day when they stopped in a city called Sychar. Noticing that Jacob's well was there, after sending the Disciples to town to buy food Jesus being tired and thirsty sat down and rested.

As Jesus was sitting there, a Samaritan woman came to draw some water. Normally, Jews had a certain level of animosity towards Samaritans and didn't speak to them or have any dealings with them, but Jesus in all of His wisdom and compassion spoke to her saying, “Give Me a drink” (John 4:7).

St. John impresses upon us here that Jesus was human as well as divine, He was the 'Only Begotten Son of the Father,' but He was also the 'Word made Flesh' and He was tired and thirsty. He had no prejudice against the Samaritans and no doubt startled the woman when He asked her for a favor. Not only was Jesus willing to talk to a "woman" who was a "Samaritan," but she was probably an outcast from the town as noon was normally not the time for women to draw water.

What follows is a marvelous example of personal evangelism as Jesus had related to her on a physical level by asking for a drink (John 4:7). He then shifted the conversation to that of spiritual things by talking to her about "Living Water" (John 4:10). And this not only caught her deepest interest, it opened the way for a discussion about the inner life. Jesus was always sensitive to the needs of people that He met, and He knew how great her need was when He asked her to “Go, call your husband, and come here” (John 4:16).

She responded to this test of honesty when she said, “I have no husband” (John 4:17). Then being led by the Holy Spirit, Jesus exposed her sin, for she'd had five husbands and the man that she was presently living with wasn't her husband (John 4:18). When She realized that Jesus was a prophet (John 4:19), she tried to change the subject by asking Him if it was right to worship God on their Mount Gerazim instead of Jerusalem. Jesus responded by telling her, "...salvation is of the Jews" (john 4:22), and shifted their dialogue back to the spiritual. And finally, He revealed Himself as the Messiah (John 4:26).

The Samaritan Woman had been honest with Jesus, and whenever we come in honest faith to God, that faith is confirmed in His gracious acceptance. Her life was transformed and she left her burden of sin for a new moral start.

Some of us have trouble with prejudice. We've been taught to be proud of our cultural roots, proud of our nationality, education and social level. But we must remember that God created all persons equally and He is without prejudice. When we transcend our differences, lives can be changed and God can be exalted. He loved everyone, and He commands us to do the same. Is prejudice keeping you from faith and fellowship?

Pray with me... Father God, thank You for loving us all the same. Help us to see one another the way You see us, and help us to recognize the spiritual in our daily lives. In Christ Jesus' name we pray. AMEN!

God's blessings to you all,
Fr. Ernest+