The Woman at the Well

1. When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

2. Although Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples,

3. He left Judea and came away again into Galilee.

4. But He must pass through Samaria.

5. Then He comes into a city of Samaria called Sychar, neighboring the field which Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6. And [the] fountain of Jacob was there. Jesus, therefore, having labored on the journey, sat thus at the fountain. It was about the sixth hour.

7. There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus says to her, Give Me to drink;

8. For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

9. Then the Samaritan woman says to Him, How [is it that] Thou, being a Jew, askest of me to drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

10. Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that says to thee, Give Me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.

11. The woman says to Him, Lord, Thou hast nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Whence then hast Thou the living water?

12. Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

13. Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again;

14. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall not thirst to eternity, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life.

15. The woman says to Him, Lord, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16. Jesus says to her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17. The woman answered and said, I have not a husband. Jesus said to her, Thou hast well said, I have not a husband.

18. For thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband; this [is] true [that] thou didst say.

19. The woman says to Him, Lord, I behold that Thou art a prophet.

20. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where it is proper to worship.

21. Jesus says to her, Woman, believe Me that an hour comes when neither at this mountain nor at Jerusalem shall you worship the Father.

22. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know; for salvation is of the Jews.

23. But an hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such that worship Him.

24. God [is] spirit; and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

25. The woman says to Him, I know that Messiah comes, who is called Christ; when He has come, He will announce to us all things.

26. Jesus says to her, I am, that speaks to thee.

Passing through Samaria

As this next episode begins, we learn that “the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John” (4:1). This, however, was not the case. “Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples did” (4:2). Even though Jesus was not performing any baptisms at that time, His fame was spreading far and wide. Aware that His activities had been arousing questions and concerns among the religious leaders, Jesus “left Judea and departed again to Galilee” (4:3), passing through Samaria along the way.

In order to understand the significance of Jesus’ journey through Samaria, we need to consider the role of this territory in biblical history. Situated forty miles north of Jerusalem. Samaria was the land where Abram first stopped on his way to Canaan, and where he heard the Lord’s great promise: “To your descendants I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7). It was in Samaria that Jacob purchased land, built an altar, and passed it on to his sons (Genesis 33:19). And it was in Samaria where the ten tribes of Israel established the northern kingdom.

When the northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians, Samaria was resettled by people from pagan nations and became a place of idolatrous worship. Therefore, the people who remained in Judea and worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem despised their northern neighbors and would have nothing to do with them. In fact, for over seven hundred years the Jews who remained in Judea avoided all contact with the Samaritans.

For example, people traveling from Jerusalem to Galilee could reach Galilee in two or three days if they took the direct route, passing through Samaria. On the other hand, if they decided to take the longer route, skirting Samaria, it would take four to six days. It was customary for Jews to take the longer route just to avoid having any contact with the despised Samaritans. Jesus, however, did not take the longer route. As it is written, He knew that “He must pass through Samaria” (4:4).

Jesus meets a Samaritan woman

As Jesus passes through Samaria on His way to Galilee, He comes to a place called “Jacob’s Well.” While His disciples go into town to buy food, Jesus sits down by the well, resting from His journey. It is the sixth hour of the day. When a Samaritan woman comes to draw water, Jesus says to her, “Give Me a drink” (4:7). Recognizing that Jesus is a Jew, she is surprised to see Him in Samaria, because “the Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.” Therefore, the woman says, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (4:9). Jesus answers, saying, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (4:10).

The Samaritan woman is confused by Jesus’ response. Thinking that Jesus is referring to natural water, she says, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well, and drank from it himself as well as his sons and his livestock?” (4:6-12). When Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that He has “living water,” she takes Him literally. Seeing that she misunderstands, Jesus says to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain springing up into everlasting life” (4:13).

Although she still does not understand, the Samaritan woman is curious. Therefore, she says, “Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw” (4:14). Jesus responds to her request by saying to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here” (4:16). In the language of sacred symbolism, the words, “Call your husband,” refer to the process of living according to divine truth. Jesus is saying that we need to call His truth into our life until we see and feel the good of it and are “married” to it. He also adds the words, “Come here.” This refers to the need to return to the Word of God as the source of truth and draw from God’s well.

While Jesus is still speaking figuratively, the Samaritan woman continues to hear Him literally. She says, “I have no husband” (4:17). When the woman tells Him that she has no husband, Jesus surprises her by revealing His omniscience. He says, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly” (4:17-18).

Remarkably, the woman does not take offense. Instead, she accepts Jesus’ words as revealing the truth about her condition. And she adds, “Sir I perceive that You are a prophet” (4:19). At first, she only saw Jesus as a traveler who asked for a drink of water. Now she sees Him as a prophet. When she says, “Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst,” she represents that part in each of us that yearns for genuine understanding. It yearns for those living truths that will become “fountains of water springing up into everlasting life.”

In this regard, the Samaritan woman represents the part of us that has not yet found satisfaction in worldly values or superficial spirituality. It is the part of us that has been misled by false doctrines and misguided by wrong ideas. We have, so to speak, “no husband.” The goodness in us, which yearns to be united with truth, remains unsatisfied. We find ourselves repeatedly drinking from wells that do not satisfy our spiritual thirst. Again and again, we drink from man-made wells, only to thirst again for fountains of living water. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “My people have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). ¹

In ancient times, wells tended to be places where women met the men who would become their bridegrooms and husbands. Rebecca met her husband Isaac at a well; Rachel met her husband Jacob at a well; and Zipporah met her husband Moses at a well. Similarly, the Samaritan woman, meets Jesus by a well. This is because she represents the goodness in each of us that longs to be united with truth in a “heavenly marriage.” Although she has tried and failed many times, she still represents the desire to achieve the heavenly marriage of goodness and truth. In this regard, the openness of this Samaritan woman represents each of us being willing to receive truth from the Word of God, truth that will become in us a fountain springing up to eternal life. ²

True worship

The Samaritan woman, then, represents every person who is eager to learn and willing to receive the truth that Jesus offers. As we continue with the literal sense of the story, this representation becomes even more evident. We have already seen that the woman was willing to receive the truth about herself, without taking offense. Now she wants to know the truth about worship. She has long been aware of the conflict over where the appropriate place to worship is—whether in Jerusalem at the temple, or in Samaria on Mt. Gerizim. Therefore, she says, “Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship” (4:21).

In response, Jesus says, “The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews” (4:22).

When spiritually understood, the phrase “salvation is of the Jews” does not refer to a group of people but rather to a concept that is at the heart of Jewish teaching. Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, everything centers on the worship of one God. As it is written, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Salvation, then, is about loving the Lord with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. It is about doing everything He asks of us, not from fear, or from duty, or for the sake of a reward, but rather from love. All who strive to do this, whether Jew or Gentile, experience “salvation.” ³

Jesus is quite clear about “where” and “how” Divine worship will take place. He says, “The hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (4:24). In other words, true worship will not necessarily take place in the temple at Jerusalem or on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. It will take place in the human heart and mind—“in spirit and in truth.” True worship, then, will take place whenever and wherever an individual is moved by the Spirit of God and directed by the divine truth. It will transcend time and space. “God is Spirit,” says Jesus. “And those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (4:21-24).

Jesus’ words have a profound affect upon the Samaritan woman. They bring to mind teachings about the Messiah. “I know that Messiah is coming,” she says. “And when He comes, He will tell us all things” (4:25). While the well-educated religious leaders in Jerusalem rejected Jesus, this receptive Samaritan woman senses something special about Him. His presence somehow evokes thoughts about the promised Messiah. Observing her openness and receptivity, Jesus chooses to reveal His identity to her. Using the well-known phrase associated only with God, Jesus begins His response with the words, “I am (Ego eime).” Jesus says, “I Am is speaking to you” (4:26).

In these few words, Jesus reveals Himself to the Samaritan woman as the long-awaited Messiah.

A practical application

We live in an age that is sometimes referred to as “the age of information overload.” There seems to be plenty of helpful advice about “how to be happy,” “how to fight stress,” “how to find joy,” and “how to let go of the past.” We watch videos, read blogs, buy books, listen to sermons, and trade insights about how to find the happiness, joy, and peace that we seek. But as long as we neglect the fountain of living water, our thirst for truth will never be completely satisfied. As you commit yourself to reading the Word for yourself, absorbing its truths, and applying them to your life, notice how these truths “rise up” in you or “spring to mind” like a fountain when you need to be guided by them.

The Whitened Harvest

27. And upon this came His disciples, and marveled that He spoke with a woman; however no one said, What seekest Thou? Or what speakest Thou with her?

28. The woman then left her water-pot, and went away into the city, and says to the men,

29. Come, see a Man who has told me all that I have ever done. Is He not the Christ?

30. Then they went out from the city, and came to Him.

31. And in the meantime the disciples besought Him, saying, Rabbi, eat.

32. But He said to them, I have food to eat which you know not of.

33. Then the disciples said to one another, has anyone brought Him [~ought] to eat?

34. Jesus says to them, My food is that I may do the will of Him that sent Me, and may finish His work.

35. Do you not say that there are yet four months, and harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and observe the fields, for they are white to harvest already.

36. And he who reaps receives a reward, and gathers fruit to eternal life, that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together.

37. For in this the word is true, that one sows, and another reaps.

38. I sent you out to reap that on which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.

While Jesus has been speaking with the Samaritan woman, the disciples have been in the city of Sychar buying food. When they return, they are surprised to discover that Jesus has been engaging in a religious discussion with a woman. Nevertheless, it is written that none of them asked Him, “What are you seeking?” or “Why are you speaking with her?” (4:27).

At this point in the story, the Samaritan woman leaves her waterpot behind and rushes into the city to tell others about her encounter with Jesus. When she reaches the city, she says, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.”(4:29). Looking beneath the surface of her words, it becomes clear that this “Man” who has told her everything about her life is the divine truth of the Word. It not only tells us “all things we ever did,” but also helps us discover who we really are, and who we might become. This is the truth we have received from our reading, study, and application of the Word to our lives. It is the truth that springs up in us like a fountain, providing the inspiration and direction that can lead us into eternal life.

While the woman is in the city testifying about her encounter with Jesus, the disciples remain with Jesus and urge Him to eat some of the food they have purchased. Jesus replies, “I have food to eat of which you do not know” (4:32). Taking Him literally, the disciples turn to one another and say, “Has anyone brought Him something to eat?” (4:33). Jesus then tells them what He means by His words. He says, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (4:34).

Just as physical food and drink nourish our physical body, spiritual food, which is the good of charity, and spiritual drink, which is the truth of faith, are both essential for sustaining our spiritual life. Just as the body cannot survive on water alone, our spiritual life cannot be sustained by truth alone. The truth we learn must be united with a life of charity. ⁴

In describing His food as doing the will of the Father, Jesus is endeavoring to lift the minds of His disciples above the idea of physical food. This is similar to the way that He had lifted the Samaritan woman’s mind beyond the realm of physical water. Spiritual water comes from the Word of God, and is an inexhaustible fountain of truth, springing up into everlasting life. It is a well that can never run dry. Spiritual food is the nourishment we receive whenever we act in love and charity toward our neighbor, according to the truth that we know. It has its origin in the Lord’s love for the salvation of souls. Each time we act from love, seeking to better the lives of others, we are being nourished with heavenly food. ⁵

Sowing and reaping

One of the miracles of spiritual life is that this process of learning truth and doing it can happen almost spontaneously. Unlike a physical garden in which we must first plant a seed and then wait for the harvest, the spiritual process of planting and harvesting is not bound by time and space. It can be immediate. Therefore, Jesus says, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! (4:35).

The rewards for the “spiritual reaper” are rich and abundant. As Jesus puts it, “He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors” (4:36-37). At a deeper level, this refers to the secret work that goes on in the human heart. This is the quiet, inner work of God who sows the seeds of truth and goodness, then causes them to grow without our conscious awareness.

Sowing and reaping are essential activities in the world of time and space. Farmers sow their seeds in the springtime and then wait for the time of reaping during the fall harvest. It is an annual cycle that is essential for human survival. Surprisingly, Jesus says that it is not necessary to wait four months for the harvest. We can enjoy the harvest right now. “Look,” He says, “The fields are already white for harvest.”

These words do not refer to a physical harvest, but rather to the spiritual harvest of goodness and truth that is available to us at every moment. Throughout our lives, the Lord has been busy planting seed in us, even from the time that we were infants. Unknown to us and in secret ways, these seeds have been developing and maturing. Many are still in process, and many are available for the reaping today. Each time we decide to act on some truth that we know, we are reaping the harvest. Each time we find ourselves touched by the innocence of child, we are reaping the harvest. Each time we perform some useful service without thinking of reward, we are reaping the harvest. Each time we experience a positive change in our inner world, we are reaping the harvest. As Jesus says, “The fields are already white for harvest.” ⁶

A practical application

There is a tendency in each of us to believe that happiness is coming at some future time. We might say, “I will be happy when the weekend comes,” or “I will be happy when I can go on vacation,” or “I will be happy when my plans succeed,” or “I will be happy when I retire,” or “I will be happy in heaven.” Jesus teaches us that we don’t need to wait for the future. When He says, “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields. They are already white for harvest,” He is reminding us that happiness is not only all around us, but within us as well. The seeds that He has been planting in us all along are bearing fruit. We are learning to find joy in simpler, finer things. We are learning to feel the joy of another as joy in ourselves. We are learning to be peaceful and contented with what we have. We are learning to be grateful. All we need to do is “lift up our eyes.” Give it a try. Enjoy the harvest.

The Savior of the World

39. And out of that city, many of the Samaritans believed in Him, on account of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all things that I ever did.

40. Therefore when the Samaritans came to Him, they besought Him to remain with them, and He remained there two days.

41. And many more believed because of His word,

42. And said to the woman, We no longer believe because of thy saying, for we have heard Him, and know that this is truly the savior of the world, the Christ.

Meanwhile, the Samaritan woman is still in the village telling people about her encounter with Jesus. She is described as going around the town urging people to come see this Man who has told her all about herself. “Could this be the Christ?” she says (4:29). As she does so, she encounters two different kinds of responses. Many believe her immediately, simply because of her testimony. “He told me all that I ever did,” she says (4:39). Others, however, need more proof. Therefore, they urge Jesus to stay with them. After spending two days with Jesus, they are convinced. “Now we believe,” they say, “not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (4:39-42).

Just as it is God alone who sows the seed and reaps the harvest, it is God alone who touches our hearts and changes us. He can indeed use the ministry of people and angels to deliver His message, just as He used the Samaritan woman to tell the people about Himself. But, in the end, hearing God’s voice for oneself is far more convincing than the testimony of others. As they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves.”

As we look back upon the events which have taken place since Jesus’ first appearance at Jacob’s Well, we see a remarkably swift acceptance of Jesus among the Samaritans. At first the Samaritan woman sees Him only as a Jewish traveler who stopped for a drink of water. Very quickly, she regards Him as a prophet, and then, she sees Him as the Messiah. Her fellow Samaritans, who spent two days with Jesus, take this even further. They regard Him not only as the Messiah, the Savior of the Jewish people, but also as their Savior, too. That is why they call Him, the Christ, “the Savior of the World.”

A Second Miracle in Cana of Galilee

43. And after the two days He went away from there, and came out into Galilee.

44. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

45. When therefore He came into Galilee, the Galileans accepted Him, having seen all [the] things that He did in Jerusalem at the festival; for they also came to the festival.

46. Then Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick in Capernaum.

47. He, hearing that Jesus comes out of Judea into Galilee, went to Him and besought Him that He would come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.

48. Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and miracles, you will not believe.

49. The nobleman said to Him, Lord, come down before my little child dies.

50. Jesus says to him, Go [thy way]; thy son lives. And the man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and he went [his way];

51. And as he was already coming down, his servants met him, and reported, saying, Thy boy lives.

52. Then he inquired of them the hour in which he recovered. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53. Then the father knew that [it was] at that same hour in which Jesus said to him, Thy son lives. And [he] himself believed, and his whole house.

54. This [is] again a second sign [that] Jesus did, when He came out of Judea into Galilee.

After His two-day stay in Samaria, Jesus continues His journey to Galilee. While the narrator reminds us that “a prophet has no honor in his own country” (4:44), the story about Jesus turning water to wine in Cana and the reports about His actions during the festival in Jerusalem have spread to people in other towns and villages. One of these people is a certain nobleman from Capernaum who goes to Galilee to seek Jesus’ help. Going directly to Jesus, he begs Him to come down to Capernaum and heal his son who is sick with a fever and at the point of death.

Jesus says to the nobleman, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe” (4:48). This has been a consistent message of this gospel. In the early stages of faith, people are often moved by signs and wonders. But this must develop into a deeper faith, a faith that is not based on external miracles, but rather based on the miraculous changes that can occur within them when they live according to the truth that faith teaches. ⁷

Jesus’ words about signs and wonders do not deter the nobleman. Undaunted, he says, “Sir, come down before my child dies” (4:49). The nobleman’s plea, “Come down before my child dies,” brings to mind Jesus’ larger mission. He has “come down” from heaven to heal His people and to teach them the truth that will set them free from bondage. In this regard, every miracle that Jesus performs corresponds to the many ways that He heals our spiritual condition. It is for this reason that He grants the nobleman’s request, assuring him that His son will live. “Go your way,” says Jesus. “Your son lives” (4:50).

Believing Jesus’ words, the nobleman goes back to Capernaum to discover that the miracle has indeed taken place. His son has survived the fever, and is alive. What is even more miraculous is that the fever left His son at “the seventh hour”—the same hour that Jesus had said, “Your son lives.” As a result, “the nobleman believed, and his whole household” (4:53).

In the literal sense, the healing “at the seventh hour” refers to the seventh hour after sunrise, about one o’clock in the afternoon. More deeply, however, the holy number “seven” refers to the seventh day of creation—a day of rest from feverish pursuits, a day to rest in the Lord. ⁸

Coming out of Judea and into Galilee

As this episode comes to its conclusion, it is written that “This is the second sign that Jesus did when He had come out of Judea and into Galilee” (4:54). The first sign was the changing of water into wine; the second sign is the healing of the nobleman’s son. These two signs, then, when considered together and in a series, represent two aspects of our spiritual development: reformation and regeneration.

The first miracle, involving the transformation of water into wine, represents the way the literal sense of the Word, when seen more deeply, is transformed into the spiritual sense. Instead of seeing the literal sense of the Word as applying only to persons and places, we begin to see it also as a spiritual narrative revealing divine truth about our inner lives. This miracle is about the reformation of the human understanding.

The second miracle, involving the healing of the nobleman’s son, represents the regeneration of the human will. In this miracle, which follows the reformation of the understanding, the fevers of selfish ambition are subdued, and the flames of lustful desire are cooled. In place of being ruled by the lusts of one’s lower nature, the person is gently led by the desires of heavenly goodness. A person no longer says, “My will must be done,” but rather, “May the Lord’s will be done.”

These miracles, whether of the understanding or of the will, take place in the state of mind called “Cana of Galilee.” In this humble fishing village, where people are busy leading good and useful lives, there is a greater openness to the voice of God. It was not so in Jerusalem of Judea. It is written, therefore, as this episode concludes, that Jesus had “come out of Judea and into Galilee” (4:54). ⁹

Footnotes:

10049. And shalt wash its intestines. That this signifies the purification of the lowest things, is evident from the signification of “washing,” as being to purify (see n. 3147, 5954, 9089); the purification that was represented by washing is purification from evils and falsities, for these are impurities in the spiritual sense; and from the signification of the “intestines,” as being the lowest things (see above, n. 10030). It is said that the intestines and the legs were to be washed, because by them are signified lowest and natural things, and lowest or natural things are more defiled with evils and falsities than the interior ones; for those evils and falsities are in the world, and sensuous things, which are lowest, stand forth in the world, and therefore immediately receive what is in the world. The things which they receive are the delights of the loves of self and of the world, together with the delights of the senses and their fallacies. But the interior things are not so, for these are not in the world, but in heaven, and the things which are of the world cannot enter into those which are of heaven, physical influx being impossible; whereas the things of heaven can enter into those which are of the world with man.

Therefore as soon as the external man seeks to enter into the internal, which is done by means of reasonings from the loves of self and of the world, and from the fallacies of the senses, the internal man is closed. Thus does the Lord provide; and therefore the purification of the internal man during man’s regeneration is effected in heaven by the Lord. Consequently, while a man is in the world he does not perceive what is being accomplished in his internal man during regeneration. This is what is meant by the words of the Lord in John:

The spirit bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the spirit (John 3:8);

“the spirit” denotes the life of charity through faith.