Christ the Cornerstone

Let’s acknowledge Jesus as the living water we are thirsting for

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:13-14).

The Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Lent (cf. Jn 4:5-42) tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.

This story is remarkable for many reasons. It calls attention to both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus, and it clearly shows that his ministry breaks down the barriers that separate us from one another. As Pope Francis might say, in this Gospel reading, Jesus tears down several walls and replaces them with bridges.

According to St. John:

“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?’—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans” (Jn 4:7-9).

Two barriers are identified immediately: 1) The cultural barrier between women and men, and 2) the religious barrier between Samaritans and Jews. The woman is surprised that Jesus would speak to her at all, but what he goes on to say truly astonishes her.

As the woman can plainly see, Jesus is tired and thirsty. He asks her for a drink of water—a purely human request—but he also speaks to her about a very different kind of thirst. “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (Jn 4:10).

What is this “living water,” and why does Jesus raise this issue with her? At first, the woman is totally confused. She addresses him on the practical level, not the spiritual one. “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water?” (Jn 4:11) Jesus’ reply seems incomprehensible: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:13-14). Still focused on the practical, the woman replies, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water ” (Jn 4:15).

This is the third barrier that must be overcome—the one that blocks our ability to see beyond the here and now to the deeper meaning of our lives. Yes, we are human, and we have basic needs that must be met: hunger, thirst, the need for shelter, physical healing and more. But we are also spiritual beings whose needs transcend our everyday requirements. We need love, forgiveness and hope for the future. We need to believe that our lives have purpose, and that the journey we are on from the moment of our conception to the day we die will bring us to our heavenly home. This is the thirst that Jesus speaks about—the one that he alone can satisfy.

Only when Jesus points out the woman’s true marital status does she realize that he is speaking of something much greater than physical thirst. “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband,’ Jesus says. “For you have had five husbands and the one you have now is not your husband ” (Jn 4:17). Jesus isn’t scolding her or looking down on her. He is speaking the truth with love.

The woman replies, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet” (Jn 4:19). Realizing that she has had an encounter with “the one called the Christ,” the Samaritan woman leaves her practical concerns (the water jar) behind and goes off to tell others about Jesus.

Jesus built three bridges that day: 1) he affirmed the equality of women and men, 2) He treated a foreigner (one whom devout Jews considered an apostate) with dignity and respect, and 3) he made it clear that there is more to life than satisfying our earthly needs.

The Church provides us with this season of Lent to remind us that, as Jesus said to his disciples, “My food is to do the will of my Father and to finish his work” (Jn 4:34). There are times when we have to speak unpopular truths as Jesus did, but we do this out of love, to build bridges not walls.

Let’s pray for the grace to follow our Lord’s example. Let’s acknowledge Jesus as the living water we are thirsting for. †