That we humans are social animals is both good and bad news. Our social nature has made it possible to band together for survival and progress, but the forming of groups has also led us often to malign or demonize those outside our primary group. A good example is the hostility that developed between Jews and Samaritans long ago. Jews had always claimed the moniker God's "chosen people," as over against the "nations" of Gentiles who were impure. But when the Babylonian Exile happened, Jews argued that their special status was proven by God's punishment by exile and later forgiveness which allowed their return to the Holy Land. Those who were left behind, however, claimed that they had been proven to be the chosen people because God spared them exile. These were the Samaritans who in fact had a different tradition, a different Bible, and a different temple than Jews. Imagine the hatred that was fomented between these two Semitic groups.
A good example was a time before Jesus when Jewish zealots travelled to Samaritan and burnt down their temple at Gerizim. Later Samaritans retaliated by coming to Jerusalem and sprinkling the bones and ashes of dead bodies on the floor of the Jerusalem Temple, defiling it.
Against this backdrop, let's read today's typically ahistorical and symbolic story from John's late, artful gospel (4:5-42). It is the tale of a sexually-aberrant Samaritan women who meets Jesus when she comes alone to draw water from Jacob's well in her homeland. Immediately, there are several red flags that beg our attention. First, Jews avoid Samaritan territory like the plague, but here in Jesus. Jews also don't talk with Samaritans, but here is Jesus conversing. Jews don't touch vessels that have been used by Samaritans; Jesus accepts a drink. Women -- Jewish or Samaritan -- did no't talk to an unrelated male, especially a rabbi, without being accompanied by a male relative; Jesus and the woman speak freely alone. A woman who comes to draw water without a male guardian is signalling sexual availability; this woman has been married five times and is cohabiting with a boyfriend, but is still promiscuous, quite possibly a prostitute..
Jesus doesn't judge her; instead he demonstrates his awareness of her situation, breaks through all the barriers and boundaries set up to separate the two, and evangelizes her. She mentions the hope for a Messiah which is odd because Samaritans didn't expect a Messiah. Yet, Jesus brings the woman to faith in him as the One Awaited. With the Johannine technique of retrojection, Jesus predicts the end of worship at either of the great temples in favour of the Spirit which, you and I know, will lead the Catholic Church into all truth. Having being converted by Jesus, the woman's life is transformed and she leaves the water pitcher (symbolizing her old faith) behind, hurrying off to share the Good News with her fellow-Samaritans. Just as Mary brings Jesus to the Jewish nation, this Unnamed Woman will bring him to Samaria. It is worth mentioning that Christianity made good inroads amongst the Samaritan people, much ore so than with mainstream Jews. The woman is now on a mission: a marginalized person taking Christ to a marginalized people.
Her ministry reminds us that we too have a commission to share the Good News with those who are wounded and suffering, those outside the pale, those in tragic circumstances, those struggling against the forces of evil. Like the Samaritan woman, we are called to be messengers of hope!
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