AUDIO MEDITATION:

Guercino, or Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Italian, 1591-1666), Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well. Public domain.

FULL TEXT:

When Jesus approaches the Samaritan woman, she replies, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” The Gospel clarifies that Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.

This painting shows the woman holding back—all she can see are the barriers to this encounter. She has come for water as part of her daily chores, and did not expect to meet a man, let alone this man who is claiming to offer eternal life.

Jesus crosses lines to reach this woman—he does not let gender or nationality get in the way of seeing her dignity as a child of God. And he calls her to look deeper than the surface when she sees him. Freed from judgments and assumptions, Jesus and the woman see each other for who they really are, and it leads to new life.

As we move through our routines and chores today, what might be getting in the way of being surprised by the gift of God’s presence offered to us? How might we see the people we meet today as an opportunity to encounter Jesus?