Easter always comes Ex 17:3-7; Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Rom 5:1-2, 5-8; Jn 4:5-42 The story of the Samaritan woman at the well is a well-loved Gospel story for many people. However, common teachings about this reading have leaned on a lot of assumptions about first-century women in Judea that simply are not true. This skews our ability to appreciate this story and the virtues of hope and faith that this woman embodies. So, before we begin, let us do some brief myth-busting about women in first-century Judea. Women during this time in Judea had a substantial amount of agency. They had their own money, often working in agriculture, textiles and running their own businesses, among other things. As such, they could own and manage property. Contrary to popular belief, women were very present in the public realm, including synagogues and the temple. Women and men who were not related could interact and did. The assumption that Jesus’ interactions with women would have been considered scandalous is far from the truth. In fact, what we see falls in line with what would be considered normal for Jesus’ place and time. With all this mind, we will move on to today’s Gospel. We read that the Samaritan woman comes to the well at the height of the day. This contrasts her nicely with Nicodemus, whose story precedes this one. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. In John’s Gospel, the darkness of night symbolizes those who are unable to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. The light of day symbolizes those who are able to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Readers are poised to assume this woman may come to know the truth about Jesus. Wells were very important for biblical figures living in desert climates. Within biblical literature, though, wells were also important because they were the scenes of betrothals. The reader’s curiosity is now piqued. What is going to happen here? How will a romantic encounter at a well allow this woman to recognize Jesus as Messiah? The conversation that ensues subverts the expectations of readers. During the conversation, we learn that this woman has had five husbands and is currently with a man who is not her husband. This detail recalls the story of Tamar (Genesis 38). She had two husbands who died through no fault of her own. Judah, her father-in-law, feared that she was responsible for his son’s deaths, so he sent her away to avoid giving her another husband. Tamar was left to fight for herself, eventually forcing Judah to do right by her. This detail about the Samaritan woman’s home life is often seen as a judgement upon her, but it is not. If anything, it encourages us to have compassion for her. It is possible that she is struggling with her community in the way Tamar was. However, like Tamar, she is not going to hide herself away. She is going to move forward with her life. The virtues of hope and faith are tied closely together. Hope is the belief that change is possible and that things can get better. Hope leads us to faith: the belief in God’s goodness and love, and the promise that we do not hope in vain. St. Paul assures readers in today’s readings that hope does not disappoint (Rom 5:5). The Samaritan woman embodies this hope. She does not allow fear or pain to win and does not live her life in isolation. She picks herself up, dusts herself off and goes back out to the well. Because of this hope, she recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and becomes the first person in John’s Gospel to spread the Good News. It is this gift of hope that we prepare to celebrate during the season of Lent and one that we should carry with us all year round, because no matter how life changes or how cruel the world might seem, one who has hope will never be disappointed; Easter always comes.
About the Author Kate Oxsen is an assistant professor of Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union.