Posted on marzo 6, 2026 View all Gospel Reflection
“‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty …’” (John 4:15)
In this third week of Lent, we see the image of water come into prominence. Water is foundational to life. We know that in times of drought, plants can wither, animals move away or die seeking new sources of water, and according to the great source of wisdom – google – humans cannot live without water for three to four days or at most a week. So, it is no surprise that for the Israelites living in the Middle East, with large portions of desert land, water is absolutely essential. When a reliable well was established, it became the center of villages.
In the Gospel we see this encounter between Jesus and the woman who came to the well. Special notice should be taken that she went at noon. That is probably the worst time to go to a well since it is very hot and then you have to carry the full jars of water back to your home. Most people draw water early in the day or later in the evening when it is cooler. But why did she go at noon. It seems likely that she did not want to see anybody at the well. As a woman who was living in sin, she wanted to avoid any sort of conflict with the others of the village. But it was precisely this woman whom Jesus sought out when he also went to the well at noon. “Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon.” (John 4:6)
When Jesus sees this woman and asks her for a drink, she is shocked because he is a Jew and she is a Samaritan. But he insists. Then he pivots his question to her and speaks to her about this new water saying “‘whoever drinks of the water I shall give will never thirst.’” (John 4:14) She marvels at this idea and pursues the conversation. Here we see Jesus slowly guiding her to conversion of heart with a confession of her sinfulness.
The thirst of Jesus is his thirst for our salvation. We ourselves know that we also thirst for salvation and cannot live without God’s grace for very long before we fall into sin and death. I think that Jesus’ thirst here at the well foreshadows the thirst he had upon the Cross when he said “I thirst.” (John 19:28b) When Jesus was on the Cross that thirst was for the fourth and final cup of the Passover meal. It was to complete the remembrance of our salvation. Jesus did not drink the fourth cup in the normal sequence during the Last Supper. In fact, he prayed in Gethsemane “‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matt. 26:39) This cup was his death on the Cross and the fulfillment of our salvation.
This week we should take some time to reflect on our thirst and how we seek to satisfy that thirst. All too often we can be tempted to satisfy our thirst with the things of this world. When we do so, then we will be thirsty yet again, or worse if that worldy water is polluted then we may fall ill. The Israelites had hardened their hearts at Meribah in the day of Massah in the desert and grumbled against Moses and the Lord. But we are exhorted “Oh that today you would hear his voice: ‘Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.’” (Hebrews 3:15 & Responsorial Psalm) Let us seek the water that comes from Christ to refresh our souls and by receiving this living water we may never thirst again.
