Homily for the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman #
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, Christ is Risen!
This Paschal greeting reminds us that during the weeks from the Resurrection of Christ until His Ascension, we continue to celebrate His rising from the dead. This most prolonged celebration testifies to the preeminence of the Feast of feasts and the Triumph of triumphs — the Pascha of Christ — over all other feasts. The Resurrection of Christ is the only feast we celebrate for so many days, for by it the dominion of the powers of evil was abolished, and death was destroyed, for that which is corruptible has put on incorruption, and that which is mortal has put on immortality.
Before Pascha, we pass through the Great Forty Days of fasting in prayer, repentance, and efforts in virtue. The approaching feast of Pentecost is a foretaste of the joy of Paradise and salvation, a symbol of the possible ascent from earth to heaven, of the future resurrection of mankind, and of the entrance of the worthy into the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal abiding with God.
On the recent feast of Mid-Pentecost, during the Divine Liturgy, we heard how Christ the Savior, having entered the temple at Jerusalem during the feast commemorating the Israelites’ exodus from the wilderness, taught the people, crying out to them: “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink” (John 7:38).
The Lord calls to Himself all who thirst. He speaks, of course, not of bodily thirst or hunger, which can never truly be satisfied. No matter how much one eats or drinks, the next day hunger and thirst return — not to mention the pursuit of artificial pleasures. The more a person seeks to fulfill their passions, the more these passions grow. Those who seek only pleasure in life can never say to themselves, “That is enough, I need nothing more.” Even if one were to possess all the world’s riches and indulge in every pleasure, he still would not be satisfied, but rather would find himself despondent and weary amidst luxury and abundance. This reveals that there is no limit to bodily pleasures. But spiritual blessings are not so — “Our soul waits for the Lord” (Psalm 32). Just as a pure spring can refresh and quench thirst, so too in the spiritual life the grace-filled water of the Holy Ghost nourishes our soul, bringing satisfaction to our spiritual senses. Moreover, the fountain of this spiritual water, flowing unto life eternal, opens within the renewed man — that is, it makes him a preacher of the Word of God, a partaker in eternal life. Concerning the righteous, the Lord says: “He that believeth on Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
The Apostle John the Theologian in the Revelation describes a pure river of life, bright as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Tree of Life, which nourishes the righteous with its fruit. “The righteous,” says the holy psalmist David, “shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, which brings forth its fruit in due season. Its leaf shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1).
Beloved brethren! Only the Lord can fill our souls with the joy of blessedness and peace, for He Himself says: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
To find this life-giving Fountain — Jesus Christ — is not difficult, for He fills the whole world with Himself. He is near to every one of us and seeks our souls and hearts. He Himself says through the prophet: “Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?” (Jeremiah 23). Yes, He often touches our souls — indeed, He stands at the very door of our heart and knocks, waiting for us to open to Him with faith and love, having deeply recognized ourselves as sinners whom the Lord came to save. When He sees our good disposition toward receiving grace — His living water, His words — He immediately enters the soul, sweetening and filling it with quietness, rest, and peace. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20), says the Lord to those who come to Him in heartfelt prayer, faith, and love.
In today’s Gospel we are given the example of how a new spiritual person is born from an encounter with the Lord. We heard how our Lord Jesus Christ, traveling from Jerusalem to Galilee, passed through Samaria and stopped at the well which the Patriarch Jacob gave to his son Joseph. The Samaritans lived in hostility and contempt toward the Jews, who in turn considered them worse than pagans and had no dealings with them. Yet the Lord came to this land to destroy such hostility by His Word and His teaching on salvation, and to grant peace.
“Jesus, being wearied from the journey,” says the Evangelist. It was about the sixth hour, that is, noon by our reckoning. Weary and scorched by the heat, the Lord sat by the well as a traveler, for His disciples had gone into the city to buy food. And as He sat alone by the spring, a Samaritan woman came to draw water. The Lord, thirsting as a man, turned His gaze toward the Samaritan woman—and, as God, saw her heart and her soul thirsting for salvation. For He Himself thirsts for those who thirst for salvation, as the Gospel testifies. Therefore, He begins to speak, to reveal Himself: “Give Me to drink,” He says to the Samaritan woman.
She, being perceptive, sees by His clothing and appearance that He is a Jew who ought not to be speaking with her, much less asking her for a drink. Amazed, she responds, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” But the Lord begins to reveal Himself, saying to her, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, ‘Give Me to drink,’ thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.”
But the Samaritan woman, in her simplicity and not yet understanding the greatness of this living water from the Lord, responds with confusion: “How can You give me this water that You promise, when You have no vessel to draw with, and the well is deep?” Jesus replies that He can give her a source of water springing up into everlasting life—meaning His saving teaching, which revives the souls of men. And the Samaritan woman, discerning in her heart Who was before her, gave voice to her soul’s thirst for faith—though still uncertain and hesitant—saying, “Lord, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”
And the Lord, wishing to reveal Himself more deeply and to test her, commands her to call her husband. She, hiding nothing of her condition and desiring to receive the priceless gift, says: “I have no husband.” To which the Lord replies: “Thou hast well said, ‘I have no husband’: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. In that saidst thou truly.” The Lord, of course, does not commend her for a sinful past life, but rather for her inward readiness to truthfully and sincerely condemn her secret transgressions and to judge her life honestly. That is why He says, “Thou hast said truly.” The Samaritan woman had truth in her heart and was able to look upon her life without deceit—and for this, Christ revealed Himself to her.
God can save every one of us, provided that we do not lie to ourselves and do not lie to Him. He can save sinners—which we all are—but He will not save the imaginary righteous person we sometimes try to portray ourselves as being.
The conversation with the Lord then changes, and the woman realizes that this Stranger speaks of the water of pure, living doctrine—of the revelation of God’s truth and the way of life. She understands that before her stands a Man who speaks not of earthly things, but of something deeper and more essential, and she exclaims: “Lord, I perceive that Thou art a prophet.” A prophet is granted to know more than others, and when someone has the opportunity to speak with a prophet, they ask about what matters most. So what does the Samaritan woman ask? She says to Him: “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship”—where then is the truth?
This question reveals that the woman remembers her roots, her forefathers, and what has been handed down. Forgetting her thirst and the reason for her coming, she now seeks the answer to the most important question in life: where and how must one worship God?
The Lord then proclaims to her the coming of a new era, when all “true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” He speaks of that new time when the worship of God will no longer be confined to any one place, but will be universal. The reverence of God will be found not in external rites alone or the offering of sacrifices, but in a wholehearted striving toward Him—in repentance and thanksgiving, in the desire to know and love God, and in sincerely and without hypocrisy fulfilling His commandments.
And the Samaritan woman immediately responds: “I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things.” By this exclamation of hope, she reveals her inner expectation of the coming Savior of the world. And when the Lord began to speak of new times, the Samaritan woman immediately connected these blessed promises of the awaited Savior with the very One who stood before her and spoke with her.
The Lord said to her plainly: “Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.” In these words, He clearly foretells the change of the Law. And seeing that the Samaritan woman was not far from faith and from the true worship in spirit and truth, He reveals to her that He Himself is the Savior, saying: “I that speak unto thee am He.”
The Samaritan woman, since her soul was already prepared for faith in the Messiah whom she had long awaited with hope, immediately believed in Him, as though saying to the Lord: “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will sing and give praise” (Psalm 56:7). She had long awaited Him like the rising of the Sun in the night, and her very name was luminous — Photinia, meaning “the Radiant One.” The Lord, leading her to salvation, foretold that she would be one of those whom the Father seeks to worship Him, saying to her: “Believe Me, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” Photinia would later shine like the sun, and her radiant life would end in a blessed martyr’s death.
And behold, as soon as she heard that the Savior had come to her, she, saying nothing more, in joyful rapture left everything behind and ran swiftly into the city to tell the people: “Come, see a Man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”
At that very time, the disciples, having returned from the city, were amazed to see Christ speaking with a Samaritan woman, for according to Jewish custom, it was forbidden even to converse with a woman on the road. However, out of reverence for the Teacher, they did not voice their surprise but simply offered Him the food they had brought. But the joy of converting and enlightening a lost soul meant far more to the Lord than satisfying physical hunger. He told the disciples that His true food was to do the will of Him who sent Him — that is, the work of saving mankind, entrusted to Him by God the Father. Then, seeing the Samaritans coming toward Him from the city, the Lord said to His disciples that these people were like fields ripe for harvest. Christ sends the Apostles to reap the spiritual harvest, though they had not sown it — for it was sown and cultivated by others, the prophets of the Old Testament.
Many Samaritans believed in Him through His life-giving word, when at their invitation He came into their city. “The Lord did not scorn those whom the Jews despised so greatly that they would not even accept a drink from them,” writes Saint Gregory Palamas, “but what a great gift and what a great grace, that He so loved them as not only to accept what they gave, but to make them partakers of His divine gifts!”
Worship “in spirit and in truth” does not exclude the outward, ritual aspects of piety, but places the inner, spiritual veneration of God above the external, bodily observances. Christ desires to bring all into the “living water” of His teaching. He calls all to salvation, declaring that He came not to save a chosen few, but all — and especially repentant sinners.
We, as Old Believers, have inherited a pure and saving Orthodox faith — a wellspring of life. Yet our belonging to true Orthodoxy imposes upon us greater responsibilities: to preach, and to unfailingly fulfill the commandments of God.
Imitating Christ, we must lead others to that “living water” which the Savior gives to those who thirst for truth. We must greet all who come to our churches with kindness and warmth, not with disdain or unnecessary severity, while still ensuring that the order and rules of the Church are observed.
The conversation between Christ and the Samaritan woman is a marvelous example of conversion to faith. We must learn from Christ how to speak of faith in such a way that those without it, having encountered us, might be transformed — like the Samaritan woman — and run to proclaim the truth they have found.
Let us reflect on the Samaritan woman — a soul who, though still in the darkness of false belief and sinful life, was illumined at once by a ray of Christ’s light, so that all darkness was scattered, and she, once a stranger to the true faith, became nearer in spirit to Christ than those who seemed to be His own. When the Samaritan woman heard the glad Gospel message of the Savior, she at once forgot her water jar and her home and ran to draw others with her, saying, “Come and see” — that is, follow me, and I will show you the Savior who came down from heaven into the world.
The fervent impulse of the Samaritan woman toward the Lord teaches us to prefer the good and “better part” — like Mary in the Gospel, who sat at Jesus’ feet, listening and receiving the inexhaustible riches of pure joy and eternal truth. Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov), in his sermon “The Living Water”, writes: “Near us always is the living well — the Holy Gospel. Why then do we prefer to drink from all sorts of wells — some dirty, some poisoned — and so rarely come to the ‘fountain of living water’? Is the Gospel in every home? Is it read in every home? And if it is read, is it with the same thirst for knowledge as the sinful Samaritan woman had when she listened to the Lord? Immerse yourself often in this holy Bethesda, and your soul will become strong and lively. The gloom of life will vanish, and the path to God will become bright. The reading of the Word of God must be approached with reverence and prayer, that it may give life to the soul.”
Christ brought into the world the New Testament. A testament is a will, a final declaration. In it, He—who redeemed us with His own blood—bequeathed to us the great treasure of salvation; He pointed out how to find the great treasure hidden in the field—the Kingdom of God.
Let us consider how attentively we would listen to a relative reading out a will in which we are named an heir. We would listen with awe and greed. If we were given a map showing the place where a treasure is buried, we would study it day and night. And yet the Gospel contains the location of a precious pearl—a vast and eternal treasure which neither moth consumes nor thieves steal. And still we are too lazy to read this testament, this treasure map. Even if the Word of God does not immediately produce its holy effect on us—take it into your hands often. And one day, your eyes will be opened, and you will see: behold, the fountain of living water. And it heals both sickness and sorrow.
The reading of the Holy Gospel is the best medicine for the soul, bringing peace and rest, the most effective means of spiritual healing. Our soul, created by the breath of God, longs for spiritual blessings. It yearns for its Creator, desiring to find in Him peace and joy. “Thou, O Lord,” says Saint Basil the Great, “hast made our souls such that they can find no rest except in Thee alone.” Our true life is in God. Alienation and separation from Him is the greatest of evils for man, just as the absence of light is unbearable for the eye. Only the Lord and a life according to His teaching can bring us happiness and blessedness. This is the true water which, once drunk, leaves a person fully satisfied, needing nothing more.
Ask a man who lives only for God about the state of his soul, and he will surely tell you that he is completely content with his lot—even though riches, honors, and human praise mean nothing to him. He is happy in poverty and hard labor, for he bears it all as appointed by God—without envy or complaint. The righteous man does all things with prayer on his lips and in his heart. He lies down peacefully on his humble bed after righteous labors, and rises in the morning with a clear conscience, a cheerful face, and rejoices in the Lord amid all his deprivations and sorrows, counting himself the happiest of men. And if you wish to find this same peace of soul, turn to the fountain of living water—to the divine and saving teaching of Christ. The Apostle writes: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
The life-giving and saving water of the grace of the Holy Ghost is poured out upon all who believe in Jesus Christ—through the Word of God and the saving mysteries. This grace renews man, perfects him, heals his spiritual and bodily infirmities, strengthens him for the struggles of piety and virtue, helps him overcome heavy trials on the path to salvation, and quenches the thirst of our immortal soul in prayer.
When we pray, the Lord sees not only our outward worship but also knows the state of our soul. The lifting of the mind and heart to God in prayer, attention to every word, deep reflection on all that pertains to worship—such a state of soul is in communion with the Spirit of the Lord. But if we ourselves do not listen to what our own mouths are saying in prayer, how can we hope that God will hear such a distracted prayer? “How can you expect God to listen to you,” says Blessed Augustine, “when you yourself do not listen to what you are saying before Him?”
The Lord Himself condemns cold and inattentive prayer: “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. In vain do they worship Me” (Matthew 15:8–9). The Pharisees had reduced their faith to ritual formalism, focusing only on the outward expressions of piety. Modern sectarians and Protestants teach that one should worship God only in spirit, rejecting the Church’s rites, liturgical worship, and thereby depriving themselves of the saving grace of the sacraments.
The Lord teaches through the Apostle: “Glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20)—that is, one must pray to God with one’s entire being, so that both the words and actions of our prayer express the feelings of our heart.
We, brothers and sisters, call ourselves Christians—that is, true worshippers of Christ—but do we not err in our worship when we hastily and carelessly make the sign of the Cross, or bow without reverence? A fervent prayer of the soul always finds outward expression in reverent gestures.
If we pray without zeal and attention, without a spirit of reverence in the soul, and while entertaining other thoughts—being in church bodily, but wandering mentally in worldly cares—then clearly this is not worship in spirit, for the soul does not participate in such prayer.
Since the coming of Christ into the world, rivers of grace have truly been poured out upon mankind. By the power of the grace of the Holy Ghost, publicans have become apostles, Sauls have become Pauls, sensualists and harlots have become great ascetics. Filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, covetous Zacchaeuses gave their wealth to the poor, thieves entered Paradise, and sinners became great saints. By the power of God’s grace, even now the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, demons are cast out, and wonder-working icons and the relics of the saints pour forth streams of the saving gifts of God.
Without this grace, we cannot attain salvation, overcome sin, or cleanse and quiet the soul. “Without Me ye can do nothing,” teaches Christ (John 15:5). This heavenly living water of the Holy Ghost truly quenches the thirst of our immortal soul when it abides within us. It enlightens the mind, gives faith and knowledge of God, pours into our heart a true love for Him and for our neighbors, instills firm hope, and kindles a longing for the heavenly dwellings, where we shall find eternal rest and blessedness.
Jesus Christ, in His conversation with the Samaritan woman, teaches us how we must worship and pray to God. “God is Spirit,” He says, “and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
To bow before God, lifting up our hearts on high, casting aside worldly cares, and thinking only of the divine, the salvific, and the soul-profiting — this can be done not only in churches, but everywhere and always, doing all things to the glory of God, and always remembering Him and His all-present Spirit.
Let us, then, beloved brothers and sisters, also be “true worshippers, who worship the Father in spirit and in truth” in every place, praying to Him with our whole being — both body and soul — so that the words and gestures of our prayer may express a heart bowed before God, and a soul humble, contrite, and surrendered to His will.
Let our spiritual thirst never cease — the thirst to be filled with the words of divine wisdom — so that our soul may become like ripe grain, ready, at the Lord’s first touch, to be separated from the earthly husk and gathered into the heavenly granary of the Lord.