Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s Gospel lesson tells the story of the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at Jacob’s well (John 4:1-26). Jesus offers the tantalizing possibility of giving her “living water” that would quench her thirst indefinitely. Allow me to share this traditional interpretation:

John’s Gospel speaks about living water elsewhere, in chapter seven, as Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths), a multi-day harvest festival that commemorated the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. On the last day of that festival, water would have been drawn from the Pool of Siloam, mixed with wine, and poured at the base of the altar. This served as a memorial of the water that flowed from the rock in Exodus 17.

Back in John 7, as the Feast of Booths comes to an end, Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38).

Similarly, Saint Paul, while writing to the Church at Corinth, reminded them that the ancestors (“our fathers”) “ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink” (I Corinthians 10:3)—indicating, as this interpretation has it, a mystical partaking in Christ’s body (the rock) and blood (the water). In other words, they (the ancient Israelites) all participated in Christ as we (first-century Christians) do now.

These passages coalesce (the I Corinthians passage is on today’s readings in the Eastern Church’s lectionary) to teach us this unitive idea: whoever believes in Jesus will receive this “living water,” which John’s Gospel interprets as the grace of the Holy Spirit, which wells up within us and flows out in “rivers of living water.” This overflowing of living water leads us to eternal life.

At the same time, Saint Paul’s story reminds us that we have responsibility to follow Christ, to make good on the gifts we receive through baptism and communion, to live a life overflowing with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and to continue our sojourn to the Promised Land.

Although inspiring and beautiful, this discussion of living water reminds us of our solemn responsibility to follow Christ, and to live by the power of the Spirit, not by human understanding.

Yours in Christ,

—Justin