February 27, 2005: Converted at the Well

+ The Third Sunday of Lent

During this holy season of Lent, the Church encourages us to look at our life through Christ’s eyes and turn away from our sins. Not only are we to love God more, but we also strive to love our neighbor more.

This past Monday at Mass, for instance, we heard St. Luke’s Gospel where Jesus tells His disciples to be merciful… to forgive… to stop judging… to stop condemning others (Lk 6, 36–38).

Judging other people, condemning them, gossiping, spreading dirt: these are things, unfortunately, that people do a lot. And it’s a terrible sin. It directly breaks the Eighth Commandment. And if the evil talk is against a bishop or a priest, it may be blasphemy or sacrilege besides.

Back in college, a friend of mine named Monica was a religion major. She had a class with a Professor Durwood who was famous for some oddball antics. One day, Monica walked into class and found a large bull’s-eye target hanging on the wall with several darts sitting on a nearby table. Professor Durwood told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or someone who had made them angry—and he would let them throw darts at the person’s picture.

Monica said that the girl sitting next to her drew a picture of another girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another guy drew a picture of his younger brother who had gotten him into trouble for something. When everyone was done, the professor hung the pictures over the target on the wall. The class lined up and took turns throwing the darts at the pictures. There was a lot of laughter. Some of the students threw the darts with such force that they ripped apart their targets. When the exercise was over, Professor Durwood asked the students to return to their seats so he could begin his lecture.

In silence, he took down what was left of the pictures—and then the bull’s-eye target. There, underneath the target, was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled image of their Savior—holes and gashes now covered His face. His eyes were practically pierced out. Professor Durwood looked around the room and said only these words: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25, 40).

I think this makes for an enlightening lesson! When one person rips another person to shreds, there are actually three victims: the person attacked, of course… the perpetrator, since He has incurred God’s great displeasure… and Jesus Himself, who freely took the world’s suffering upon Himself.

But the Good News is, we can quickly get ourselves out this mess. Christ’s generous love, and our response to it, make it possible.

Our Gospel today is the familiar story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. It is a rich and touching story.

As the woman tells her tale, we find out that she came to the well all by herself to draw water. The other women of the village had already come and left. Normally, all the women would come together—to help each other out and to socialize a bit. The fact that this woman wasn’t with them tells us that she was an outcast—probably because of her lifestyle: five ex-husbands and now a live-in boyfriend. It’s safe to assume that this woman had been mocked, gossiped about, condemned and eventually shunned by her neighbors.

Yet here comes Jesus to meet her where she is and befriend her. He doesn’t judge her or condemn her. He doesn’t say “tsk tsk.” He simply speaks to her kindly and compassionately. And the mere fact that he spoke to her raised eyebrows! Even His own disciples scolded Him, because it was considered scandalous for a Jewish man to speak to a woman of Samaria—much less a social outcast!

So once again we see Jesus breaking society’s conventions. How come? Simply because it’s right. He sees something in the woman that goes beyond social customs or his friends’ opinions. Jesus respects her and loves her—as He does all people—and He invites her to conversion and discipleship. That’s much more important than following man-made rules of society.

And irony of ironies, this Samaritan woman is completely bowled over by Jesus, and she can’t wait to go share her discovery with her neighbors. She, the victim, actually becomes a missionary and goes out to convince her victimizers to put aside their judgments, as she welcomes them to share in the joyous truth that liberated her!

What a beautiful message for us, too—in a couple of different ways.

First, like the Samaritan woman, we are challenged to stand completely open before Jesus. He’s not going to judge us or condemn us, so we shouldn’t be afraid to bring before the Lord even the aspects of our life that we may be ashamed of or can’t seem to forgive ourselves for. The things that frighten us or make us vulnerable. The deep hurts we can’t seem to get over on our own. There’s nothing that God doesn’t see or know, so why not come clean and ask for His merciful help? Our honesty and humility are the things that melt the Lord’s heart.

And secondly, like the Samaritan woman’s neighbors, we are challenged to discover God’s transforming love, no matter what the source of it is. If the Lord could choose a sinner, a social outcast, the person judged “worst” and even shunned by the community, and make her His disciple and witness and missionary, couldn’t He choose any one of us to do exactly the same? Indeed, maybe He already has! Open your eyes and your ears and your heart; you might just be surprised!

As we continue our Lenten journey, may Our Lord’s plea that we love God and neighbor truly resonate within us with new fervor. God bless you!

Today’s Readings:
Exodus 17, 3–7
Psalm 95
Romans 5, 1–2 and 5–8
John 4, 5–42 (Key text)