Welcome to Day 9 of our reflections on the gospel of John.  Thank you for joining us!  If you'd like to receive our podcast link and reflection via email, please sign up for our email list here.  

A reflection on John 4:27-54

“So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city…” (v 28)

The Samaritan woman had come to the well for water.  Yet, when she returned to the city, she left her jar.  She had come alone, in the heat of the day, the shame of her sin isolating her.  But at the well that day, she encountered the Messiah, He who could give her living water.  And now that water is like a spring inside of her; her material needs are no longer her main concern.  She leaves the jar, and with it, her shame.  The living water is bubbling up so that she can’t help but tell all those she meets, “Come and See!” The woman had an encounter with Jesus and came away transformed.

Haven’t I met Him? And am I transformed? Have I let Him change me?  Do I feed on doing the will of the Father (v 34), or am I concerned with earthly food and drink, control and affirmation? Through God’s grace in every moment, His living water is in me, but in order for it to spring up to eternal life, I must receive and partake. Like the woman, I must let His presence, His gift, change me.  Only then will I be able to leave my shame, as she did, and walk away healed and transformed.

What is stopping me from transformation? Will I surrender the strongholds in my heart to Him?

Jesus, come and give me faith and trust like the Samaritan woman.  I want to be transformed by you.  I open my heart to your living water.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.