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The Woman at the Well is one of my favorite Gospel passages. It’s close to my heart, and it has a lot of wisdom in it. Jesus uses the image of living water in His longest recorded conversation in the Bible, and it’s with a woman! What I love most about this passage is something quite simple, but I don’t take it granted. The Woman at the Well gives us a beautiful example of how Jesus encounters us and draws us near to Him.
In evangelization, we often hear of the phrase “meet them where they are,” meaning going to the places where the people who we’re trying to reach are. Jesus placed Himself near the well, where he knew the woman would be. It wasn’t only the right place, but it was also the right time because the woman intentionally came later in the day so that she wouldn’t run into anyone else.
When He approached the woman, Jesus spoke so gently with her. He told her about the living water and revealed Himself as the Christ in a loving way. When He discussed her sins, He was gentle. He didn’t condemn her, but He patiently called her to repent. Which she did when she left her jar, ran into town, and told everyone that she met the Messiah.
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We’re called to be like Jesus in so many ways, but this Sunday’s Gospel reading shows us how we can model Jesus to our friends so that they can grow closer to Him. The woman at the well is an example of how we should lead our neighbors to Christ. By meeting them where they are, bringing up Jesus and His love gently, and when their sins come up in conversation, reminding them of Jesus’ mercy rather than condemning or tolerating their behavior, we can help them encounter Jesus and invite them to partake of His living water.
Let’s go to the well to help a soul encounter Christ’s love.
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