The woman at the well
   

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The theme of water continues in a long dialogue with a Samaritan woman. Jesus and his disciples are travelling from Jerusalem to Galilea. It is high noon, he is tired and rests by a well, sending the others off to get food at the cottage. The woman, one of easy virtue, come to get water, is astonished that a Jew, and a male, should speak to her when she asks for a drink. What follows, in simple homely terms, is a core of theological insight.
So he left Judea, and once more withdrew into Galilee. And he was obliged to go by way of Samaria. Thus he came to a Samaritan city called Sichar, close by the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and there was a well there called Jacob's well. There, when Jesus sat down, tired after his journey, by the well; it was about noon. And when a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, Give me some to drink. (His disciples were away in the city at this time, buying food.) Whereupon the Samaritan woman said to him How is it that thou, who art a Jew, dost ask me a Samaritan, to give the drink? (The Jews, you must know, have no dealings with the Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, If thou knewest what it is God gives, and who this is that is saying to thee, Give me drink, it would have been for thee to ask him instead, and he would have given thee living water. Sir, the woman said to him, thou hast no bucket, and the well is deep; how then canst thou provide living water? Art thou a greater man than our father Jacob? It was he who gave us this well; he himself and his sons and his cattle have drunk out of it. Jesus answered her, Anyone who drinks such water as this will not know thirst any more. The water I give him will be a spring of water within him, that flows continually to bring him everlasting life. Then, Sir, said the woman, give me water such as that, so that I may never be thirsty and have to come here for water again.
Tiles on this subject include the following. Click an image to see enlargement on a separate page.

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