The explanation of the readings
The readings of this Sunday tell us about the Christ,may glory be to Him, who is the salvation of all nations and the source of the living water
Psalms
In the vespers psalm,it demonstrates the feelings and groans of the humanity in the old testament ,their cry to the Father and their need to the salvation and His divine mercies. “I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” (Psalms 116:1-2)
In the psalm of Matins,it tells us about the Father’s response to the cry and call of the humanity to Him,the humans’ humility like chidren and the appearance of His salvation through His Son; the Savior. “Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.” (Psalms 116:4-6)
In the psalm of the liturgy,it tells us about the result of the Father’s response and the Son’s salvation,the blessings given for free(the blessings of the incarnation,crucifixion and resurrection) to all humanity:the Jews and the gentiles,all those who fear God or seek His fear; the small and great,”The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, Both small and great.” (Psalms 116:4-6)
The Vespers gospel
In the Vespers gospel,it tells us about the Jews’ wrong belief in the separation of His testimony from the Father and the emphasis of Christ,may glory be to Him, on the essence unity between Him and the Father and the economy of salvation is from the Father through the Son.(John 3:16) “The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.” for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.” (John 8:13-18)
Matins Gospel
In Matins gospel,the Son bears witness of the Father to the world since the beginning and in the fullness of the time He offered a lot of the salvation gifts which were hidden from the unbelievers and revealed to the believers by the cross. “Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.” They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He.” (John 8:25-28)
Pauline Epistle
In Pauline Epistle,it tells us about the life of salvation in the church and at the same time the church’s baring witness of the salvation so all the children of the church put off the old man and all his unclean deeds and they put on the new man(baptism) who is always renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him(through the continuous repentance) “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:1-17)
Catholic Epistle
In Catholic Epistle,the Son presented His testimony through the cross for our sake.
We should present the testimony of the Christ for the sake of our brethren. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
Bearing witness of the truth in Christ is greater than the humans’consciences which have limited perception. “And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” (1 John 3:19-20)
It concludes with demonstrating that the Holy Spirit is the spirit of the true bearing witness of the Father. “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1 John 3:24)
Praxis
In Praxis,we see
The relevance of salvation to baptism”After the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,” (Acts 10:37-38)
It also demonstrates the salvation mission of the Son of Man and His testimony in the world,the church’s testimony of Him and in Him”who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.” (Acts 10:38-42)
The Son’s testimony is the subject of the whole book for the sake of the salvation promise of every one who believes “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” “Acts 10:43”
The liturgy gospel
In the liturgy gospel,it tells us about the Son’s salvation to every one (the Samaritan woman) and to all people(Samaria)
It concludes at the end of the gospel with the testimony of the repentant woman about the Son,the Savior,of her life as an entrance to the faith of the multitude in the salvation teachings of the Christ to them afterwards. “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves
have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” (John 4:39-42)
The summary of the explanation
Christ,may glory be to Him, is the savior of the nations
The feelings and the groans of humanity in the old testament,their cry to the Father,their need to the salvation and His divine mercies.(Vespers psalm)
The Father’s response to the cry and the humanity’s call for Him,the humans’humility before Him like childrenand the appearance of His salvation through His Son;the Savior.(Matins psalm)
The Father’s response and the Son’s salvation,the blessings given for free(bessings of the Incarnation,crucifixion and resurrection) to the whole humanity.(the liturgy psalm)
The salvation economy is from the Father through the Son.(Vespers gospel)
The Son bears witness of the Father to the world since the beginning and in the fullness of the time He offered a lot of the salvation gifts which were hidden from the unbelievers and revealed to the believers by the cross (Matins Gospel)
The salvation life in the church at the same time the church’s testimony of the salvation.(Pauline Epistle)
The Son presented His testimony through the cross for our sake and we should present the testimony of the Christ for the sake of our brethren. (Catholic Epistle)
The relevance of salvation to baptism and the Son’s testimony is the subject of the whole book for the sake of the salvation promise of every one who believes.(Praxis)
The Son’s salvation to every one (the Samaritan woman) and to all people(Samaria). (the liturgy gospel)
Commentary from the church fathers on John 4:1-15
4:1 The Pharisees had heard of Jesus’ works
Christ wanted to soften their malice
CHRYSOSTOM: [Christ acted] not from fear but to take away their malice and soften their envy. He was indeed able to restrain them whey they came against him, but he did not want to be found doing this all the time. Otherwise people might not believe his incarnation in the flesh was real. For if he was always being seized, only to then escape, this would have raised a lot of suspicion. Therefore, for the most part, he did things in a human way instead. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 31.1.
It is no sin to flee from persecutors
AUGUSTINE: Certainly, if the Pharisees’ knowledge that our Lord was making more disciples and baptizing more than John had been such to lead them wholeheartedly to follow him and desire baptism by him, he would have not left Judea; rather, he would have remained for their sake. But seeing, as he did that this knowledge about him was coupled with envy, making them persecutors instead of followers, he left. He also could have stayed among them, if he had wanted to provide himself as an example for believers in time to come, that it was no sin for a servant of God to seek refuge from the fury of persecutors. … He did it like a good teacher, not out of fear for himself but for our instruction. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 15.2
4:6a Jacob’s well
Ministry to the Gentiles and salvation of the patriarchsCYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA:
Having crossed the borders of Judea and being now among strangers, the Savior rests at Jacob’s well. He shows us again as in a type and darkly that the preaching of the gospel should depart from Jerusalem and the divine word in time would extend to the Gentiles. However, this does not signify that the patriarchs are to be any less revered. Christ shall embrace them again and shall again be refreshed and rest, as in his saints, preserving to them the pristine unfading grace. COMMENTARY OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2.4.
4:6b Jesus is tired
Divine majesty in the feelings of our human natureAMBROSE:
Many things we read and believe, in the light of the sacrament of the incarnation. Even in the very affections of our human nature we behold the divine majesty. Jesus is wearied with his journey, that he may refresh the weary. He desire to drink when about to give spiritual drink to the thirsty; je was hungry, when about to supply the food of salvation to the hungry. ON THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 5.4.53.
Rivers of living water HILARY OF POITIERS:
If we do not understand the mystery of his tears, hunger and thirst, let us remember that … he who thirsted gave from himself rivers of living water. … When he ate and drank, it was a concession not to his own necessities but to our habits. ON THE TRINITY 10.24.
4:9 How is it that a Jew asks a drink of a Samaritan?
Samaritans can have dealings with Jews, not vice versaCHRYSOSTOM:
After the Jews returned from their captivity, they were jealous of the Samaritans whom they regarded as outsiders and enemies. … The Samaritans did not use all the Scriptures, but only the writings of Moses, and made little use of the prophets. They were eager to claim their Jewish origin and prided themselves on Abraham, whom they called their forefather since he was from Chaldea, and also Jacob since they were his descendants. But the Jews considered them Gentiles and thought they were as much an abomination as the rest of the Gentile world. … And so the woman, on being told, “Give me a drink,” very naturally asks, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” … She knew he was a Jew from his appearance and speech. Observe how considerate she is here. For even if our Lord had been bound to abstain from dealing with here, that was his concern, no hers. The Evangelist does not say that the Samaritans would have no dealings with the Jews but that the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. The woman, however, though not at fault herself, wished to correct what she thought was done unlawfully. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 31.2.4.
4:10a The gift of God
Water and Spirit as gift of God AUGUSTINE:
It is shown in the sacred books that the Holy Spirit is called the “gift of God”? If people look for this too, we have in the Gospel according to John the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, who says, “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink: he that believes on me, as the Scripture says, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” And the Evangelist has gone on further to add, “And this he spoke of the Spirit, which they should receive who believe in him.” (John 7:37-39) And hence Paul the apostle also says, “And we have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13) The question then is whether that water is called the gift of God, which is the Holy Spirit. But as we find here that this water is the Holy Spirit, so we find elsewhere in the Gospel itself that this water is called the gift of God. For when the same Lord was talking with the woman of Samaria at the well, to whom he had said, “Give me to drink,” and she had answered that the Jews “have no dealings” with the Samaritans, Jesus answered sand said to her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is that says to you, ‘Give me to drink’, you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.” … Because this living water, then, as the Evangelist has explained to us, is the Holy Spirit, without doubt the Spirit is the gift of God, of which the Lord says here, “If you had known the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, ‘Give me to drink,’ you would have asked of him, and he would have given you the living water.” For that which is in the one passage, “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water,” is in the other, “shall be in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” ON THE TRINITY 15.19.33
The drink given is the Gospel
EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA: And in that day it says, “Living water shall come forth out of Jerusalem.” (Zech. 14:8) This is that spiritual, sweet, life-giving and saving drink of the teaching of Christ. He speaks of it in the Gospel according to John, when instructing the Samaritan woman. … What was this drink, then that came forth from Jerusalem? For it was there that its gospel went forth and its heralds filled the world. This is what is meant by the words “The living water shall go forth to the first sea and the last sea,” (Zech 14:8) by which is meant the bounds of the whole world. That which is toward the eastern ocean is called “the first sea,” that toward the west is meant by “the last sea,” which indeed, the living water of the saving gospel teaching had filled. He also taught about this when he said, “Whosoever shall drink of the water, which I shall give him, shall never thirst.” PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 6.18.48-49.
4:10b Living water
Living water is not stagnant AUGUSTINE:
Water issuing from a spring is what is commonly called living water. Water collected from rain in pools and cisterns is not called living water. It may have originally flowed from a spring; yet if it collects in some place and is left to stand without any connection to its source, separated, as it were, from the channel of the spring. It is not called “living water.” Water is designated as “living” when it is taken as it flows. This is the kind of water that was in that fountain. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 15.12.
The living water is Christ’s Spirit and power
HERACLEON (VIA ORIGEN): [Heracleon] is not wrong when he says that’s “the water that the Savior gives is of his spirit and power.” And he has explained the statement “But he shall not thirst forever” as follows with these very words: “For the life he gives is eternal and never perishes, as, indeed, does the first life that comes from the well; the life he gives remains. For the grace and the gift of our Savior is not to be taken away, nor is it consumed, nor does it perish, when one partakes of it.” … Now [Heracleon’s] interpretation of the “leaping water” is not unconvincing. He takes it to refer “to those who partake of that which is richly supplied to them from above and who themselves cause what is supplied to them to gush out for the eternal life of others.” But he also praises the Samaritan woman “because she demonstrated a faith that was unhesitating and appropriate to her nature, when she had no doubt about what he said to her.” COMMENTARY OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 13.59-60, 62-63.
Human nature buds into a virtuous life
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Jesus calls the quickening gift of the Spirit “living water” because mere human nature is parched to its very roots, now rendered dry and barren of all virtue by the crimes of the devil. But now human nature runs back to its pristine beauty, and drinking in that which is life-giving, it is made beautiful with a variety of good things and, budding into a virtuous life, it sends out healthy shoots of love toward God. COMMENTARY OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2.4.
4:11 The Well is Deep
Refreshing water drawn into our minds
CAESARIUS OF ARLES: Before the coming of the Lord, the well was also deep, and without a pail no one could draw water for himself. Our Lord, the living fountain, came to cleanse the hearts of all people, to quench their thirst and to satisfy their souls. Moreover, he did not look for a pail to draw the water, but of his own accord he poured himself into the minds of each one. SERMON 170.4.
This well is the grace of the Spirit
AMBROSE: This well is clearly the grace of the Spirit, a stream proceeding from the living fountain. The Holy Spirit, then, is also the fountain of eternal life. … This water, the grace of the Spirit, is so refreshing. Who will give this fountain to my breast? Let it spring up in me, let what gives eternal life flow on me. Let that fountain overflow on us and not flow away. … How shall I keep this water so that it does not flow or glide away? ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 1.16.180-181.
4:13 Those who drink of this water will thirst again
Ideas that do not satisfy and ones that give eternal life
ORIGEN: One must investigate what is meant by “will thirst” in the statement “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again.” … What is meant in the first place would be something like this: he who partakes of supposedly profound thoughts, even if he is satisfied for a little while and accepts the ideas that are drawn out and that he thinks he has discovered to be most profound, will however, when he has reconsidered them, raise new questions. … But [the Word] says, I have the teaching that becomes a fountain of living water in the one who has received what I have declared. And he who has received of my water will receive so great a benefit that a fountain capable of discovering everything that is investigated will gush forth within him. The waters will leap upward. His understanding also will spring up and fly as swiftly as possible in accordance with the brisky flowing water, the springing and leaping itself carrying him to that higher life that is eternal. COMMENTARY OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 13.13, 15-16.
Pleasures of the world never satisfy our thirst
AUGUSTINE: Let us not overlook the fact that it is something spiritual that the Lord was promising. What does he mean when he says, “Whoever shall drink of this water shall thirst again”? It is true both for this water and what the water signified. Since the water in the well is the pleasure of the world in its dark depth: from this people draw it with the vessel of lust. Stooping forward, they let down the lust to reach the pleasure fetched from the depth of the well, and they enjoy the pleasure and the preceding lust that they let down to fetch it. For he who has not dispatched his lust in advance cannot get to pleasure. Consider lust, then, as the vessel and pleasure as the water from the depth of the well. When one has gotten into the pleasure of this world, whether it be food or drink, a bath, a show, an affair, is there any way he or she will not thirst again? Therefore, “whoever shall drink of this water,” he said “will thirst again.” But if he receives water from me, “he shall never thirst.” “We shall be satisfied,” it says, “with the good things of your house.” (Ps. 65:4) Of what water, then, is [Jesus] to give except of which it is said, “With you is the fountain of life?” (Ps. 36:9) For how shall they thirst who “shall be drunk with the fatness of your house?” (Ps. 36:8) TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 15.16.
4:14 The water of eternal life
The fire and water of the Spirit CHRYSOSTOM:
Sometimes Scripture calls the grace of the Spirit “fire,” other times it calls it “water.” In this way, it shows that these names are not descriptive of its essence but of its operation. For the Spirit, which is invisible and simple, cannot be made up of different substances. … In the same way that he calls the Spirit by the name of “fire,” alluding to the rousing and warming property of grace and its power of destroying sins, he calls it “water” in order to highlight the cleansing it does and the great refreshment it provides those minds that receive it. For it makes the willing soul like a kind of garden, thick with all kinds of fruitful and productive trees, allowing it neither to feel despondency nor the plots of Satan. It quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32.1
The Spirit in the Word suffices to instruct CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA:
We must know again that the Savior here calls the grace of the Holy Spirit water. If anyone drinks of this water, he will have the gift of the divine teaching constantly welling up from within him. He needs no admonition from others. Rather, it is enough to exhort those who thirst after the divine and heavenly Word that they are yet living in this present life and on earth along with the holy prophets and apostles. They are heirs of their ministrations or whom it was written. “And you shall draw water with joy out of wells of salvation.” (Is 12:3) COMMENTARY OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2.4.
4:15 Give me this water, that I may not thirst
She venerates Jesus more than Jacob
CHRYSOSTOM: See how the woman is led step by step to a higher understanding. First, she thought Jesus was some lax Jew who was transgressing the law. … Then, when she heard about the living water, she thought it meant material water. Afterwards, she understands it as spoken spiritually and believes that it can take away thirst. However, she does not yet know what it is, only understanding that it was superior to material things. … “The woman says to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst no come here to draw.’” Observe how she prefers him to the patriarch Jacob for whom she previously had had such veneration. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32.1
Labor needed no more AUGUSTINE:
The woman is still focused on her bodily needs. She is delighted with the idea that she will never thirst again and takes this promise of our Lord in this way. And this too will be the case, although she will have to wait until the resurrection of dead. But she wanted this now. God had indeed once allowed Elijah to neither hunger nor thirst for forty days, and if he could grant this for forty days, why not forever? This is what she longed for, to lack nothing and to be spared her hard labor, because she was coming to that fountain day after day, burdened with that heavy weight on her shoulders that was supposed to supply what she lacked. … Her poverty obliged her to work beyond what her strength could handle. If only she could hear the invitation. “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you!” (Mt. 11:28) This is, in fact, what Jesus was saying to her. He was telling her that she did not need to work like this any longer, but she did not yet understand. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 15.16, 17.
Source
Oden, T.C. & Elowsky, J.C. (2006). John 1-10 (The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament part IVa). Illinois (U.S.A): InterVarsity Press. Pages 141-142, 144, 148-151, 152, 153, 154