This Sunday’s Gospel, on the third Sunday of Lent, bring us to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. It is a powerful lesson on how we should regard those who are rejected and those belonging to the so-called fringes. It also gives us a lesson about our toxic politics and points us to how we can heal.
In the gospel story, Jesus, together with his disciples, reached the well. It was a hot midday, and Jesus was weary and thirsty from traveling. He sent his disciples to buy some food in the Samaritan town. It was at this point that a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. It was this woman whom Jesus asked for water, and it is no wonder that she was surprised, because he was a Jew who hated her people as polluted outcasts and betrayers of Judaism.
The hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans can be traced centuries earlier, when the Assyrians held captive Jewish slaves who, according to the traditional Jews, betrayed their heritage by intermarrying with the Assyrians, thus creating a “mongrel race” called the Samaritans. By the time the Samaritan Jews returned to their homeland, their views of God had been greatly contaminated; hence they were considered outcasts and betrayers of the Law. To make matters worse, the Jews destroyed the Samaritans’ holy temple at Mt. Gerizim temple in 128 B.C. Many Jews would travel around Samaria rather than polluting themselves with Samaritan dust.
Yet in the Gospel, Jesus set aside his prejudices and converses with the Samaritan woman, saying to her: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” The woman eagerly expresses her interest to receive this living water that Jesus is talking about. In the course of the conversation, he prophetically says that a time is coming when there will be no more Jews and Samaritans but all will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. This Gospel episode speaks about the all-embracing love of the Father. His children will include all who worship Him and the truth irrespective of one’s status in life.
What Jesus did was unthinkable. He converses not only with a Samaritan, considered by the Jews as heretics but with a Samaritan woman, who in Jesus’ time was considered a second-class citizen. It was inappropriate for a man to converse with a woman in public, even with his wife, let alone a stranger. But Jesus destroys these cultural barriers when he asks a favor from an outcast. In a world pervaded with discrimination, biases, judgment and condemnation because of religion, economic condition, ethnicity, creed, sex and color or because people do not conform with conventional moral, political and social norms, the encounter with the Samaritan woman teaches as a valuable lesson. Christ teaches us that personal differences should not be enough reason to maltreat, hate and reject anyone.
I will extend these to political differences. In our country today, we judge people according to the labels we give them—dilawan, DDS, reds, etc. These are very harmful categorizations. In the case of red-baiting for example, people have actually been killed because of those labels.
The testimony of Dr. Geraldine Tria about the so-called psychological incompetence of Chief Justice Sereno is an example of the kind of labeling that has no place in rational discourse. Many psychologists are upset with her statements, based mainly on news coverage and without benefit of meeting Sereno. Tria should be held liable for her statements. Legislative immunity comes does not cover ethics violations and condemnation by her peers for malpractice.
Each one of us is given a mission just as Jesus did to the Samaritan woman, to be the fount of the living water; the source of enlightenment. He calls on us to become instruments of peace and harmony, not discord; understanding, not intolerance; compassion and not hatred. The myriad cases of humanitarian suffering brought about by intolerance resulting from Islamic fundamentalism, racism against immigrants, sexism and xenophobia, discrimination, religious persecution and a host of other forms of discrimination are all brought about by the scourge of intolerance. Intolerance rears its ugly head even in situations when we meet people who do not share our own convictions, opinions and beliefs. We need to learn to be open to others and accept others as they are, just as Jesus did.
Just as Jesus did not allow the woman’s status, past, attitude, or anything else to obstruct his ability to love the Samaritan woman, so too should we love and understand those who we believe are beneath us, which concept is all but a myth in the first place; for all individuals, irrespective of one’s personal ascriptions in life, are created equal. That’s includes people with whom we have political differences.
Jesus did not view this woman as an outcast. Rather, He saw her as a child of God, whom he loved deeply. Although He was aware of the character of this woman Jesus did not hesitate to relate with and offer her salvation, the living water. His love runs deeper than the scars of failures and weaknesses. Jesus offers salvation to all people. He knows our sins and failings, yet He never tires offering his love and mercy to each and every one and at every opportunity knocks on our hearts to reveal himself to us to manifest His pure and unconditional law. Christ’s love goes with us wherever life turns. As the Holy Scripture goes, no power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. When we realize this, we will reach out and love our enemies. And we will find out that, in fact, we have no enemies.
Last week, I was in South Korea doing technical work on climate change. This technical work plus the teaching I do in 10 learning institutions (I assume my students will be the decision makers 10-20 years from now and they will do better than we are doing now) allowed me some distance from and objectivity on the events unfolding in the country. That is why, even as I am squarely on the side of Chief Justice Sereno, believing that the accusations against her are not impeachable, I welcome her indefinite leave from the Supreme Court. In retrospect, she should have offered to do this voluntarily. It’s not only that she needs to focus on the Senate trial. It also allows everyone in the Court some breathing space from the antagonism that have been prevailing these past few months. The animosity has become personal, has reached a breaking point in some cases. It does not help anyone—not the Chief Justice, not the other Justices of the Court, not the country—to exacerbate them.
If we follow the example of Jesus in the way he approached the Samaritan woman, we would heal our politics and have a better country.
Facebook page: Professor Tony La Viña (deantonylavs) Twitter: tonylavs