34. (Verse 19.). The woman says to him. The second point is touched upon here: for after he revealed the secret, he makes clear the doubt. For the woman, seeing that the Lord was a knower of secrets, puts forward her own uncertainty to be resolved; on account of which she says: The woman says to him: Lord, I see that you are a prophet, because, namely, you know secrets, and thus you can answer my doubt.
35. (Verse 20.). Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, namely Abraham and Jacob — and you say that Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. If, therefore, the fathers are to be imitated, how then do you say this, as though despising the custom of the fathers? The Jews said this on account of that passage in Deuteronomy twelve: "Take heed that you do not offer to the Lord in every place, but in the place which the Lord shall choose." The Lord resolves the doubt of this question, showing that neither there nor in Judea did they worship perfectly; therefore he says:
36. (Vers. 21.). Jesus says to her: Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. This hour is the time of grace, in which the error of the gentiles and the shadow of the legal commandments must be abolished. Concerning this hour, Romans 13: "It is now the hour for us to rise from sleep: the night has passed, and the day has drawn near," etc. This hour does not determine a place of prayer in any one location, but everywhere: 1 Timothy 2: "I will that men pray in every place, lifting up pure hands," etc. And although neither here nor in Jerusalem is worship now offered perfectly, nevertheless it is better in Jerusalem. Therefore he says:
37. (Vers. 22.). You worship what you do not know: because you do not have the Law; likewise, you worship God and idols together and believe God to be local: in 4 Kings 17 it is said of the Samaritans that they served the God of the land and their own idols. We worship what we know: we, namely the Jews: because salvation is from the Jews, that is, Christ the Savior: Galatians 3: "To Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed." Because therefore worship is not offered perfectly even in Jerusalem, he teaches the woman when and how worship is offered perfectly, lest he leave her in suspense. Therefore he says:
38. (Vers. 23.). But the hour is coming. I said that you do not worship perfectly, because you believe God to be local: nor do the Jews perfectly, because under figures. But the hour is coming, namely of grace, and now is, because Christ had already come: when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: in spirit, against locality and corporeality: in truth, the shadow having been cast aside: according to what the Apostle said in 2 Corinthians 3: "We, beholding the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, are transformed into the same image from glory," etc. That these are the true worshipers, he shows by saying: For the Father also seeks such to worship him: supply: as was said, in spirit and truth.
39. (Vers. 24.). God is Spirit, not a body, as you believe: Isaiah 40: "To whom have you likened God? Or what image will you set up for him?" And those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth: so that they may be conformed to him, that they may be in spirit, not in the flesh: Romans 8: "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God": that they may be in truth, not in pretense: Wisdom 1: "The Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful."
40. (Vers. 25.). The woman says to him. Here now for the third time, after she has manifested her doubt, he opens the sacrament of faith. For the woman, instructed by the Lord, raises the eye of consideration to Christ and the time of grace; on account of which he says: The woman says to him: I know that the Messiah is coming, who is called Christ; when therefore he comes, he will announce all things to us. The woman knew this because the Samaritans accepted the Law and believed, especially because Christ was promised in the Law not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles: Genesis 49: "The scepter shall not be taken away from Judah, nor a ruler from his thigh, until he comes who is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of the nations." Since therefore the woman has been led all the way to Christ and is now prepared to believe in him, what remains except that the Lord reveal himself to her? On account of this there follows:
41. (Vers. 26.). Jesus says to her: I am he, who speaks with you. Similarly the Lord responded to the blind man below in chapter nine, when the blind man asked who the Son of God was in whom he ought to believe; the Lord responded: "You have seen him, and it is he who speaks with you." Now that faith has been declared, the preaching and conversation are concluded, because the disciples return. Therefore he adds:
42. (Vers. 27.). And immediately his disciples came and marveled that he was speaking with a woman. They admired his clemency and condescension. Augustine: "They admired the good; they did not suspect evil." And this admiration did not lead to questioning but to reverence and fear. Therefore he says: Yet no one said to him: What do you seek, or why do you speak with her? What do you seek? as if to say, what is the necessity of this conversation? Why do you speak? that is, what is the usefulness of this conversation? "For a word that lacks the reason of just necessity or pious usefulness, as Gregory says, is idle."
QUESTIONS.
43. Question I. Here a question arises first concerning what he says: The hour comes when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
If this is true, then temples ought not to be built for prayer.
2. Likewise, if those who worship must worship in spirit, then those who make corporeal images for worship sin.
I respond: It must be said that certain conditions of prayer are essential, such as right intention and just petition; certain others are accidental, such as time and place. I say therefore that the Lord did not say that a determinate place is to be cut away from true prayer as superfluous, but rather that it should be recognized as not belonging to the essence of prayer, because true worshipers worship God everywhere. And although place is not necessary, it is nevertheless not superfluous: for it avails for maintaining memory, for arousing devotion, for preserving unity, for obtaining the fellowship of the Angels, because the princes went before, joined with those singing psalms .
2. As to the objection concerning images, it must be said that now they do no harm, because it is not believed that anything divine is in them, nor that God is there corporally, but only significatively .
44. Question II. Likewise, it is asked concerning what the Lord says of Himself and of the Jews: We adore what we know.
To the contrary: Below in chapter eight: You know neither me nor my Father, the Lord Jesus says to the Jews.
I respond: Below He speaks of the unfaithful, who were Jews in name only; but here He speaks of true Jews, who are called Jews in reality and by merit.
45. Question III. Likewise, it is asked: since "the Lord made a shortened word upon the earth," whence is it that He drew out the Samaritan woman through so many words?
Chrysostom responds that if He had immediately said to the woman, "I am the Christ," He would have seemed to be raving; and therefore He advanced gradually as a good teacher and gave us an example, that we should not disdain to preach to few hearers, since He Himself made so long a discourse to one old woman.
46. Question IV. Likewise, it is asked: since the disciples were wondering, and Peter was accustomed to ask the Lord boldly, why did they not ask the Lord what He was speaking about?
To this the response is that if they had asked, they would have seemed already to hold Him suspect; therefore they feared being rebuked for a foolish question and for lack of discipline; and therefore they did not dare to ask.
47. She therefore left her water jar, etc. Now the part is concluded in which the Lord preached and showed Himself to the Samaritan woman individually and privately; here begins the second part, in which the Lord preaches to the Samaritans in common and manifests Himself to them. And because this manifestation was made partly through the proclamation of the woman, partly through the discourse of Christ, and this while the disciples were listening, who ought to have been attentive to this same thing, therefore this manifestation proceeds according to this order. For first is noted the diligence of the woman in announcing the name of Christ; second, the eagerness of Christ to receive them; third, the encouragement of the disciples to preach; fourth, the devotion of the Samaritans to believe, to which all things that are determined here are ordered.
48. (Verse 28). First, therefore, is described the vigor of the woman's diligence, which she had for the manifestation of the name of Christ and the conversion of her people, because she immediately went to announce the truth which she had received; on account of which he says: The woman therefore left her water jar. Having heard the word of faith, she left the water jar so that she might run more quickly and announce, lest perhaps the Lord should depart; or because in her fervor, forgetting that for which she had come, she wished to proclaim Christ. Whence Chrysostom: "This woman teaches us to despise all temporal things when hearing spiritual things." And she went away into the city, namely to spread abroad the name of Christ. Whence there also follows: And she says to those men:
49. (Vers. 29.). Come and see the man who told me all things that I have done. She was drawing them by this, that he had revealed her secrets: she did not say: Come and see a prophet: but she divulges her own life, so that she might uproot and draw all. Is not this the Christ? She did not assert it, lest she seem deceived: she did not assert, but proposed it by doubting, so that they themselves might likewise doubt, and through this come to be made certain. Chrysostom: "She did not wish to lead them by her own persuasion, but by hearing him"; on account of which, being stirred up, they come. Whence there follows: