From where did the woman know that the Messiah, called Christ, would come? From the writings of Moses. For we said above that the Samaritans accepted the Pentateuch of Moses. Since they accepted the books of Moses, from them they knew the prophecy about Christ and that He is the Son of God.
Thus the words "let us make man" (Gen. 1:26) were obviously spoken by the Father to the Son. The One who conversed with Abraham in the tent was the Son (Gen. 18); Jacob spoke prophetically about Him: "the scepter shall not depart from Judah, until he comes to whom it is reserved" (Gen. 49:10), and Moses himself: "the Lord will raise up a prophet from among your brothers, like me; him you shall hear" (Deut. 18:15), and many other passages proclaim the coming of Christ.
Therefore the woman also says: "I know that Messiah is coming."
Jn. 4:26. Jesus says to her: It is I, Who am speaking with you.
When, thus, the very course of the conversation demanded it, the Lord already reveals Himself to her (the Samaritan woman). If He had said from the very beginning that Christ is I, He would not have convinced the woman, and might even have appeared somewhat arrogant and proud. But now, having little by little caused her to recall the promise concerning Christ, He already reveals Himself as well.
Why then does He tell the woman that He is the Messiah, but does not reveal Himself to the Jews, who often asked: "Tell us, are You the Christ?" He said nothing to them because they asked not in order to learn the truth, but in order to slander Him all the more; but to her He clearly reveals Himself, because she is well-intentioned. She asked sincerely and with a desire to learn the truth. This is evident also from what follows. Having heard the revelation, she not only believed herself, but also drew others to the faith, and in everything she shows herself to be a woman of substance and of faith.
Jn. 4:27. At that point His disciples came, and they marveled that He was talking with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"
While the conversation with the woman and the teaching were already coming to an end, the disciples came and marveled at His humility, by which He spoke with such condescension to a woman who was poor and a Samaritan, whereas He was held in glory and renown by all. They marvel, yet do not dare to ask what He is speaking about with her. So well trained were they, and so well did they maintain the proper respect of disciples toward their Teacher!
In other cases they appear to be bold. For example, John reclines on His breast (Jn. 13:25); they come forward with the question: "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" (Mt. 18:1); the sons of Zebedee ask that one might sit at the right hand and the other at the left (Mk. 10:35, 37). In these cases they ask about what concerned themselves and what seemed to them at that time to be necessary. But since here the question did not occupy them so much and was not absolutely necessary, they do not employ boldness as being untimely.
Jn. 4:28. Then the woman left her waterpot and went away into the city, and says to the people:
From the Lord's words, the woman's heart was so inflamed that she even left her water jar behind. So quickly did she prefer the water of Christ to the well of Jacob, and by the faith that embraced her heart, she is elevated to the rank of apostle, teaching and drawing an entire city.
Jn. 4:29. Come, see a Man who told me everything that I have done.
Truly, a soul inflamed by divine fire looks upon nothing earthly, neither upon shame nor upon dishonor. And so she is not ashamed to reveal her deeds, but says: "Who told me everything that I have done." She could have said otherwise: "Come, see a prophet who prophesies"; but she does not say so, rather she disregards the opinion about herself and has in mind one thing only – to proclaim the truth.
Jn. 4:29. Is He not the Christ?
She does not say affirmatively that He is the Christ, but rather "is not this the Christ?" in order to bring them to the same opinion as herself and to make her word more readily acceptable. For if she had affirmed that He is the Christ, some perhaps would not have agreed and would not have accepted the opinion of a woman who was rejected.
Jn. 4:30. They went out of the city and came to Him.
Jn. 4:31. In the meanwhile His disciples asked Him, saying: Rabbi, eat.
The disciples were asking, that is, urging the Lord to eat, not out of impudence, but out of great love for the Teacher, for they saw that He was wearied from the journey and from the scorching heat.
Jn. 4:32. He said to them: I have food to eat that you do not know about.
But the Lord, knowing that the Samaritan woman would draw almost the entire city to Him and that the Samaritans would believe in Him, says: "I have something to eat, namely, the salvation of people, because I desire this salvation as none of you desire physical food. The food that I have to eat, you, My disciples, do not know. You are still carnal and cannot understand what I say in a veiled manner, and therefore you do not know that by food I mean the salvation of people." And in another sense: "You do not know this food, for you do not know that the Samaritans will believe in Me and be saved."
Calling the salvation of people His food, the Lord teaches the disciples so that they too, when they are ordained as teachers of the universe, would not concern themselves much with bodily food, but would devote all their zeal to the salvation of people.
Jn. 4:33. Therefore the disciples said to one another: has anyone brought Him something to eat?
What about the disciples? They are still wondering whether someone has brought Him something to eat. But they do not dare to put the question to Him, out of their customary reverence for Him.
Note also that the Lord would accept food whenever someone brought it to Him. For the disciples say: "Has anyone brought Him something to eat?"
The Lord did this not because He needed the service of others, for He Himself gives food to all flesh (Ps. 135:25), but so that those who brought offerings would have a reward and would grow accustomed to feeding others as well, and to show all people that one need not be ashamed of poverty nor be burdened when receiving sustenance from others. For teachers it is both fitting and even necessary to entrust the cares of food to others, so that they themselves might carry out the ministry of the Word without distraction. For this reason He even commanded the disciples to be fed at the expense of those whom they instructed (Luke 10:7).