Coptic Orthodox Answers

In Father and Son, the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.

Welcome to Coptic Orthodox Answers Deep Dive where we dive deeper through the Gospel of John. We're currently in chapter 4. Last time, we saw how Christ willingly and wisely brought gently the Samaritan woman to the faith and she confessed that He was the Christ, and we're about to look at the remainder of the story. So, let us read, starting with verse 27:

'' 27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, ''What do You seek?'' or, ''Why are You talking with her?'' 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 ''Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?'' (John 4:27-29)

The first point we need to take here... We need to remember: like we said in the last video, Jews had no dealing with Samaritans. But here, we have Christ who's not only a Jew, but also a man, a rabbi, a respectable rabbi talking to a woman. So Him, as a rabbi, talking to a woman was already problematic. Not only that, she's also Samaritan. And thirdly, she was using unpurified vessels and the Jews purified their vessels. It was part... it was a ritual that they used to do. So now, Christ is transcending all of these things. So, He thirsted so much for the salvation of this woman that He transcended the culture of the time.

Now, this is a very important point for us, as Orthodox Christians in the West, because, definitely, we hold on to our faith very, very tightly. And the faith is super important. It was given from Christ to the apostles to the fathers, and here we are, 2000 years later, living that same faith. When it comes to culture however, there's a diversity in how we do things. So, although we never change doctrine, we never change our faith, but when it comes to the culture, there is diversity there.

And as a Church, and as members of the Church, members of the body of Christ, we need to be wise on how we bring others to Christ, others from outside the Church within the Church. There's some things in culture that are very difficult to get rid of, other things that could be manageable. So, the question becomes: How is it that we can do these things? I don't have an answer precisely, but my point here is to... is to demonstrate how Christ Himself transcended the culture to be able to bring people to salvation.

Of course, as most of us know, the Samaritan woman became St. Photini or St. Photina, which means the one who has been enlightened. And the Samaritan woman was also given a title that says that she is equal to the apostles. Obviously, that is not meant in the priesthood of the apostles, but it's meant because she was a witness to Christ. She saw the

Messiah. She recognized the Messiah in front of her and she went out and preached the Messiah like the apostles did. So, in that sense, she is equal to the apostles.

And we can see, in the story, her immediate conversion. This woman came. She was looking for earthly water, but she found the source of the living water and that led her immediately to repentance. And that repentance went so far as she publicly confessed, in verse 29, that she was a sinner. So, she told them come and see a man that told me everything that I have ever did. So his... her faith was very, very strong. It's as if Christ was willingly looking for her, because He knew her heart. Although she was a woman that was living in sin, He understood that her heart was a good ground, ready for the seed of the word of God.

St. Cyril also comments on the fact that she left her water pot, that vessel that she needs to draw water with. So, it's... to him, it was a sign of her strong conversion, that now she's seeking after the spiritual living water. Also, she went back to preach Christ without actually taking physical water, right? So, this, to Him, were signs of strong conversion. He says:

''The woman now shows herself superior to an above the cares of the body who two or three days ago was the wife of many, and she who oftentimes was easily taken captive by vain pleasures, now... disregarding alike thirst and drink, and is re-wrought unto another habit through faith... no longer taking the water which she came to draw, from its fountain-depths, nor carrying home her water pot of the earth...'' (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John 4)

Moving on to verse 30:

'' 30 Then they went out of the city [so, the people went out of the city] and came to Him [who is Christ]. 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, ''Rabbi, eat.'' 32 But He said to them, ''I have food to eat of which you do not know.'' 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, ''Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?'' '' (John 4:30-33)

So here, the disciples are coming back probably very tired, very hungry. So, they're telling Christ: let us rest and let us eat. But Christ knew the Samaritan woman was coming back and He knew that other people are coming to see Him. And because He knew this, He tells them: I have food to eat of which you do not know. What He's saying, other words, is this. He's saying: I am hungry for the souls of these people. I am here for their salvation. I want them to have eternal life. Let us eat and rest physically later on.

And this is very meaningful for us, because how often does it happen that we can prioritize our own needs on physical rest, our own physical hunger or thirst rather than giving to others, rather than being tired for the sake of others? Christ is saying here: if you want to do apostolic work or if you want to serve Me, if you want to serve My children, you need to be

tired. You need to deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Me. This is what Christianity's all about. When we come and we have a choice between meeting our own physical needs or meeting the spiritual needs of others, we always ought to seek first the spiritual needs of others for the sake of their salvation.

That's why it says, in verse 34:

'' 34 Jesus said to them, ''My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest?' Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.'' (John 4:34-38)

St. John Chrysostom comments on this and says:

''He [who is Christ] here calls the salvation of men meat [or food], showing what an earnest desire He has of providing for us; for as we long for food, so He that we may be saved. '' (St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on John 4)

So, in other words, here, Christ is teaching the apostles how to properly live their Christian lives and this also is very much applicable to us. We ought to be sanctified. We ought to enlighten the world. We ought to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses and follow after Christ in His mission. We ought to be thirsty and hungry for the salvation of others. Like St. Paul said:

'' 8 (...) if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.'' (Romans 14:8)

This is a very good summary of how we ought to live our Christian life. Christ here also brings a sense of urgency to the service. It says, in verse 35:

'' 35 Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest?'...'' (John 4:35)

What does this mean? There are still four months and then comes the harvest was a phrase used at the time to justify procrastination, meaning there's still a lot of time left, let us just relax. So, He's saying to them: Do you not say this?

'' 35 (...) Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!'' (John 4:35)

The grain, during the time of harvest, was not white, but was golden. But at the end of harvest, they became white. In other words, what He's saying is this. The fields will be sacrificed; the fruits will be wasted; these souls will be lost if you do not act now. Go and preach. He's bringing a sense of urgency to the service.

Then in verses 37 and 38, He says how some sow and others reap and how they, the apostles, are reaping what they have not sowed, right? So here, He's talking about the Old Testament prophets and priests and the Old Testament congregation generally speaking how they sowed. And now, the New Testament Church, starting with the apostles, are reaping what these people have sowed.

Moving on to verse 39:

'' 39 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.'' 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 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)

Every one of us comes to Christ through someone, through the service of someone. It might be our parents, it might be a servant, it might be a friend, it might be a clergy member, but at the end of the day, ultimately, Christ needs to become my own personal spouse, my all-in-all, my Saviour, my Creator. He is a personal God. That's why, in verse 42, it says:

'' 42 Then they said to the woman, ''Now we believe, not because of what you said [in other words, not because of your experience or because of... you shared your experience with Him], for we ourselves have heard Him [We spent time with Him. We enjoyed His company, His presence. We ate and drank with Him] and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.'' (John 4:42)

Notice also how St. John here emphasizes on the Saviour of the world, not of Israel, not of Jerusalem, not of Judah. St. John here wants to emphasize in the 1 st century, when the Church is still plagued by attacks from Judaism, that this Christ, this Messiah is not meant only for the Jews, not only for the people of Israel, but for the entire world.

Moving on to verse 43:

'' 43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.'' (John 4:43)

So, remember: in the beginning of chapter 4, Christ was going from the province of Judea all the way in the south to the province of Galilee in the north, but in between was the province of Samaria. So, He went there, met the Samaritan woman, and now He's going to His original destination.

'' 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.'' (John 4:44-45)

Now I have to give a bit of a background. So, we know that St. John's writing his Gospel at the end of the 1 st century and he already understands that the Church is aware of the synoptic Gospels, meaning Mark, Luke and Matthew. So here, in Mark 6 and Luke 4, when Christ was preaching, people were amazed by the words that were coming out of His mouth, by His wisdom. But yet, they were asking themselves: Isn't this the son of Mary? Don't we know His brothers (meaning His cousins)? How is it that these words are coming out of Him?

So, there was a sign, here, of unbelief. And when this happened, Christ said that a prophet is not without honour, except in his own country. And Christ's country is Galilee. That's why, in verse 43, it says that He's going back to Galilee. And in verse 44, it says:

'' 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.'' (Jean 4:44)

So, St. John, here, is using that same verse. So, he's drawing a parallel between Mark 6 and Luke 4 and to draw our attention to the lack of unbelief that is about to happen in the next story that is about to follow. And at the same time, he's contrasting the simple faith of the Samaritan woman and the Samaritans generally speaking with the faith of the Galileans. So, in verse 45, he says that the Galileans received Him, so, they accepted Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast. Having seen the miracles, they accepted Him, right?, because they needed miracles to believe. Their faith was shallow.

So let us read the story:

'' 46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, ''Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.'' 49 The nobleman said to Him, ''Sir, come down before my child dies!''

50 Jesus said to him, ''Go your way; your son lives.'' So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, ''Your son lives!'' 52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, ''Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.'' 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, ''Your son lives.'' And he himself believed, and his whole household. 54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. » (John 4:46-54)

So here, this miracle is the second sign in Galilee, not the second sign overall. And here, the son is in Capernaum and Christ is in Cana. There's 40 kilometers in between them, or 25 miles. So we can imagine, here, the father on a donkey, sometimes walking, right?, going from Capernaum to Cana, trying to look for Christ, which is not a very easy task. And once he finds Him, he clings to Him and he does not want to let Him go and he wants to be assured that his son will live. So, he's asking Christ to come and walk these 40 kilometers with him back to Capernaum. But the man does not have enough faith to believe that Christ can heal him without Him being physically present in Capernaum. And here is that sign of lack of belief.

But notice, here, in verse 48, it says:

'' 48 (...) Jesus said to him, ''Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.'' (Jean 4:48)

So here, the story is about the faith of the Galileans generally speaking, not only of this nobleman. That's why He says unless you people; it's in plural. Because the crowd was standing there wondering if Christ will pass the test. So, Christ is speaking to all of them, not only to the nobleman. Then in verse 49:

'' 49 The nobleman said to Him, ''Sir, come down before my child dies!'' '' (John 4:49)

I mean, I'm not joking around. I traveled these 40 kilometers. Please, come down. Please, come. I know. I understand that you have to be physically present for you to heal my child.

'' 50 Jesus said to him, ''Go your way; your son lives...'' '' (John 4:50)

First, they are healing words. He healed him at this point. And secondly, He challenges him. Like, no I don't need to be physically present for me to heal. I challenge you to believe this. Accept this.

'' 50 (...) So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him [he accepted the challenge], and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, ''Your son lives!'' [So, it worked.] 52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, ''Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.'' 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, ''Your son lives...'' '' (John 4:50-53)

Obviously, the man, having traveled 40 kilometers from Capernaum to Cana, he slept overnight and then traveled back to Capernaum the next day. That's why he was traveling back on the next day.

Remember: Know your faith, live your faith, and teach your faith. And glory be to God forever and ever. Amen.

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Remember: Know your faith, live your faith, and teach your faith.