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生命的活水

主知道法利赛人听见他收门徒和施洗比约翰更多( 其实不是耶稣亲自施洗,而是他的门徒施洗), 就离开了犹太,再往加利利去。 他必须经过撒玛利亚。 于是到了撒玛利亚的一座城,名叫叙加;这城靠近雅各给他儿子约瑟的那块地。 在那里有雅各井。耶稣因为旅途疲倦了,就坐在井旁;那时大约正午。

有一个撒玛利亚妇人来打水。耶稣对她说:“请给我水喝。” 那时,他的门徒都进城买食物去了。 撒玛利亚妇人对耶稣说:“你是犹太人,怎么向我,一个撒玛利亚妇人要水喝呢?”(原来犹太人和撒玛利亚人不相往来。) 10 耶稣回答她:“你若知道 神的恩赐,和对你说‘请给我水喝’的是谁,你必早已求他,他也必早把活水赐给你了。” 11 妇人说:“先生,你没有打水的器具,井又深,你从哪里得活水呢? 12 我们的祖先雅各把这口井留给我们,他自己和子孙以及牲畜都喝这井的水,难道你比他还大吗?” 13 耶稣回答:“凡喝这水的,还要再渴; 14 人若喝我所赐的水,就永远不渴。我所赐的水要在他里面成为涌流的泉源,直涌到永生。” 15 妇人说:“先生,请把这水赐给我,使我不渴,也不用来这里打水。”

必须用心灵按真理敬拜 神

16 耶稣说:“你去,叫你的丈夫,然后回到这里来。” 17 妇人对他说:“我没有丈夫。”耶稣说:“你说‘没有丈夫’是不错的。 18 你以前有五个丈夫,现在有的并不是你的丈夫;你说这话是真的。” 19 妇人说:“先生,我看出你是先知。 20 我们的祖先在这山上敬拜 神,而你们却说,敬拜的地方必须在耶路撒冷。” 21 耶稣说:“妇人,你应当信我,时候将到,那时你们敬拜父,不在这山上,也不在耶路撒冷。 22 你们敬拜你们所不知道的,我们却敬拜我们所知道的,因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。 23 然而时候将到,现在就是了,那用心灵按真理敬拜父的,才是真正敬拜的人;因为父在寻找这样敬拜他的人。 24  神是灵,敬拜他的必须借着灵按真理敬拜他。” 25 妇人说:“我知道那称为基督的弥赛亚要来;他来了,要把一切都告诉我们。” 26 耶稣说:“我这现在跟你说话的就是他。”

27 正在这时候,门徒回来了,见耶稣和一个妇人说话,就很希奇;但是没有人问:“你要甚么?”或说:“你为甚么跟她说话?” 28 那妇人撇下了她的水罐,进到城里去,对众人说: 29 “你们来,看看一个人,他把我所作的一切都说出来,难道这人就是基督吗?” 30 众人就出城,往耶稣那里去。

庄稼已经熟了

31 当时,门徒对耶稣说:“拉比,请吃。” 32 耶稣说:“我有食物吃,是你们所不知道的。” 33 门徒就彼此说:“难道有人拿东西给他吃了吗?” 34 耶稣说:“我的食物就是遵行差我来者的旨意,并且完成他的工作。 35 你们不是说‘还有四个月才到收获的时候’吗?我告诉你们,举目向田观看,庄稼已经熟了,可以收割了。 36 收割的人得到工资,也积储五谷直到永生,使撒种的和收割的一同快乐。 37 ‘这人撒种,那人收割’,这话是真的。 38 我派你们去收割你们所没有劳苦的;别人劳苦,你们却享受他们劳苦的成果。”

39 因着那妇人作见证的话:“他把我所作的一切都说出来了”,那城里就有许多撒玛利亚人信了耶稣。 40 于是他们来到耶稣那里,求他和他们同住,耶稣就在那里住了两天。 41 因着耶稣的话,信他的人就更多了。 42 他们就对那妇人说:“现在我们信,不再是因为你的话,而是因为我们亲自听见了,知道这位真是世人的救主。”

治好大臣的儿子

43 两天之后,耶稣离开那里,往加利利去。 44 耶稣自己说过:“先知在本乡是不受尊敬的。” 45 耶稣到了加利利的时候,加利利人都欢迎他,因为他们曾经上耶路撒冷去过节,见过他所行的一切。

46 耶稣又到了加利利的迦拿,就是他变水为酒的地方。有一个大臣,他的儿子在迦百农患病。 47 他听见耶稣从犹太到了加利利,就来见他,求他下去医治他的儿子,因为他的儿子快要死了。 48 耶稣对他说:“你们若看不见神迹奇事,总是不肯信。” 49 大臣说:“先生,求你趁我的孩子还没有死就下去吧!” 50 耶稣告诉他:“回去吧,你的儿子好了。”那人信耶稣对他说的话,就回去了。 51 正下去的时候,他的仆人迎着他走来,说他的孩子好了。 52 他就向仆人查问孩子是甚么时候好转的。他们告诉他:“昨天下午一点钟,热就退了。” 53 这父亲就知道,那正是耶稣告诉他“你的儿子好了”的时候,他自己和全家就信了。 54 这是耶稣从犹太回到加利利以后所行的第二件神迹。

井邊談道

1-3 耶穌得知法利賽人聽見祂收門徒、為人施洗比約翰還多,便離開猶太回加利利。其實不是耶穌親自施洗,而是祂的門徒施洗。 祂回加利利的路上必須經過撒瑪利亞。 於是,祂來到撒瑪利亞的一座城,名叫敘加,靠近雅各留給他兒子約瑟的那塊地。 雅各井就在那個地方。耶穌走路疲乏,坐在井旁休息。那時是中午時分, 7-8 門徒都進城買食物去了。有一個撒瑪利亞的婦人來打水,耶穌說:「請你給我一點水吧。」

撒瑪利亞婦人說:「你是個猶太人,怎麼向我這撒瑪利亞婦人要水喝?」原來猶太人和撒瑪利亞人互不往來。

10 耶穌回答說:「要是你知道上帝的恩賜,又知道向你要水喝的是誰,你早就求祂了,祂也早就把活水給你了。」

11 婦人說:「先生,你沒有打水的器具,井又深,你從哪裡得到活水呢? 12 我們的祖先雅各把這口井留給我們,他自己和他的兒女、牲畜都喝這井裡的水,難道你比他更偉大嗎?」

13 耶穌說:「人喝了這井裡的水,還會再渴, 14 但是喝了我所賜的活水,永遠不會再渴。我所賜的水要在他裡面成為生命的泉源,湧流不息,直到永生。」

15 婦人說:「先生,請你把這種水賜給我,我就不會再渴了,也用不著來打水了。」

16 耶穌說:「去叫你的丈夫來。」

17 婦人說:「我沒有丈夫。」耶穌說:「你說的對,你沒有丈夫, 18 因為你已經有過五個丈夫了,現在和你同居的也不是你的丈夫。你說的是實話。」

19 婦人說:「先生,你一定是先知。 20 我們的祖先一向都是在這山上敬拜上帝,你們卻說耶路撒冷才是敬拜的地方。」

21 耶穌回答說:「婦人,你當信我。時候快到了,你們將不在這山上,也不在耶路撒冷敬拜父。 22 你們不知道你們敬拜的是誰,我們知道我們敬拜的是誰,因為救恩是從猶太人出來的。 23 時候快到了,其實就是現在,真正敬拜父的,要用心靈按真理敬拜祂,因為父尋找的正是這樣敬拜祂的人。 24 上帝是靈,所以必須用心靈按真理敬拜祂。」

25 婦人說:「據我所知,那被稱為基督的彌賽亞要來。祂來了,會把一切都告訴我們。」

26 耶穌說:「我這跟你說話的人就是祂。」

27 這時,門徒回來了,看見耶穌和一個婦人談話,感到驚奇,可是沒有人問:「你想要什麼?」或問:「你為什麼和她說話?」

28 那婦人撇下水罐,回到城裡,對人們說: 29 「你們快來看啊!有一個人把我過去的事全部說了出來。莫非祂就是基督?」 30 眾人聽了就到城外去看耶穌。

撒種與收割

31 其間,門徒對耶穌說:「老師,請吃點東西吧。」

32 耶穌說:「我有食物吃,是你們不知道的。」

33 門徒彼此議論說:「難道有人給祂吃的了?」

34 耶穌說:「我的食物就是遵行差我來者的旨意,完成祂的工作。 35 你們不是說還有四個月才到收割的時候嗎?舉目向田觀看吧,莊稼已經熟了,可以收割了。 36 收割的人不但可以得到報酬,而且可以為永生收穫果實,叫撒種的和收割的一同快樂。 37 俗語說得好,『那人撒種,這人收割。』 38 我派你們去收割那些你們沒有勞作的莊稼,別人勞苦,你們享受他們勞苦的成果。」

39 那城裡有許多撒瑪利亞人信了耶穌,因為那婦人做見證說:「祂將我以前做的一切事情都說了出來。」 40 撒瑪利亞人來見耶穌,懇求祂留下來,祂就在那裡住了兩天。 41 因為耶穌傳的道,信的人更多了。 42 他們對那婦人說:「現在我們信,不再是因為你的話,而是我們親耳聽見了,知道祂真的是救世主。」

耶穌治好大臣的兒子

43 兩天後,耶穌動身前往加利利。 44 祂以前說過:「先知在他本鄉不受人尊敬。」 45 然而,祂回到加利利卻受到當地的人歡迎,因為他們上耶路撒冷過節時,看見了祂所做的一切。

46 祂又到了加利利的迦拿,就是祂從前把水變成酒的地方。有一個大臣的兒子在迦百農患了病。 47 大臣聽說耶穌從猶太來到加利利,立刻趕來見祂,求祂去醫治他病危的兒子。

48 耶穌對他說:「你們不看見神蹟奇事,總不相信。」

49 大臣說:「先生,趁我的孩子還沒死,求你趕快去!」

50 耶穌說:「回去吧,你的兒子好了。」他相信耶穌的話,就回去了。

51 他途中遇見奴僕來報信說他兒子好了, 52 就問什麼時候好的。僕人說:「昨天下午一點鐘,燒就退了。」

53 他想起正是那時候耶穌對他說:「你的兒子好了!」他和全家都信了。

54 這是耶穌從猶太回到加利利後所行的第二個神蹟。

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) he left Judæa, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his own word; 42 and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. 45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilæans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. 46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judæa into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judæa into Galilee.

The Savior of the World and the New Worship

Chapter 4

Journeying to Galilee through Samaria.[a] Now when the Lord learned that the Pharisees had been informed that he had more disciples and was baptizing more people than John (although actually it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who were baptizing), he left Judea and set forth for Galilee.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman.[b] He had to pass through Samaria.[c] So he came to a Samaritan town called Sychar,[d] near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon.[e]

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.” His disciples had gone into the town to purchase food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew. How can you ask me, a Samaritan woman,[f] for some water to drink?” (Jews do not share anything in common with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus replied,

“If you recognized the gift of God
and who it is that is asking you for something to drink,
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”

11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you do not have a bucket, and the well is deep.[g] Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus said to her,

“Everyone who drinks this water
will be thirsty again.
14 But whoever drinks the water that I will give him
will never be thirsty.
The water that I will give him
will become a spring of water within him
welling up to eternal life.”

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I may not be thirsty and have to come here to draw water.”

16 Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband and come back here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,[h] but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus told her,

“Believe me, woman,
the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain
nor in Jerusalem.
22 You worship what you do not know;
we worship what we do know,
for salvation is from the Jews.
23 “But the hour is coming,
indeed it is already here,
when the true worshipers
will worship the Father
in Spirit and truth.[i]
Indeed it is worshipers like these
that the Father seeks.
24 God is Spirit,
and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”

25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will reveal everything to us.”[j] 26 Jesus said to her, “I am he,[k] the one who is speaking to you.”

27 At this point, his disciples returned, and they were astonished to find him speaking with a woman, but no one asked, “What do you want from her?” or “Why are you conversing with her?” 28 The woman left behind her water jar and went off to the town, where she said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done. Could this be the Christ?” 30 And so they departed from the town and made their way to see him.

31 The Time of the Harvest.[l] Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he told them,

“I have food to eat
about which you do not know.”

33 Then his disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them,

“My food is to do the will
of the one who sent me,
and to accomplish his work.
35 Do you not have a saying,
‘Four months more,
and then comes the harvest’?
“I tell you,
open your eyes and look at the fields;
already they are white for the harvest.
36 The reaper is even now receiving his pay;
already he is gathering the crops for eternal life
so that the sower and the reaper can rejoice together.
37 “Thus, the saying holds true,
‘One sows and another reaps.’
38 I sent you to reap
what you had not worked for.
Others have performed the work,
and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

39 Jesus Is Truly the Savior of the World.[m] Many Samaritans from that town came to believe in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they pleaded with him to stay with them, and he remained there for two days. 41 And many more began to believe in him because of the words he spoke to them. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe simply because of what you said, for we have heard him for ourselves, and we are convinced that this man is truly the Savior of the world.”

43 Return to Galilee.[n] When the two days were over, Jesus departed for Galilee. 44 He himself had declared that a prophet is not treated with honor in his own hometown. 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem during the feast, having been at the feast themselves.

46 Jesus Heals the Official’s Son.[o] He went again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. At Capernaum, there was a royal official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and pleaded that he come and heal his son who was near death.

48 Jesus said to him, “Unless you witness signs and wonders, you will not believe.” 49 The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus replied, “Return home. Your son will live.”

The man believed what Jesus said to him, and he departed. 51 While he was still on his way, his servants met him saying that his child was going to live. 52 He asked them at what time the boy had begun to recover, and they told him, “The fever left him yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon.”[p] 53 Then the father realized that was the exact hour at which Jesus had assured him, “Your son will live,” and he and his entire household came to believe.

54 This was the second sign that Jesus performed after returning from Judea into Galilee.

Footnotes

  1. John 4:1 Jesus is forced to leave Judea in order to distance himself from the hostility of the Pharisees who are jealous of his growing popularity. The journey through Samaria affords him an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel in a mission land, so to speak, for the Samaritans were tantamount to Gentiles in the eyes of the Jews.
  2. John 4:4 Jesus converses with a woman, a daughter of Samaria, and therefore belonging to what the Jews considered to be a heretical breed and as accursed as the Gentiles; in addition, she is well known as a sinner. But God’s gift is for everyone. Jesus is the living water, and for peoples dwelling on the edge of the wilderness, living water symbolizes life, hope, renewal, and spiritual riches.
    Jesus urges the new worship of God as Father “in Spirit and truth.” This means to pray to the Father in the Holy Spirit and in Jesus who is the truth. Such worship springs up from the heart; it comes from the Spirit.
  3. John 4:4 The inhabitants of Samaria were a mixed race, descended from the intermarriage of Israelites and Assyrian colonists. Although they worshiped the same God as the Jews and believed in the Pentateuch, they disowned the Jerusalem temple and priesthood and erected a rival sanctuary on Mount Gerizim in the 4th century B.C. (see 2 Mac 6:2).
  4. John 4:5 Sychar was in the neighborhood of ancient Shechem. See Gen 33:18-20; 48:21f.
  5. John 4:6 Noon: literally, “the sixth hour.” See note on Mk 15:25.
  6. John 4:9 Samaritan woman: characterized as ritually unclean by the Jews, who were therefore forbidden to drink from any vessel handled by them.
  7. John 4:11 Well is deep: the depth of the well, which still exists, has not been determined. The estimates given over the centuries range from 240 feet to 150 feet to 75 feet (the most recent).
  8. John 4:20 This mountain: Gerizim (2,849 feet high, south of Sychar).
  9. John 4:23 In Spirit and truth: the Spirit is the Holy Spirit and the truth is Jesus. For he is the true Son of God.
  10. John 4:25 The Samaritan Messiah was called the Ta’eb. He revealed the secrets of God to his people. Jesus reveals to us how much God loves us.
  11. John 4:26 I am he: this phrase may also be translated as “I AM,” the name Yahweh used for himself in the Old Testament (see note on Mk 6:50). The phrase “I am” is used in the text of this Gospel 23 times (4:26; 6:20, 35, 41, 48, 51; 8:12, 18, 24, 28, 58; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1, 5; 18:5, 6, 8). In several of these passages, Jesus joins the phrase with seven significant metaphors that express his saving relationship toward the world: “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6:35, 41, 48, 51). “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12). “I am the gate of the sheepfold” (Jn 10:7, 9). “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11, 14). “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25). “I am the way and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6). “I am the true vine” (Jn 15:1, 5).
  12. John 4:31 Jesus is not thinking of an ordinary harvest. The arrival of the Samaritans announces the crops of the end time, the harvest in which all will be gathered together by the coming of God. Samaritans wore white robes: they are the harvest.
  13. John 4:39 The personal and prolonged encounter with Jesus allows believers to measure the magnitude of their mission. This Jewish teacher is not only a prophet who announces salvation. He is the Messiah who brings about salvation for the whole world, for all human beings.
  14. John 4:43 Jesus’ stay in Galilee and his ministry in his own town will not be crowned by a more satisfactory success than the one in Judea, the heart of Judaism. With this sad reflection, the fourth evangelist confirms a saying of the Lord found in Mt 13:57 and parallels.
  15. John 4:46 Jesus shows the price of faith (believing in the Word) to his unbelieving companions (v. 44) even though they had already seen him at work. Faith, and it alone, is necessary to be saved. To believe is to welcome in Jesus the salvation that God gives. The miracle is first of all a response to faith. Then it sheds light on the man’s faith and makes it strong. The cure is reported less to bring a demonstration of faith than to call upon us to believe. This account may be a third version of the cure of the centurion’s son (Mt 8:5-13) or servant (Lk 7:1-10).
  16. John 4:52 One o’clock in the afternoon: literally, “the seventh hour.” See note on Mk 15:25.