A Salvific Encounter beside the well

When we studied literal types of the Old Testament, Fr. William Lo, S. J. mentioned one interesting typology: an encounter beside the well. When Abraham sent a servant to look for a bride for Isaac, the servant met Rebekah who drew water from a well (Genesis 24). When Jacob ran away from the fury of Esau whose birth-right he had cheated, Jacob met Rachel and helped her roll away a stone covering a well (Genesis 29). When Moses fled from Pharaoh, he met Zipporah beside a well (Exodus 2). All these encounters ended up in marriages. These encounter stories form a literary genre. Usually, Old Testament types are pre-figures / symbols of events in the New Testament. For example, Christians hold the opinions that the Deluge and the Crossing of the Red Sea prefigure Christian baptism; the Passover prefigures Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection; manna the Holy Eucharist etc. Now, what can we make of the "encounter beside the well which ends up in marriage" genre?

In the gospel of John, we read of the encounter beside the well between Jesus and a Samaritan woman (John 4). Jesus did not end up marrying the Samaritan woman. So, how should we interpret the "encounter beside the well" genre?
In the story of the Samaritan woman, we see how Jesus gradually revealed his identity to the woman and brought her salvation. The woman had a scandalous history of marriage. She had had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband (John 4:18). In order to avoid meeting accusatory neighbour, the woman came to draw water at noon (4:6-7). However hard we try to avoid men, we cannot run away from God. Had the woman stayed around with her neighbour in their usual meeting time, she would not have met Jesus. This is fate. God chooses to meet you where you are least prepared to see Him, with your pants down. Therefore, the first reaction of the Samaritan woman was defensive. "I am a Samaritan woman. You are a Jew! Get out of my way" (4:9). Of course, when God has chosen you, you have no escape. Step by step, Jesus led her to see her own soul and her actual needs. Once liberated, the Samaritan woman left behind her water jar, the very purpose of her coming to the well, and did the unthinkable --- she ran into the city to meet the people she had previously avoided and told them that she had found the Christ (4:28-30). Now, this is conversion! And salvation follows conversion.

This brings back the question of marriage. There is no marriage in John 4. I would say men and women are unfulfilled without marriage. In marriage, their masculinity and femininity come to full realization. Moreover, this realization brings forth new lives, both biologically and spiritually. Of course, not all men and women are called to marriage. There are other forms of fulfilled life such as celibacy for the sake of gospel and the kingdom of heaven. But that would be anachronistic and demanding the impossible from the Old Testament. Yet, marriage should not be seen as a mere contractual union. The New Testament elevates marriage to a more spiritual level --- the Church as the Spouse of Christ. Marriage becomes a sacrament, a visible symbol for channeling God's grace to the world. Though the encounter beside the well did not end up in any visible marriage, salvation had taken place. Marriage is just one of the many forms of salvation. In marriage, a man and a woman enter into a multi-dimensional union. In salvation, all the Creation enters into full union with our God.

Dear Jesus, submerging in the living water you give us, allow us to drink to our full union with You. Amen.