Od sugovornice do svjedokinje: Samarijanka i Isus u Iv 4,1-42

This paper will show the encounter of our Lord and Samaritan woman and will consider some key parts of their encounter and the conversation. The importance of this paper lies in Jesus' self-proclamation to a pagan woman which accepts his proclamation and becomes his missionary. To understand better the depth and context of this conversation, at the begginig of this paper is described womans position those days in comparison with todays, so as Samaria, her historical and geographical location and hostile relation between Jews and Samaritans. In the second chapter are stressed main characteristics of narative statement of Jesuus' and Samaritan womans encounter. Evangelist in his theological conception gives a special place to their dialogue and Jesus' proclamation to Samaritan people. Consequently, that chapter will contain important teological themes- Jesus as the water of life, worshiping in the truth and spirit, misionary mission of the disciples and already mentioned Jesus' self- proclamation and the faith of Samaritan woman. The technique of „Johns misunderstanding“ leads us to Jesus' progressive proclamation to a woman while she slowly grows in faith. The Samaritan woman walked alongside Jesus all the way from the initial phase of strangers, then he became the Lord, the prophet, the Messiah for her, and she became his first missionary in the end. Because of her recognition of Jesus as a Messiah in the last chapter we have a short description of the term Messiah and messianic secret. Personal encounter with Messiah made the stranger to his true Jesus' misionary, whose proclamation enabled Jesus to announce himself to her people who then accepted him.