In today's Gospel we do not read a passage from the Resurrection narratives, the accounts of the risen Christ. We read a profound passage from Jesus' public life, when Jesus talked with the learned scholar Nicodemus in chapter 3 of the Gospel. In a particular way, in Chapters 3 and 4, John presents us with two beautiful illustrations of the different ways in which Jesus dealt with people. In Chapter 5, when speaking with the "teacher of Israel", Nicodemus, Jesus speaks profoundly about God, the meaning of eternal life, the possibility of earning eternal life through rebirth by water and the spirit. Nicodemus had to struggle somewhat to follow the depth of Jesus' thought and teaching.

In chapter 4, when Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman, His approach is far different: he does not talk about deep theological concepts: he begins with a very simple request: "give me some water to drink". Then he leads her gently through a number of steps on an inward journey of growing faith so that she progresses from calling Jesus a Jew, to calling him "Sir" and then "prophet" and finally suggesting the title "Messiah".

Jesus leads us by different ways according to our different talents.