What is the meaning of the words, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture had said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38)?

The answer

St. John Chrysostom says, “In another context, then, He said ‘life everlasting,’ while here He speaks of ‘living water’ … For, when the grace of the Spirit enters into the soul and takes up its abode there, it gushes forth more abundantly than any fountain and does not cease … to show at the same time its unceasing attendance upon the soul and its ineffable activity He called it ‘a fountain’ and ‘rivers’: not one river, but rivers without number. And in the other context He indicated its generous flow by the word ‘springing up.’ Moreover, one may see clearly what is meant if one con- siders the wisdom of Stephen, the fluency of Peter, and the forcefulness of Paul.”⁸⁰⁶

And St. Ambrose says, “Thus the holy one [i.e., Elijah] is bidden by the Lord to cross over to the stream (cf. 1 Kings 17:3), for he who has drunk of the New Testament not only is a river, but from his belly will flow rivers of living water (cf. John 7:38) rivers of understanding, rivers of meditation, spiritual rivers. However, these dried up in the time of unbelief, lest the sacrilegious would drink and lest unbelievers sup. There the ravens recognized the Prophet of the Lord [i.e., Elijah], whom the Jews did not recognize. Crows fed the one whom a royal and noble race was persecuting.”⁸⁰⁷

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty