Hospitality without Loss of Chastity

She went down to the spring, filled her jar with water, and came up. The servant ran to meet her and said, “Let me drink a little from your jar.” She answered, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, lowered the jar onto her arm, and gave him drink until he had finished. Then she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have all drunk.” She hurried and emptied the jar into the watering trough, then ran back to the well to draw water for all the camels.

Her hospitality was great, and so was her chastity. Both can be learned especially from what she did and what she said. Do you see how her chastity did not damage her hospitality, nor did her hospitality corrupt her chastity? That she did not run up first or address the man before he spoke showed chastity; that she did not refuse or turn him away when he asked showed great hospitality and kindness. Just as it would have been forward and shameless if she had run up first and spoken to him before he said anything, so it would have been harsh and inhumane if she had rejected him when he asked. She did neither. She did not destroy hospitality for the sake of chastity, nor diminish the praise of her chastity for the sake of hospitality. She displayed each virtue in its fullness: by waiting for his request she showed chastity, and by giving after he asked she showed extraordinary hospitality.