The Harvest

Photo by:UGA College of Ag on Flickr.com

The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

²⁷ Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” ³⁰ They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
³¹ Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
³³ Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
³⁴ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. ³⁵ Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. ³⁶ Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. ³⁷ Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

³⁹ Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. ⁴¹ And because of his words many more became believers.
⁴² They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”                                   John 4:27-42
 
In verse 27 we get a glimpse of the social status of women of the time.  The disciples were not surprised to find Him talking to someone.  They were surprised to find Him talking to a woman.   This shows us just how Jesus was breaking down all social barriers.  Something we should try to do today.  I’m not talking about taking money from the rich and giving to the poor.  If you are rich, that is great.  God has blessed you.  We should see everyone as a brother or sister in Christ before we see anything else about them.
 
Well, after they got over the fact that He was talking to a woman, they tried to get Him to eat.  Jesus said that He had food which they knew nothing about.  This confused the disciples.  Jesus explained that His food was to do His Fathers will.  You know, all the times in my life when I didn’t think that I had enough and went ahead and did what God wanted me to do, I found that I had more than enough.  That is what Jesus was talking about here.  If we will do Gods work and not worry about will we have enough, God will provide.  He is sufficient.  Do what God has called you to do and you will reap a reward.  God has called all of us.  Jesus is calling us in this passage.  He isn’t just talking to His disciples, He is talking to us all. 
 
In verses 28-30 we see the once sinful woman rushing to tell everyone about what Jesus had told her, and many believed just because of what she had said.  She was in such a hurry that she forgot what she had come there for.  She left her water jar, she was that excited.  In that respect I wish we were all like the woman.  So excited to tell others about what we have found in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  We are all just as sinful.  Why can’t we all get just as excited about our salvation?

I guess it because we think that since everybody knows us as sinful creatures that they won’t believe us.  Don’t you think that everyone in that little town knew her?  Everybody knew who she was and that she slept around.  They believed her!  They believe her because she spoke the truth about Christ.  Don’t get me wrong.  There are those will turn their backs on you because they are not ready to hear the Truth, but they will believe.  Deep down, we all know our makers voice.
 
If this is your first time hearing the good news of Jesus Christ, and you want to follow Him, you too can know his joy. The peace that passes all understanding. All you have to do is ask Christ into your heart and ask him to forgive your sins. He stands at the door, ready to come in. If you would like to know Jesus and God the father, please pray the following prayer or one like it. Or, you can contact me at jeremylail@gmail.com and I will be more than happy to pray with/for you.
Heavenly Father, have mercy on me, a sinner. I believe in you and that your word is true. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that he died on the cross so that I may now have forgiveness for my sins and eternal life. I know that without you in my heart my life is meaningless. I believe in my heart that you, Lord God, raised Him from the dead. Please Jesus forgive me, for every sin I have ever committed or done in my heart, please Lord Jesus for give me and come into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior today. I need you to be my Father and my friend. I give you my life and ask you to take full control from this moment on; I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.