John 4:28-38 – 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.”
“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?” The woman now had belief and was growing in it. She was excited and had to tell the others in her village about Jesus. These are the same people who criticized her and ostracized her. She set that aside to tell people about Jesus. Isn’t that the same result in our times? When someone falls in love with Jesus they immediately want to tell people about Him. Something this good, this life changing has to be shared. And by the way, the fire of that should never grow cold.
“Could this be the Messiah?” She already believed Jesus to be the Messiah. After all, He had not only told her about her life, but He directly told her that He was the Messiah. She believed Him and as she had been drawn to Jesus so she enticed others to come to Him and, well, “Come and see.”
“They came out of the town and made their way toward him.” We can fairly assume that she was not a scholar of scripture. Yet she understood that the Messiah would be coming so she certainly was familiar with scripture and she was hoping for the Messiah to come soon. So what did she share with the people? She shared her story of meeting and coming to know Jesus. She shared that she believed that Jesus was the Messiah. While it is most important to know scripture, often the most powerful and potent thing we can share with someone is what Jesus did for us. We know that story and people often respond most to our personal testimonies. What has Jesus done for us?
“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? “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” His disciples loved Him and of course were concerned for Him. They knew His journey to Sychar and that He had not eaten. It is true that physically Jesus had been thirsty as He had asked the woman for water. Since He was thirsty He was also likely hungry. After all, He had sent the disciples to get food for Him and them. He responds to them that He has had nourishment that they don’t know about. What stimulated Him was the woman had believed and was now sharing and soon her village would believe. Jesus was motivated by doing the will of God, and that from an early age. (Luke 2:49) Yet the disciples often thought with their natural thoughts rather than with their spiritual minds so they did not understand.
“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.” It was known that it took about four months from sowing seeds to reaping the harvest. Jesus was the Sower as He had already spread the seed, who was the woman. The woman was good soil explained in Matthew 13:23. Jesus was saying the fields are ripe. Soon, the crowd that the woman spoke to and who were coming to meet Jesus were already ripe and were headed toward Jesus and the disciples. The sower and the reaper may be glad together. At harvest time it is not only the reaper who rejoices in the crop, it is also the one who sowed the seed. Their joy is united. It is the same for the one who first shares their faith with a person and though the faith did not grow roots right then, when someone different also shares of Jesus and faith takes root in the same person, then both the sower and the reaper rejoice in the harvest. This person now has eternal life. We do what we are called to do (Matthew 28:18-20) and the Holy Spirit blesses our efforts. Praise God!
“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.” The disciples had the chance, even that very day, to help reap what they had not sown. Jesus was the One who led the woman to faith in Him. It was the woman shared her story to the people who would come to meet Jesus, not the disciples. They were there to, with Jesus, reap what is the product of work before them. It is the same for us. One Believer shares their faith with a person and then prays for that person. Another, or many others, water the seed, then a sprout appears and another or others tend the tender sprout to maturity, and then someone reaps the harvest. Jesus was telling them to open their eyes and be ready to share what He shared with them. He is telling us to do the same. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Today is the day to share the Gospel. As we obey God and share Jesus with others, and as we pray for others, we also enjoy the victory that others receive through Jesus. Our joy will rise as we work. And the work is not burdensome, but joyous and rewarding. We are honored to be called to it! Let us work in unison and enjoy together. Praise God who allows us to do so. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 – The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.