OUR FATHER WHOSE WORD IS OUR NOURISHMENT

The book of John chapter 4 verses 27 - 38 continues with the story at Jacobˋs well when Jesusˋ disciples returned from buying food.

The disciples were surprised to see that Jesus had broken an taboo and engaged a woman in conversation however they did not speak up about it because they knew that Jesus did not conform to cultural taboos.

The woman, having been bowled over by her encounter with Jesus went back to her home town and told everyone about the experience of Jesus telling her the hidden details of her life.

The spiritual hunger in the woman was revealed in the brief interaction with Jesus and she, knowing that people in her town had the same yearning, told them that she may have stumbled on the Christ for whom they had all been waiting.

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 

35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

As this was happening, the disciples urged Jesus to have something to eat but He told them that his nourishment came from doing the will of the One who sent Him and completing the work that He was given to do.

Jesus then explained to His disciples that spiritual wages and the fruit for eternal life are gained by participating in the harvesting of the fields by winning souls for the kingdom of God.  The tasks of taking the crop are divided so that some people sow and others reap and in this symbiotic interdependency, everyone who joins in, benefits and rejoices together.

Amen.

12