The Samaritan woman at the well (4)

John 4:27 Jesus' disciples came back and found Him talking with the Samaritan woman. They marvelled, but they did not say anything, even though their minds were bursting with questions for Jesus.

"Why's He talking with this woman?" "What does He want? What's He asking from this woman?" "What happened?" they thought within themselves.

Then, the woman left and went her way into the city and told the men about Jesus. (v28 & 29)

Meanwhile, the disciples who have 'tapau' back food for Jesus, asked their Master to eat. (v32 - 34) But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."

Pause for a while and see this situation. The disciples and Jesus are in Samaria, a land were Jews were not welcomed. They went into the city to get some food for themselves and for Jesus, since Jesus wanted to sit and rest at the well. They have probably faced some difficulty in getting food. The Samaritans, seeing that they are Jews, may not have wanted to sell any food to them, or they may have cheated them and hiked the prices, etc.

So they come back with food that was so difficult to obtain, but Jesus said "I have food to eat of which you do not know." and "My food is to do the Father's will."

If I'm one of the disciples, I'd probably be thinking, "What's Jesus trying to do? We went to buy food for Him, so difficult, but He was here talking with this woman, dunno for what. And then we ask Him to eat, He says he's got food, and His food is to do the Father's will... What's all this? If he don't want us to buy food for Him, he should have told us. No need to lecture us this way..."

But Jesus continued to 'lecture' the disciples. "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! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." (v35 & 36)

I think Jesus wasn't disapproval of them going for lunch or packing food for Him. But He was showing them that urgency in the Kingdom of God was greater than filling up their hunger.

He was also saying that if we are to put our heart to declare His Kingdom and to do God's will, we need to be in focus -- in such focus that we do not let anything trouble our hearts.

v35 & 36 are always quoted to say that the end time is here and we've got to see that urgency and begin to go and fulfil the Great Commission. Yes, indeed the fields are white for harvest! But if we are tied down by the many things in this world and be occupied by them, we will never sense the urgency of doing His will, and hence, we will never obey what He commands us to do.

Verse to Remember:

Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!