John 4:31-38
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.
35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this case 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, you have come into their labor.”
V31-34 Upon their return to the well, the disciples were concerned about giving Jesus something to eat. When Jesus tells them He has food, they misunderstand Him. Jesus uses their misunderstanding as a way to impart spiritual truths. The disciples think primarily in terms of physical food. However Jesus’ usual emphasis is always spiritual.
When Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of the One who sent me”, Jesus is saying that His food, His sustenance is accomplishing the Father’s will. His words show such a clear understanding of purpose and a strong desire to please and obey the Father. The work that Jesus was doing was not merely human work but work that was divinely inspired by God. Jesus is so intimately connected to the Father in both person and purpose.
V35-38 Jesus then quotes what might have been a proverbial saying, “There are still four months, and then comes the harvest.” Some commentators believe this was a phrase that was used when someone wanted to delay a particular task. Jesus is speaking spiritually again, stressing an urgency in harvesting not crops but believers. We learn from verse 30 that people were coming to Him. So by saying the ‘fields are white for harvest’ Jesus may be referring to the people in the fields who were coming to Him at that very moment.
V36 Jesus tells the disciples that those who bring others to Christ (reaping) are earning rewards that last into eternity. He is encouraging His disciples to take part in the harvest so that they can rejoice together with those who have sown. God is powerful enough to bring people to Himself, all by Himself. But He loves to work through us and rejoice with us when others place their faith in Christ.
V38 Those who reap almost always do so because of the work of sowers who planted seed before them. Both sowers and reapers work together. Jesus may be referring to Himself and the Samaritan woman as the “others” that have labored. We know that people are coming to Jesus because of His conversations with the woman as well as the conversations between the woman and the people. The disciples did not contribute to their labor. However Jesus invites them to be a part of the reaping and to rejoice.
Jesus sowed more seed than just this conversation with the Samaritan woman. What other seed did Jesus sow? The miracles He performed, the parables He taught, the life He lived, the death He died, the love he poured out on the cross – all seed that was sown from which His disciples would later reap.
Application
Devotion to the Father – In verses 31 through 34 Jesus stresses a very important principle. Jesus’ main purpose was doing the will of the Father. Obedience to the Father was central to Jesus’ ministry. The disciples consistently misunderstood Jesus’ words because they were focusing on physical things. But time and time again Jesus had to redirect their focus from the physical to the spiritual.
What is your main focus? Would you say that you are devoted to doing the will of the Father? Is Jesus Lord of your life or is He just a consultant, someone whom you seek out only when you are struggling or in need? Set aside time today, seek the Lord, immerse yourself in His Word. The Word is one of the main ways God uses to speak to us, how we learn about Him and what His will is. Ask Him to refocus your goals, time, desires and priorities so that you may please Him more each day, bring Him glory and point others to Him.
Meditate: Jesus was so young when he began his ministry and when we was crucified. He was in his young thirties. His focus was on the Father’s will, to live and die as payment for our sin. It is heartbreaking that Jesus died for us while He was so young. Thankfully, He was so certain of his purpose. Grace really is amazing and so is His love for us. We have so much to be thankful for. Live every day out of gratitude for what He did for us all.
Eternal Focus Produces Urgency – Jesus wanted His disciples (and you and I as well) to focus on eternal things. Telling others about Jesus, teaching others about Jesus, living a live that “speaks” of Jesus all are a form of sowing AND reaping. We can only plant seeds and reap what others have sown. But remember, GOD is the ONE who makes the seed grow (1 Cor 3:6-8). He wants us to join Him in this mystical process of awakening hearts to Christ. Together with God and others, we reap believers which has eternal rewards and great joy. Do you have a desire to tell others about Jesus? If we meditate on how much the Lord has done for us, we should be filled with gratitude. Let your gratitude move you to speak about Christ so that others can share eternity with you.
To learn more about the term ‘harvest’ click here.
For more on how God opens the eyes of our hearts to receive Him click here.