September 19, 2023
John 4:27-38 (HCSB)
The Ripened Harvest
27 Just then His disciples arrived, and they were amazed that He was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do You want?” or “Why are You talking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They left the town and made their way to Him. 31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging Him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But He said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” 33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought Him something to eat?” 34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work,”Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”
James Burns
Jesus had a funny way of framing the lessons that He presented, and this passage was no exception. Here the disciples come upon Jesus interacting with a Samaritan woman (very unexpected), and it caught them off guard. But in typical male thinking, they quickly changed their concern to more earthly concerns, that of eating. But Jesus knew them well, and used their interest in food, and their knowledge of farming techniques to explain the spiritual concept of sowing and reaping, and the unique ability to see both sowing and reaping at the same time, as opposed to waiting months to see the harvest in typical farming situations. So, He was not only explaining the wonders and benefits of a relationship with the Father and salvation, but also demonstrated through His interaction with the Samaritan woman that salvation is available to everyone, the entire world.
The Ripened Harvest
27 Just then His disciples arrived, and they were amazed that He was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do You want?” or “Why are You talking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They left the town and made their way to Him. 31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging Him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But He said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” 33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought Him something to eat?” 34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work,”Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”
James Burns
Jesus had a funny way of framing the lessons that He presented, and this passage was no exception. Here the disciples come upon Jesus interacting with a Samaritan woman (very unexpected), and it caught them off guard. But in typical male thinking, they quickly changed their concern to more earthly concerns, that of eating. But Jesus knew them well, and used their interest in food, and their knowledge of farming techniques to explain the spiritual concept of sowing and reaping, and the unique ability to see both sowing and reaping at the same time, as opposed to waiting months to see the harvest in typical farming situations. So, He was not only explaining the wonders and benefits of a relationship with the Father and salvation, but also demonstrated through His interaction with the Samaritan woman that salvation is available to everyone, the entire world.
Recent
Archive
2025
January
January 1, 2025A Note From Pastor HDJanuary 2, 2025January 3, 2025January 4, 2025Sunday Connect Lesson for January 5, 2025January 6, 2025January 7, 2025January 8, 2025January 9, 2025January 10, 2025Questions for the WeekJanuary 12, 2025January 13, 2025January 14, 2025January 15, 2025January 16, 2025January 17, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for January 19, 2025January 20, 2025January 21, 2025January 22, 2025January 23, 2025January 24, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for January 26January 27, 2025January 28, 2025January 29, 2025January 30, 2025January 31, 2025
February
Questions for the WeekConnect Lesson for Sunday, February 2February 3, 2025February 4, 2025February 5, 2025February 6, 2025February 7, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for February 9, 2025February 10, 2025February 11, 2025February 12, 2025February 13, 2025February 14, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for February 16, 2025February 17, 2025February 18, 2025February 19, 2025February 20, 2025February 21, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for February 23, 2025February 24, 2025February 25, 2025February 26, 2025February 27, 2025February 28, 2025
March
Questions for the WeekConnect Lesson for Sunday, March 2, 2025March 3, 2025A Note from Pastor HDMarch 4, 2025March 5, 2025March 6, 2025March 7, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for March 9, 2025March 10, 2025March 11, 2025March 12, 2025March 13, 2025March 14, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for March 16, 2025March 17, 2025March 18, 2025March 19, 2025March 20, 2025March 21, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for March 23, 2025March 24, 2025March 25, 2025March 26, 2025March 27, 2025March 28, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for March 30, 2025March 31, 2025
No Comments