About 25 years ago I met a lady in the street. She was drunk
and vulnerable. I played no significant role in her life other than to spend a
few hours with her and try to explain something of who Jesus was. I never saw her again and have no idea what
happened to her, but I prayed that day that in her confusion and despair God
would nurture a seed…
Today’s passage gives the conclusion to Jesus extraordinary
meeting with the Samaritan woman, and some clear teaching for the disciples on
what it means to have a “harvest mindset”.
Jesus’ personal insight, and a clear explanation of who he
was, led this woman to hastily return to her town to witness about him. In the explanation by this marginalised
woman, her community saw enough to listen and “Come see a man…” who they later
acknowledged as “saviour of the world”.
Meanwhile back at the well… the disciples are still
concentrating on their food-finding mission (verse 8). But Jesus turns the situation to teach them
of his true mission, and their own commissioning. As the Samaritan townspeople are listening to
the woman, Jesus is telling the disciples that the harvest is now. The
disciples weren’t even present as Jesus sowed his message of hope to the
Samaritan woman, but they were about to be involved in a big reaping.
As followers we are to be involved in both sowing and
reaping. Sometimes the sowing is lifelong and we don’t see any evidence of
reaping, and sometimes we reap without any understanding of the sowing that has
gone before, but we are called and commissioned to both.
Response
Thank you Father, that
you graciously allow us to partner in your work, and equip us in it. Give us perseverance in sowing and urgency in
reaping.
Victoria
My take-away thought today is from verses 32 and 34: ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.'
ReplyDeleteJesus was physically tired (verse 6) but doing the will of God gave him energy.
And that reminded me of 'the joy of the Lord is your strength’ (Nehemiah 8:10).
All of which helped me in my prayers for some of our church family in other parts of the world - that God would give them extra strength and energy as they do the work God has called them to do.
What a privilege it is to be involved in God's work and an encouragement to keep going having faith to believe that there will be reaping in the future, even if we don't see it here and now.
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