Subscription Lists
Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
The fourth Gospel (John), the fourth chapter, the fourth in this series of 4X4’s, and Four Months; what else could be more fitting? “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 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. For in this the saying is true: “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.’” (John 4.34-38; emphasis mine, jb). This miniseries will cover, 1) My Food, 2) The Fields Are White for Harvest, 3) The Sower and Reaper Rejoice Together, and 4) Many More Believed.
My Food… Is to Do the Will of Him Who Sent Me
The disciples were on a mission, and an important mission it was. They had gone into the city to buy food (John 4.8). Jesus was tired and so were they doubtlessly. After all it was the sixth hour (probably 6 PM reckoning by Roman time), the usual hour for the drawing of the evening and night’s water (see John 4.6). Weary though He was, Jesus occupied His time talking to the Samaritan woman. By the time their conversation was through, the disciples returned and marveled that He was talking with a woman; yet no one was brave enough to ask, “’What do You seek?’ or, ‘Why are You talking with her?’” (John 4.27). The disciples fulfilled their mission and came back with food aplenty. After getting over the shock of seeing Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman, they “…urged Him saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’” (John 4.31). It is noteworthy that the verbs in this sentence literally mean “they kept on urging Him!”
“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.’” (John 4.32-34). Perhaps there was room for misunderstanding His words, but not for long. Their first thought was that He had eaten without them through the kindness of another in bringing food; that thought was soon put to rest. Then He explicitly stated His meaning; His food was to do and to finish the Father’s will!
Jesus was on a mission even as His disciples had been on a mission, but the two missions were totally of a different character. While they sought to meet their physical needs, He sought to fill the spiritual needs of a woman, and indirectly, those of an entire community. So important was His mission that He called it “food.” He had spoken to the woman about living water (John 4.10) and now He demonstrated by His deeds the importance of such spiritual sustenance. Jesus knew that the soul needs nourishment just as does the body, and His mission was to feed His own soul and the souls of all those who would eat at His table; this was the food of which His disciples had no current knowledge.
Implied in these passages and the events depicted therein is the fact that there are priorities to be set and kept. The task of keeping there priorities straight is not an easy one; even the disciples of Jesus struggled with it. However in all circumstances, it must be remembered that our number one job is the same as that which Jesus professed, namely, to do and to finish the work that God gives us to do. Sometimes it means physical discomfort, sometimes it means postponing the filling of our bellies for good and right causes, but always it means putting the Kingdom first (Matthew 6.33). This is Food worth eating!
Questions:
1. What was unusual about Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman?
2. What had convinced the woman that He might be Messiah?
3. What did she do after talking with Jesus and going back into her town?
4. What is our number one mission in life? If others studied our decisions, would they conclude this was our mission, or would they conclude that it was a much different one?
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Today's Little Lift" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.