By Brian R. Kenyon

In the aftermath of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (Jn. 4:4-26), Jesus said to his disciples, who thought He needed to eat: My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35Do 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! 36And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37For in this the saying is true: “One sows and another reaps.” 38I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors. (Jn. 4:34-38)

Jesus’ priority was not to satisfy His physical hunger but to find souls, like the Samaritan woman, who were hungering and thirsting for more than what Jacob’s well could provide (cf. Jn. 4:13-14; 6:27-29). Jesus wants His disciples today to do the same (cf. Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16), but we will only do that if our “food” is to do the will of Him who sent Jesus. God’s will as our sustenance metabolizes into three spiritually nourishing results.

Retains Spiritual Life

Jesus was determined to finish His work according to God’s will (Jn. 4:34). This is the same lesson He taught when He gave this truth, which has been misunderstood and offensive to some (cf. Jn. 6:60-66)

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever. (Jn. 6:53-58)

Jesus was not teaching cannibalism (Lev. 7:26-27 cf. Gen. 9:6; Acts 15:20). Rather, He was showing that people must constantly feed upon His will as food for their souls just as they consume loaves and fishes to sustain their physical bodies. If we compare John 6:54 with John 6:40, which both end with the promise of “eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day,” we ascertain that “everyone who sees the Son and believes” is a God-breathed commentary on “whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood.” Jesus was merely teaching what He exemplified in His relationship with the Father. Jesus could do nothing apart from the Father’s will. His life on earth was the Father’s will (Jn. 5:19)! This is why Jesus said to Thomas, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him” (Jn. 14:7). This is why He also said to Philip, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (Jn. 14:10). Even to the mother of Zebedee’s sons, Jesus said, to “sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father” (Mt. 20:23). In order to retain spiritual life, God’s will must be our sustenance!

Contains Spiritual Work

Jesus anticipated their propensity to delay based on the “four months and then comes the harvest” proverb (Jn. 4:35a). He let them know the “fields … are already white for harvest!” (Jn. 4:35b). It may had been the Samaritans were approaching the disciple’s location as Jesus spoke those words (cf. Jn. 4:28-30). Nevertheless, there is no need to delay in our work of harvesting souls for the Lord! On another occasion, in a related context, Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Mt. 9:37-38). Even Jesus said of Himself, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (Jn. 9:4). Christians today must be about the business of planting and watering the gospel seed (cf. 1 Cor. 3:6). We must scatter the seed, not inspect the soil (Lk. 8:5-15).

Attains Spiritual Blessing

No matter our part in the process, there will be rejoicing when the harvest is gathered, for “both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together” (Jn. 4:36). Sometimes workers get to reap where they had not worked to sow (Jn. 4:38), which may seem unfair (cf. Mt. 20:1-6). However, the hard work of sowing is just as important as the sometimes easier work of reaping. Both are necessary (cf. 1 Cor. 3:7-9). Souls coming to Jesus would be the reward of the harvest. John recorded:

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of His own word. 42Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” (Jn. 4:39-42)

Blessed rest awaits all who labor in the Lord, as confirmed by John from Patmos, “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Rev. 14:13).

Conclusion

We must “eat, drink, and sleep” Jesus, if we are to properly conform to His image (Rom. 8:29)! We do this by totally immersing ourselves in reading, studying, and correctly applying God’s word to our lives (cf. Mt. 4:4; 5:13-16; Lk. 6:46). Our focus must always be “on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). We must “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1), growing in faith, believing that God “is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). As we do, we will retain spiritual life, contain spiritual work, and attain spiritual blessing!