Harvest Work in Samaria

John 4:27-42

GOLDEN TEXT: “He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.”—John 4:36

NO doubt many will think of the Lord’s words recorded in our Golden Text as a general statement applicable equally to His work at the city of Sychar near which they were spoken, and to that of His followers down through the Gospel age. There was a great difference in the work of Jesus during the three and a half years of His ministry and the following few years in which the message He commissioned His followers to proclaim was limited to the Jewish nation, and the centuries since in which the same message of the grace of God in Christ has been published throughout the whole earth to Gentiles as well as Jews. In the former period Jesus was reaping, or gathering together, those Jews who had been influenced favorably by their knowledge of the Law and the Prophets, and giving them opportunity to be transferred to the spiritual class, the church or body of Christ. He makes this especially plain in verse 38, saying, “I sent you to reap that on which you bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.”

The Jewish age closed with a harvest, in which there was a change, a new feature of God’s great plan disclosed and put into operation. Those of the previous dispensation ready for it were transferred to the new work and a higher sphere of relationship to God. Similarly we have now come to the harvest period of the Gospel age foretold by our Lord in His parables of the wheat and the tares. (Matt. 13:24-30,36-43) Now those properly prepared by the message of present truth are being transferred, as each finishes his course, to the spirit realm, the presence of the Master, there to continue the service of truth and righteousness in the glorious work of the Millennial Kingdom.—Rev. 14:13-16

The other feature of the present harvest time we may also see in progress, namely, the binding and burning of the tares. As the wheat of the Lord’s parable illustrated His own faithful ones, so the tares represent some who have professed to be Christ’s followers, but were such only in appearance, just as the tares look like wheat but are merely an imitation.

In the end of the Gospel age, as a result of the fiery experiences through which they with the world will pass they will be destroyed AS tares. No longer will they claim to be members of the church of Christ. No longer will they take to themselves the exceeding great and precious promises specially intended for the footstep followers of Jesus.

The evidence multiplies that we are living at an advanced point in this harvest period, that soon the confusion which has resulted from the wheat and tares growing side by side will have fully ended. None thereafter will make claim to be of the church, the bride of Christ, the members of which it will then be recognized have all been united to Him.—Rev. 19:1,2,27

The incidents of our text contain some inspiring lessons. Jesus was en route from Judea to Galilee, and of necessity passing though Samaria. He was weary when He reached the outskirts of the city of Sychar. Here we are reminded of the fact that Jesus was in the course of laying down His perfect life. Evidently His faithfulness and zeal in healing and preaching and teaching had already weakened Him, so that while His disciples continued into the city we are told that “being wearied with His journey” He sat down at the well.

It was there He met this woman of Samaria who came to draw water, and it was Jesus’ request that she give Him a drink of water that prompted her questions. It is indeed interesting to note that this, conversation which, despite the Lord’s weariness, occupied Him until after the return of the disciples, was with but one person and that a woman of Samaria with a tarnished reputation. We note His alertness to recognize and take advantage of the opportunity to speak when there was evidence of interest in matters related to God and His service and worship.

His weariness entirely ignored, Jesus used the occasion to answer the woman’s questions, and to give one of the few recorded definite statements that He was indeed the long-expected Messiah. (verse 26) So occupied was Jesus with this opportunity to instruct a humble inquirer in the way of righteousness and truth, that when His disciples returned with the provisions it was necessary for them to urge Him to eat.

His reply has come down through the centuries perfectly expressing the attitude of one fully devoted to the carrying out of His Father’s will without regard to the claims of nature, but, instead, using the human body as the servant of the new creature, He said, “I have meat to eat that ye [His disciples, not yet begotten of the Spirit] know not of … My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.”

How precious are the lessons thus brought to our attention. How clearly we can see Jesus’ humility, zeal, alertness to recognize the providences of God and the opportunity, to speak of the truth both to this woman and for the following two days to the people of the city. All of them were Samaritans, looked down upon by the Jews, but some evidently possessed sincere reverence for God which He was pleased to reward with direct contact with His Son.

QUESTIONS:

Why was Jesus’ ministry confined principally to the Jewish nation?

Is there reason to suppose that we are now near the close of the Gospel age harvest?

What practical lesson can we derive from Jesus’ willingness to minister to the Samaritan woman, even though He probably needed rest?

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