OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT THE FIELDS

John 4:27-42

Key Verse 4:35

“Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’?  I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. “

In today’s passage we see a very surprising event.  We see one woman who was a great sinner and thirsty woman became Jesus’ coworker; whereas we see Jesus’ own disciples, whom Jesus had called and chosen to be His coworkers and to take over His work after He died on the cross, not be of any help to Him at all; actually they seem to be clueless to what was going on around them.  We’re surprised because we expect that Jesus’ disciples, who spent time with Him would know His heart and what He is doing and what God is doing.  We expect that it would be the woman, who used to be so wrapped up looking for love in all the wrong places to be the one who would not know what God was doing , but in today’s passage we see that the roles were switched.  So we have to ask the question: Why did this woman understand Jesus and why was it that Jesus’ disciples remained clueless?

This passage is very short.  But this passage speaks volumes.  This passage teaches us to ‘OPEN OUR EYES’ ‘TO LOOK AT THE FIELDS’ ‘BECAUSE THEY ARE RIPE FOR HARVEST’.  When you look at the campus what do you see?  Do you see a ripe harvest field?  Or do you see a barren land or a land that couldn’t possibly produce anything?  What was it that Jesus saw that the disciples didn’t see?  How could He see the land ripe for harvest?  Was it because He is the Son of God and is different than us?  Is it because He can make something grow in a place that we cannot?  Jesus told us to ‘OPEN OUR EYES’, because the field is RIPE FOR HARVEST.  What does He see?  Let us come to today’s passage to better understand what Jesus is trying to teach us and so that we can have eyes to see the real reality and not remain clueless.

First, the Samaritan woman didn’t meet the disciples expectations.  (27)  Look at verse 27.  “27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”  Jesus’ disciples had gone into town to buy food for their travel through Samaria.  When they returned they saw something that surprised them very much.  Jesus was talking with a Samaritan woman.  It was already bad enough that Jesus had decided to go through Samaria in the first place.  Jews always discreetly avoided the area.  It’s kind of like us.  We don’t mind going through an area like Downey or Cerritos, but we discreetly avoid Compton, especially at night.  We all have heard that Compton is dangerous and those who live there are kind of suspicious.  So we never go there and nor do we serve Compton community college.  Samaria was kind of like that.  The Jews it is said traveled the ends of the earth to make even one disciple, but none of them would ever dare enter into Samaria.  Which was not far away, but actually separated their nation in two.  They would rather take a longer trip by going around than have to have their sandals touch the dust of Samaria or to come into close contact with these people.

Another surprising thing they saw was that Jesus was talking to a woman.  So far Jesus had called men.  All Twelve disciples are men.  There’s not one woman among them.  Of course Jesus, when in large crowds spoke to women as well as men; but this is the first place where Jesus is completely focused on a woman and no one else.  But the disciples did not dare ask Jesus anything.  Even though they were shocked they remained silent.  They look good, but because they didn’t understand what Jesus was doing, later on they completely missed the boat on what Jesus was doing.

Second, the effect of Jesus’ personal love for one outcast woman.  (28-30)  Look at verses 28-30.  “28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.”

Last week we learned that this Samaritan woman was thirsty for the love of God.  But she didn’t know it.  She thought that her deep thirst for God’s love could be fulfilled by a flawed man.  But she found out 5+ times that men can never love her fully, nor satisfy the deep desire for her heart for God’s unconditional love.  Her deep yearning for God’s love and not knowing where to find it had actually made this woman to do some very shameful things.  Her deep desire for God’s love was misunderstood.  Many thought that this woman was a floozy or worse.  She was considered to be an immoral woman and in reality she was.  But no one really understood why she had become like this.  But Jesus did.  He knew her yearning and so He went out of His way, even traveling to the ‘no fly’ zone of Samaria and helped this woman to experience the Living Water, which quenched her thirsty soul with His love.

So she left the water jar and went directly to her own townspeople and told them, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?”  We have to ask what moved this woman to go to her townspeople?  Quite simply she experienced God’s sin-forgiving love personally.  In the past she really hated all her neighbors and perhaps she had good reason to because they had ostracized her because of her promiscuous and shameful lifestyle.  They talked behind her back and gossiped about her and she completely ignored them.  This was the relationship that they must have had.  But when she tasted and experienced Jesus’ personal love for her, all of her resentments and grudges against her people all melted away.  She could have a new heart for those whom she used to hate and despise so much.

From this we can see what impact and what result occurs when one person deeply meets and experiences Jesus’ sin-forgiving love.  It completely changes a person.  We have to ask ourselves what are we really trying to accomplish when we study the Bible with students?  What are we trying to do?  Are we trying to study because we have been told that is the right thing to do?  Is it to make disciples?  And what does that really mean?  From today’s passage I can see that the real goal we should have in studying the Bible is to help people to have a personal encounter and to experience God’s sin-forgiving love for them.  It is this that truly changes and transforms a person; not many programs or something else, but a personal encounter with Jesus and to experience His love for them.  Everything we do in serving the flock of God should always have this in mind.

Last night I had the privilege and I do mean privilege to attend the new outreach we are trying for young Bible students and young shepherds.  Shep’s. Daniel Kim, Paul Lim and Stephen Surh led this meeting.  We ate together and had some ice breakers sharing two truths about ourselves and one lie and having others to try to guess what was the lie.  We shared an embarrassing moment that we experienced and it is was quite interesting and enjoyable; I especially liked the free food.  But after all this we broke up into groups and we started to discuss the very purpose of this meeting.  The question asked is, “What does Christian community look like?”  I have to say I was really amazed and quite joyful at the answers our young disciples and shepherds gave.  Some said that first it must be Christ centered.  Ultimately Christian community glorify’s Christ.  Some said that Christian community must be accessible and open; there must be honesty and trust; it can only happen by the Holy Spirit, that is, God must be present.  They said that they must love one another, including bearing one another’s weakness and forgiving one another of any wrong doing; they need to be devoted to one another, i.e. they must value one another and invest in one another.  Does anyone know why we are studying the book of John?  We are studying John’s Gospel once again with the Christ’s own prayer in mind, that is, that we would have COMPLETE UNITY, first with God and then with one another.  This meeting was a step in that direction among our youngest and newest members.  When I asked everyone what they thought about the meeting Andrew Cuevas spoke for them all and said, “Why haven’t we done this sooner?”  That was a really good question.  And all I could say was, “Because we are doing it now.”  Basically, God placed in the hearts of three of our second generation sons a burden about this matter and they took the ball and ran with it.  Thank God!  Obviously, these three have experienced God’s sin-forgiving love in some way and they had heart for those like themselves and so this wonderful new outreach came about.

A very similar thing happened with this woman.  This woman ‘got it’.  She saw that her neighbors were no different than herself.  Her townspeople were also in need of the Savior.  They too needed the Living Water.  They needed to meet Jesus personally, just as she did.  So she immediately went to them.

When they heard her testimony the townspeople knew something was different with this woman.  In the past she would not give them the time of day.  She ignored them and they ignored her.  But when she came into town, she immediately went directly to them and told them, “Come and see!  Could this be the Christ!”  She did not avoid them.  She did not turn her eyes away from their judging and haughty attitude.  No she looked them straight in the eye and with a great big smile spoke to them, sharing the love of God she experienced personally.

The townspeople were so surprised by the sudden and amazing change in her that they came just out of sheer curiosity if nothing else.  So the townspeople began to come out to Jesus to find out who He was.  

Third, meanwhile the disciples are concerned with their empty stomachs.  (31-38)  Look at vere 31.  “31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”  Jesus and His disciples had journeyed a long way and they were tired and hungry.  They still didn’t understand why they had come to this god forsaken country, but they did know they were hungry.  But they couldn’t eat unless their master first ate.  So they encouraged Him to eat, so could.

Look at verses 32-34.  “32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.   33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought Him food?”  34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”  Jesus was not thinking about lunch.  Jesus had forgotten about his physical condition. Of course, the disciples didn’t understand this. They wondered if someone had brought Jesus food.  Jesus must have known they would not understand.  But he spoke to them in such a way to turn their minds from the physical to the spiritual.  Jesus wanted to bring them into the presence of God.  Jesus expresses here his sense of mission.  Eating is the sustenance of human life. When a man does not eat, he dies.  Likewise, to Jesus, to do the will of God by feeding a sheep was more important than his life itself.

When Jesus used the word, “My food,” he wanted to reveal to them the spiritual world.  Jesus’ food was spiritual; it was real nourishment for the soul.  For Jesus to do the will of His Father in Heaven and to finish this work was real food.  In this case, Jesus did the will of God when he shared the word of life with the Samaritan woman.  Though she looked like the last person to believe in God, Jesus knew that God loved her and that she longed for God.  Jesus counseled her, bearing her sensitive emotional condition.  It took a lot of energy and struggle for Jesus.  But she became a true worshiper of God.  This jaded and worn out middle-aged woman suddenly became like a bright young teenage girl.  She ran around telling everyone about Jesus with excitement and great passion. And Jesus was overjoyed.  Jesus could not have been happier.  Watching the transformation in her was like eating a New York steak.  Jesus forgot about time and space. Jesus was full of spiritual joy over one person who was saved. 

We can learn Jesus’ spiritual secret. When we do the will of God, our souls can find true satisfaction and we can grow spiritually.  Jesus is not saying that we don’t need physical food. He was saying that just as there is physical food for the body, there is also spiritual food for the soul. This spiritual food is to do the will of God. But in order for us to do the will of God we must be trained and equipped; we must study the word of God and be the first to obey it from our hearts. We must teach the word of God to others primarily through one-to-one Bible study like Jesus did; but also in any way that we can give the spiritual truths of God’s Word to God’s flock.  Many of us can testify that before having Bible study with our sheep we are hungry and tired, maybe even irritable.  But after finishing the Bible study we are filled with a mysterious and inexpressible joy.

Jesus’ spiritual food was also to finish God’s work.  Here, the cross came to Jesus’ mind. At the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished,” and he breathed his last. Jesus’ practical obedience to God’s will in daily life was the process by which he grew spiritually. Finally, Jesus could finish God’s work with a life sacrifice. When we participate in the sufferings of Christ on a daily basis, our spiritual muscle grows strong. We can become mature enough to finish our mission to the end. The one who finishes his mission like Jesus is an everlasting victor of life and that person’s joy is complete.

Fourth, the disciples eyes were not open to what God was doing. (35)  Let’s read verse 35 together.  “35 Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”  As Jesus thought about God’s work in one Samaritan woman, he could see the vision for a fruitful and bountiful harvest. God was working before their very eyes. There was a saying in those days, “Four months more and then the harvest.” It meant that after planting the seeds, they needed to wait a certain time to see the harvest; about four months later.  But this time, the spiritual harvest came right away; it was going on before their eyes. Jesus wanted to share the vision with his disciples.  As Jesus looked out, Samaritan people were making their way toward him.  Jesus knew that they were coming to hear the word of God and that the Holy Spirit would work mightily among them.  It was time for a harvest.  When harvest time comes, one must put everything else aside and work for the harvest, day and night. If he misses the harvest season, his entire crop can be wasted.  But if he works hard at the harvest time, he will be most fruitful. Jesus says, “Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

Look at verses 36-38.  “36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”  Now farmers water and tend to the crops, but the actual work of transforming a seed into a full grown crop that can be harvested is a mysterious work that men cannot really do.  It is the work of God.  God uses what man has done and does the real work of transforming a lowly seed into wheat or barley or something else.  In the same way, we need to have eyes to see that God is busy working hard on each of our campuses.  Each campus is like a harvest field. There are young souls waiting for the living word of God to come to them.  During the first quarter of the new school year I went fishing diligently and a surprising thing happened many students responded to my invitation to study the Bible.  Of course I did not do anything to open their hearts, God had been working on them on His own, but they were ready when I invited them.

The campuses may look dry and barren but in truth God is working hard on every campus and He never stops working.  We have to realize that God is hard at work.  And we need to see that what God is doing is NOW RIPE FOR HARVEST.

At my house there are several fig trees and it’s almost time to begin harvesting figs and making fig jelly.  We did it for the first time last year.  But I learned one thing.  Mari and I had to be fast to harvest the fruit.  So early after daily bread Mari and I would take a bowl and grab all the figs that were ripe.  But sometimes we missed some and they fell to the ground and went to waste.  I always felt bad when I saw a beautiful fruit squashed on my driveway that Mari and I could have used to eat or make jelly with.

God is hard at work sowing and preparing students on each of our campuses.  Now is the time to work and not miss the crop that is ready and ripe for harvest.  We cannot think that the harvest will remain ripe, because it will over ripen and fall to the ground and be wasted.  God is surely at work all the time and some are ready even this moment, but we need to open our eyes, we need to look for the fruit that is ready and we need to pick it before it goes bad.

Fifth, the Samaritans learn for themselves that Jesus is the Son of God. (39-42)  Look at verses 39-42.  “39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”  40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  41 And because of his words many more became believers.  42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”  An amazing work took place, a whole town, a whole community was brought to Christ because of the testimony of even one previously despised and shameful woman.  No one could have expected that.

Look at verse 42 one more time. “42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”  Look at verse 42. “They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” The Samaritan woman’s testimony had led them to Jesus. Then they heard Jesus’ words for themselves. They confessed that Jesus is the Savior of the world. Hearing others’ testimonies is important.  But it is not enough.  Each person must hear Jesus’ words for themselves through deep and personal Bible study.  Then we can know for sure that Jesus really is the Savior of the world, and my personal Savior too. 

One thirsty Samaritan woman’s change revealed Jesus to the people of her community. When they saw Jesus, they each wanted Jesus for themselves. When they heard his word and met him personally, they confessed that Jesus is the Savior of the world. This is true. Everybody needs Jesus. It is because sin is our universal problem. And Jesus is the universal answer. John the Baptist said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (1:29) Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

When one person changes in Christ, a community can change; a nation can change; the world can change. Let’s believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world and teach the Bible to one person at a time and with that to have vision to see America to truly become a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation.

One Word: Open your eyes and look at the fields, they are ripe for harvest.

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