John 4:27-38

Continuing our study of John 4, today we will be looking at verses 27 through 38. Grab your Bible and your copy of Take Every Passage to Prayer Vol. 2 by Charles Wagner to pages 118 and 119. 

Previously, we saw how Jesus compassionately interacted with a social outcast and taught about the transformation of worship while the disciples went into town to grab lunch. We jump into the story when the twelve finally return to Jesus with food in hand. They see him talking to the Samaritan woman, but refuse to question Jesus. Although He was breaking three major social standards (gender, ethnic, and moral), the disciples stayed silent. The text does not give us many details about this moment with the disciples, but I imagine they might have felt confused due to Jesus’ controversial actions. Or maybe they were so focused on following Jesus that they abandoned their own self-consciousness. Some of the disciples might have even felt angry! I challenge you, reader, to examine your own response to the Woman at the Well story. Determine what confuses you, excites you, and angers you, and bring those feelings to our Heavenly Father. Just like the disciples, you are allowed to have emotions, even negative ones, but our focus should remain on our perfect example, Jesus Christ.

As the woman leaves, the disciples approach Jesus and offer Him the food that they just bought. Jesus cryptically responds with, “I have food to eat that you do not know about” and “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:32, 34 ESV). This thoroughly confuses the disciples, as they are thinking about physical food, similar to how the Samaritan woman confused the “living water” for physical water. I believe that the repetition of confusing a spiritual concept for something physical is important here. Why does Jesus keep directing our attention towards Heaven? Let us look at the text further to investigate.

The Greek word for “accomplish” or “finish” in John 4 is τελειοω, which is a cognate of the word that Jesus uses when He is on the cross: “It is finished/τελεω” (John 19:30 ESV). Looking at these synonyms, as well as the explanation that Jesus gives in verse 34, this spiritual food is to follow God’s will. Jesus is motivated by God’s will, and affirms that till the very end of his crucifixion. Our bodies are motivated by food. Said differently, the energy that sustains our body and the calories that build up our cells all come from our meals. What would it look like to sustain yourself on God’s will alone? Reader, I hope you don’t interpret me as encouraging you to go on a “spiritual diet.” Rather, Jesus calls us to direct our focus to the spiritual, not necessarily our physical stomachs. What I am encouraging is a dissection of the people, places, and things that give you energy. God’s will for our life should be the motivating factor for our decisions.

Just like the disciples in verse 27, this exercise may bring up some strong emotions for you, and that is okay. Jesus goes on to acknowledge the difficulty of this task by giving us a metaphor. Oftentimes, farmers will reap a harvest that his father sowed. In the same way, the hard work of following God will not always produce a harvest that you will reap. Moses didn’t get to see the Promised Land, the ancient Israelite prophets didn’t get to see the coming Messiah, and the twelve disciples didn’t get to see the blossoming of the early church. Yet, each person’s impact led the next generation to reap the harvest that the previous generation sowed. Following God’s will is HARD. This passage tells us that God’s will sustains us and will sustain the generations to come. Join me in praying for ways that we can follow God’s will.

Father, thank you for this day that you have made, for the bodies you have given us, and for this opportunity to study your Word. Help us to lift our gaze to the spiritual, and focus our eyes on your Son, Jesus Christ. We struggle with getting caught up in the physical, turning our desires towards people, places, and things that give us short term pleasures. Give me a hunger for your will, motivation to reap the benefits that are ready for harvest, and energy to sow seeds for the next generation to reap. In Jesus’ name, Amen.