What Are You Hungering For?
Background
4:31–35. Meanwhile, the disciples had more pressing concerns than the evangelism of an entire town. They showed legitimate concern for their leader and friend, confident that he must be exhausted and hungry. But their spiritual immaturity prohibited them from seeing into the spiritual realities of the situation. Like Nicodemus, they could not make the transfer from the earthly to the heavenly.
Picking up the food metaphor, Jesus pointed the disciples to the immediate opportunity for ministry, fields white and ripe for harvest, a description Christians have always found applicable to their own situation in any age. Interpreters have pondered for centuries what Jesus meant by the words, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Perhaps the time was fall and he gestured to actual harvest-ready fields surrounding Sychar. Or maybe the white-robed Samaritans, already out of the city and heading down the hill, represented the harvest of that day.
The venerable Sir Robert Andrews argues that John intended a chronological cue by recording this line. The problem is that scholars differ on whether the harvest was still four months distant or right at hand. Andrews takes the reference as “the only datum we have by which to determine the time of the year when Jesus went into Galilee.” But he also reminds us, “Some, however, deny that this reference to the harvest as yet four months distant is of any chronological value, because the expression is a proverbial one, based upon the fact that there is an average interval of four months between the sowing and harvesting” (Andrews, pp. 182–83).
Perhaps the best interpretation minimizes the chronological import and stays with the main storyline which John offered as a video rather than a snapshot. The disciples had just approached Jesus by the well, the Samaritans were on their way out of the city, the topic was food (bread made from grain), so Jesus contrasted the yet-distant grain harvest with the immediate heart harvest. Whether all this was based on a common proverb of the time, we can only guess.
4:36–38. Sowers and reapers are often different people. In this particular instance, the disciples were about to join the harvest at Sychar where they had not previously worked. But who were the others who had done the hard work? Certainly Old Testament prophets would be included, and perhaps even John the Baptist, whose influence could have spread into Samaria. We find a key companion passage in 1 Corinthians 3:6–8: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.”
The Samaritan evangelism project had already begun, and Jesus wanted these disciples to understand the principle of uniting sowers and reapers. The main focus was spiritual, a Samaritan model of a task that would last until Jesus returns. In eternity’s efforts, we can allow no competition among those who work in God’s fields. Some sow, some reap, but they rejoice together—an appropriate picture of what the church ought to be in collective ministry today. We would love to focus the spotlight on reaping, but there is no reaping without sowing. Sowing is useless unless someone has watered and cultivated, sometimes for a long period of time. Whatever our tasks in the harvest, we must handle them in cooperation with other workers.
When the disciples rejoined Jesus, they did not dare ask Him about His conversation with the Samaritan woman but rather inquired about His physical well-being. Perhaps they thought hunger had deprived Him of the sense necessary to know better than to talk with such a woman. Jesus then continued the education of the disciples, instructing them that His “food” was to “do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”
Jesus was clearly on a mission, a mission that was God-informed and God-directed (5:30; 6:38; 8:26; 9:4; 10:37–38; 12:49–50; 14:31; 15:10; 17:4). What was that mission? To confront people—all people, as the Samaritan woman demonstrated—with the truth of Himself. Jesus told them that the “fields are ripe for harvest” and that in entering that field for work, it makes no different whether one plants the seed or brings in the crop. This is an important truth, for there should never be competition among Christians regarding differing fields of service. All should share in the joy of seeing the kingdom of God extend.
Her eyes are now opened to the Person of Christ, and on the authority of His Word, she trusts Him and is saved. She proves her faith by giving public testimony to the people in the town (and they certainly knew her character); and they too came to trust Him. Note the final testimony of these believers, “This is indeed the Savior of the world!” It is interesting to note the disciples’ behavior in this chapter. They are more concerned about physical food than spiritual food. Christ was weary (v. 6) and thirsty, and certainly hungry; but He put spiritual matters above physical comfort. While the disciples were out buying food (a good thing), Christ was winning souls (a far better thing). The disciples, on coming to Samaria, had probably said, “We can never win anyone here. These people are hard-hearted and enemies of our people.” But Christ told them to look on the fields that were white to harvest. He reminded them that all of God’s people must work together in the harvest field, some to sow, others to reap. It is God who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:5–9).
We might note the example Christ sets as a soul-winner. He did not allow personal prejudices or physical needs to hinder Him. He met this woman in a friendly way and did not force her into a decision. Wisely, He guided the conversation and allowed the Word to take effect in her heart. He dealt with her privately and lovingly presented the way of salvation. He captured her attention by speaking about something common and at hand—water—and used this as an illustration of eternal life. (Likewise, at the cool midnight hour, He spoke to Nicodemus about wind.) He did not avoid speaking of sin, but brought her face-to-face with her need.
Ver. 34. Jesus saith unto them, &c.] His disciples: my meat is to do the will of him that sent me. The Ethiopic version reads, of my father that sent me, and who is undoubtedly intended. Now as food is pleasant, and delightful, and refreshing to the body of man, so doing the will of God was as delightful and refreshing to the soul of Christ: he took as much pleasure in it, as an hungry man does in eating and drinking. One part of the will of God was to assume human nature; this he had done, and with delight and pleasure: another part of it was to fulfil the law; and this was in his heart, and was his delight, and he was now doing it: and another branch of it was to suffer and die, in the room and stead of his people; and as disagreeable as this was in itself to the human nature, yet he cheerfully agreed to it; and was sometimes, as it were, impatient till it was acccomplished; and he voluntarily became obedient to it: no man could, with greater eagerness, fall to eating, when hungry, than Christ went about his father’s will and work, even that which was most ungrateful to him, as man. And to finish his work; one part of which was to preach the Gospel, and for which he was anointed and sent; and which he did with great assiduity and constancy: and another part of it was the conversion of sinners by it, whom he was sent to call, and with whom he delighted to be; and was the work he was now about, and took the pleasure in, the text expresses: and beside these, miracles were works his father gave him to finish; such as healing diseases, and dispossessing of devils, and which he went about doing continually, with great delight: but the chief work of all is, that of the redemption and salvation of his chosen ones: this was a work his father called him to, and sent him into this world to perform, which he gave unto him, and Christ accepted of, and agreed to do; and though it was a very toilsome and laborious one, there being a righteous law to be fulfilled, justice to be satisfied, the sins of all his people to bear, as well as the wrath of God, and the curse of the law, and numerous enemies to grapple with, and an accursed death to undergo; yet with pleasure he performed this: for the joy of doing his father’s will, accomplishing his counsels and covenant, and his own engagements, and procuring the salvation of his people, he endured the cross patiently, and despised the shame of it. The whole of the will and work of God was done by him, just as the Lord commanded it; exactly, according to the pattern given him, with all faithfulness and integrity; with the most consummate wisdom and prudence; with all application, diligence, and constancy, and so as to finish it, and that without the help of any other; and in such a manner that nothing can be added to it to make it more perfect, or that it can be undone again by men or devils: and that the doing and finishing of this were his meat, or as delightful and refreshing to him as meat is to the body, appears from his ready and cheerful engaging in it in eternity; from his early and industrious entrance on it in time; from his constancy in it, when he had begun, insomuch that nothing could deter him from it; nor did he sink and fail under it, nor left it till he had finished it.
Ver. 35. Say not ye, there are yet four months, &c.] Our Lord had been in Jerusalem and Judea, about eight months from the last passover, and there remained four more to the next passover: and then cometh harvest? barley-harvest, which began at that time. Now as the passover was in the middle of the month Nisan, which was about the latter end of our March; reckoning four months back from thence shews, that it was about the latter end of our November, or beginning of December, that Christ was in Samaria, and at Jacob’s well. Some think, that this does not refer to the then present time, as if there were so many months from thence to the next harvest, but to a common way of speaking, that there were four months from seed-time to harvest; during which time there was a comfortable hope, and longing expectation of it: but this will, by no means, agree either with the wheat or barley harvest. The wheat was sown before this time, and the barley a good while after. “Half Tisri, Marcheshvan, and half “Cisleu, were זרע, seed-time.” The earliest they sowed their wheat was in Tisri, which answers to our September and October; i. e. to half one, and half the other. The month of Marcheshvan, which answers to October and November, was the principal month for sowing it: hence that paraphrase on Eccl. 11:2. “give a good part of thy seed to thy field in Tisri and do not refrain from sowing even in Cisleu.” As for the barley, that was sown in the months of Shebet and Adar, and usually in the latter; the former of which answers to January and February, and the latter to February and March. And we readz of their sowing seventy days before the passover, which was within six weeks of the beginning of barley-harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; pointing to the lands which lay near the city of Sychar: for they are white already to harvest; alluding to the corn-fields, which, when ripe, and near harvest, look white: hence we read of שדה הלבן, the white field; which the Jews say is a field sown with wheat or barley, and so called to distinguish it from a field planted with trees; though it may be rather, that it is so called from its white look when ripe. So the three Targums paraphrase Gen. 49:12. “his hills (his valleys, or fields, as Onkelos) יחוורן, are white with corn, and flocks of sheep.” Christ here speaks not literally; for the fields could not be white at such a distance from harvest; but spiritually, of a harvest of souls; and has regard to the large number of Samaritans that were just now coming out of the city, and were within sight, and covered the adjacent fields: and these he calls upon his disciples to lift up their eyes and behold; and suggests to them, that it was not a time for eating and drinking, but for working, since here was such a number of souls to be gathered in: and thus as from corporeal food he proceeded to treat of spiritual food; so from a literal harvest he goes on to speak of a spiritual one, and encourages his disciples to labour in it, by the following arguments.
Ver. 36. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, &c.] Angels are sometimes called reapers, and so are ministers of the Gospel here. The works and ministry of the apostles are here expressed by reaping: for as in reaping, when the corn is ripe, the sickle is put in, and the corn is cut down, and laid to the ground, and then bound in sheaves, and gathered into the barn; so when things are ripe in providence, and God’s set time is come to convert any of his people, he makes use of his ministers for the cutting them down, laying low the loftiness and haughtiness of man, stripping him of all his goodliness, and taking him off of a dependence on his own righteousness and works, and for the gathering them into his churches, which is done with a great deal of joy and pleasure: and such as are so employed, and in this way made useful, shall receive wages, shall not only be taken care of in providence, and have a sufficient and comfortable maintenance, the labourer being worthy of his hire; but shall have pleasure, delight, and satisfaction in their work, that being blessed for the good of souls, and the glory of Christ, and they having the presence of God in it; and also shall hereafter receive the crown of righteousness, when they have finished their course, and shall shine like the stars for ever and ever. And gathereth fruit unto life eternal: by fruit are meant sinners converted and turned from the error of their ways: which are the fruit of a Gospel ministry, of the efficacy and power of divine grace accompanying it; see John 15:16 and these are gathered, by the preaching of the Gospel, out from among the rest of mankind, unto Christ, the Shiloh, or peace-maker, and into his churches, and remain, abide, and persevere to the end; that grace, which is implanted in their souls, being a well of living water, springing up to everlasting life; so that they are at last gathered into Christ’s garner, into heaven, where they shall live with him for ever: that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may rejoice together. The sowers are the prophets of the Old Testament, who sowed that seed in the prophecies, which sprung up in Gospel times, and laid the foundation therein of the great success of the apostles of Christ in preaching the word; for they so clearly described the Messiah, and pointed out Christ, his offices, and his work, in so distinct a manner, that when he was come he was readily known, and cheerfully embraced; they greatly facilitated the work of the apostles, who had nothing to do but to preach Christ, as come in the flesh: and hence they reaped and gathered a vast harvest of souls every where. John the Baptist also was one that sowed; he prepared the way of the Lord, and made straight his paths: and our Lord himself was a sower, that went forth to sow, and who sowed good seed in the field; all which succeeded well, and were ripening apace for a general harvest, which began on the day of Pentecost, after our Lord’s ascension to heaven. This was in Judea; and in the Gentile world there was a sowing in providence, which contributed to make the work of the disciples more easy there, and to bring on, in time, a large harvest. The books of the Old Testament were translated into the Greek language; and the Jews were scattered in the several parts of the world; and the Greek tongue, in which the New Testament was to be written, was every where generally spoken; and these providences were ripening apace to bring on a great work there. And now, as before observed, the apostles were the reapers; they were remarkably successful in the gathering in of souls, even more than the prophets, than John the Baptist, or Christ himself; never was such a harvest of souls, either in Judea, or in the Gentile world, before or since; of which the conversion of these Samaritans was a pledge or earnest. Now when the whole harvest is gathered in, at the end of the world, all these will rejoice together, the patriarchs and prophets, the forerunner of Christ, and Christ himself, and all his apostles and ministers; the different parts they have had in this work all concurring and agreeing together, and issuing in the glory of God, and the good of souls.
Ver. 37. And herein is that saying true, &c.] This verifies that proverbial expression so much in use, and which may be applied to different persons and cases: one soweth, and another reapeth; the prophets sowed, and the apostles reaped.
Ver. 38. I sent you to reap, &c.] To preach the Gospel, and gather in souls by your ministry; referring to the mission of them in Matt. 10:6, 7 that whereon ye bestowed no labour: being sent to the Jews, who had the writings of the prophets, and were versed in them; and had learned from them that the Messiah was to come, and were now in general expectation of him; so that they had nothing more to do, than to declare to those persons who were cultivated by the prophets, and were like to ground till’d and manured, that the Messiah was come, and the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Other men laboured; the prophets, and John the Baptist: and ye are entered into their la-hours; to finish the work they had begun, and which was almost done to their hands.
34. Jesus saith unto them, My meat [Ἐμὸν βρῶμα]. Here, again, the “My” is emphatic, in the same sense. is to do—or rather, ‘to be doing’ [ἵνα ποιῶ] the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work [τελειώσω]—changing the tense to that of a completed work. ‘A Servant here to fulfil a prescribed work, to do and to finish that work is “meat” to Me; and of this, while ye were away, I have had my fill.’ And of what does He speak thus? Of the condescension, pity, patience, wisdom, He had been laying out upon one soul—a very humble woman, and one in some respects repulsive too! But He had gained her, and through her was going to gain more, and lay perhaps the foundation of a great work in the country of Samaria; and this filled His whole soul, and raised Him above the sense of natural hunger. (See on Matt. 4:4.) 35. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? That this was intended to express the actual interval between the time when our Lord was speaking and the harvest-time that year, we cannot doubt. The arguments against it, by Alford and others, as if this were a proverbial speech without any definite reference to the actual time of its utterance—which to us is scarcely intelligible—seem feeble, and the best critics and harmonists regard it here as a note of the actual season of the year at which our Lord spoke—late in December, but more probably January, and, as Stanley affirms, from his own observation, even so late as February; though the year he refers to was perhaps an exceptional one, and the month of February seems too late. behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. ‘It wants four months to harvest, ye would say at this season of the natural harvest: but lift up your eyes and look upon those fields in the light of another husbandry, for, lo! in that sense, it wants not four months nor four days, for they are even now white to harvest, ready for the sickle.’ The simple beauty of this language is only surpassed by the glow of holy emotion in the Redeemer’s own sold which it expresses. It refers to the ripeness of these Sycharites for accession to Him, and the joy of this great Lord of the reapers over the anticipated ingathering. O could we but so “lift up our eyes and look” upon many fields abroad and at home, which to dull sense appear unpromising, as He beheld those of Samaria, what movements, now scarce in embryo, and accessions to Christ, seemingly far distant, might we not discern as quite near at hand, and thus, amidst difficulties and discouragements too much for nature to sustain, be cheered—as our Lord Himself was in circumstances far more overwhelming—with “songs in the night”! [It is surprising that Tischendorf should adhere to the punctuation of some certainly ancient MSS. and versions here, in connecting the word “already”—ἤδη—with the following verse; no doubt, because the usual place of that adverb is before, not after, καί. But as this would utterly destroy the sense of our Lord’s statements in the two verses, so in the matter of mere punctuation the MSS. and versions are of no authority; and we are as good judges as the ancient transcribers and translators where the punctuation in every case ought to be. Both Lachmann and Tregelles follow here the punctuation of the received text.] 36. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. As our Lord could not mean that the reaper only, and not the sower, received “wages,” in the sense of personal reward for his work, the “wages” here can be no other than the joy of having such a harvest to gather in—the joy of “gathering fruit unto life eternal.” The blessed issue of the whole ingathering is the interest alike of the sower and of the reaper; it is no more the fruit of the last operation than of the first; and just as there can be no reaping without previous sowing, so have those servants of Christ, to whom is assigned the pleasant task of merely reaping the spiritual harvest, no work to do, and no joy to taste, that has not been prepared to their hand by the toilsome and often thankless work of their predecessors in the field. The joy, therefore, of the great harvest festivity will be the common joy of all who have taken any part in the work from the first operation to the last. (See Deut. 16:11, 14; Ps. 126:6; Isa. 9:3). 38. I sent you [Ἐγὼ ἀπέστειλα]. The “I” here is emphatic: I, the Lord of the whole harvest. When He says, “I sent you,” He refers back to their past appointment to the apostleship, though it points only to the future discharge of it, for they had nothing to do with the present ingathering of the Sycharites. to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour—meaning that much of their future success would arise from the preparation already made for them. other men laboured—referring, as we think, to the Old Testament labourers, the Baptist, and by implication Himself, though He studiously keeps this in the background, that the line of distinction between Himself and all His servants might not be lost sight of.
The disciples return to the well to discover (to their great surprise) Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman. They have not seen how Jesus has dealt with her nor heard the answers he has given. So it is their turn to learn some vital lessons.
We have already noted the immense religious and cultural divide that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans. There were lessons to learn in this, and through the example of Jesus the disciples were confronted with the issue of their own prejudice.
No doubt Jesus was both hungry and thirsty. That was the reason why the disciples had gone into Sychar—so that they could bring back food for their master. But the response of Jesus pointed them towards the necessity of concentrating on what really matters. For Jesus, what was most important to him, even above taking in life-sustaining food, was to do what God had called him to do. That was his goal and vision; it was literally his life-consuming passion.
This was a lesson that the disciples had to learn. They’d started following Jesus with an eye to the rewards that following the Jewish Messiah would bring. They dreamt of power and financial reward. They imagined the prestige that would follow their obedience. But their tired and hungry master, ministering to an adulterous Samaritan woman and about to be swamped by the approaching villagers, reminded them what was most important. Jesus said that nothing is more important than doing what God wants you to do (vv. 34–35).
Once again, Jesus alluded to verses in the Old Testament as he saw the people from Sychar streaming out to meet him. He used harvest language that would have had special significance to his disciples because of their Jewish upbringing. ‘Look at the fields,’ he said, ‘they are ripe for harvest.’ This harvesting imagery was associated with the coming kingdom of God (see Amos 9:13).
This coming kingdom, in which people would be gathered from all corners of the globe, was now beginning to break through. Even Samaritans were being saved and rescued. And the invitation of Jesus to his disciples was to get involved in the climax of God’s purposes for the world. ‘This is it,’ said Jesus, ‘this is what was promised long ago. This is what God has been preparing down through the ages. The sowing of biblical revelation has now reached its climax.’ As he said in verse 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 labour.’
To get involved in serving King Jesus is nothing less than being part of the greatest plan the universe has ever seen: the rescue and glorification of God’s children. But this image of a ripe harvest in the Old Testament not only referred to God’s people being gathered into his kingdom, but also to God’s judgement upon those who reject him (see Joel 3:13–14).
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Jesus patiently (He apparently never lost His patience) explains to them that He is not speaking of normal physical food, but that His food (i.e. what really satisfies and fulfills Him) is doing the will of the One who has sent Him (God). To do God’s will and to finish the work which He has sent Him into the world to do were Christ’s greatest satisfaction and joy.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
As Jesus thinks of the great harvest of souls that He is about to reap (perhaps, even at this moment, He sees the crowd of Samaritans on their way out to Him), He wants to impress upon His disciples the significance of what is happening. He therefore makes reference to a saying common among the people of the time, “Say not ye (“ye” is emphatic), there are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest.” The usage here is similar to that in Mt. 5, where Jesus quotes a common proverb which expresses the conventional wisdom of the time and then contrasts it with the real truth by the repeated formula, “But I say” (vv. 22, 28, 32, etc.). So, here, He goes on to say, “Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already unto harvest.”
Jesus is saying, in effect, “Look, I have just sown the seed and the grain is already ripe for harvest. It took but a few minutes. There does not have to be a long delay between spiritual sowing and reaping. Remember this later on in your own ministries. Do not be satisfied merely to sow and rationalize within yourselves that someone else will take care of the harvest, later. Always be thinking in terms of harvesting, and you will find many more opportunities than you suppose.”
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
The one who reaps (in this instance, the disciples) receives a wonderful reward (the Greek misthos may be so translated). His harvest is a harvest of souls whom he garners unto eternal life. In so doing he comes to share with the sower (in this instance, Jesus) the wonderful joy of the harvest in which they each have had a part. Jesus is about to let the disciples share with Him in the joy of reaping the harvest which He, alone, has sown. He wants them to understand from this a principle: one may sow and another may reap, but their work is one. He who reaps is enjoying the results of the sower’s effort. On the other hand, the sower has a very real part in the harvest even though he may not, himself, reap. So it has been on this occasion. Jesus has sown the seed and now the disciples are going to share with Him the joy of the harvest.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
Jesus now draws from this particular episode a general principle that applies, in a much broader sense, to the future ministry of the disciples. The past tense of the verb “sent” (Greek aorist) must be taken seriously (Schnackenburg). Jesus apparently places Himself into the future and looks back upon their ministry and evaluates it from that perspective. Their ministry is to be built upon the efforts of others (e.g. the O.T. prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus Himself). These past efforts will be an essential part of their success. Jesus wants the disciples to be aware of the transcendent unity of God’s servants of every era (past, present, future).
In agriculture there is always a considerable separation in time between sowing and harvesting. The disciples needed to realize that with the coming of Jesus, sowing (preaching) and reaping (conversions) coincided. The immediate reference may be to the approaching Samaritans (vv. 39–42).
4:36 This saying is reminiscent of Am 9:13, which depicted the prosperity of the new age. Hence Jesus claimed that he was ushering in the messianic age, a time of swift, abundant harvest.
4:37–38 This saying may allude to Mc 6:15, “You will sow but not reap.” Yet Jesus’s adaptation left judgment unmentioned. The others who had labored were Jesus and his predecessors, most recently John the Baptist, the final prophet associated with the OT era. Jesus’s followers were the beneficiaries of their work and would bring in the harvest.