Fields of Opportunity

Introduction:

Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman comes to an end as the disciples return in verse 27. The disciples are amazed that Jesus is even speaking with this woman. She is an outsider who has three strikes against her. She is a woman. She has a poor reputation, and she is a Samaritan. Additionally, Jewish men considered it inappropriate to be speaking with a woman in public, including their own wives, much less an adulteress. Rabbis would have never discussed theological questions with women. The disciples, being raised to be good Jewish boys and men, would have thought this way for sure. Yet we need to be reminded that the message of the gospel is for every culture and for every person, regardless of their background, race or social standing. Our concern is to be for all people, not just those of our own race or social standing.

The disciples do not question Jesus openly, but remain silent. The story moves back to the woman and we discover she leaves her water pot. Jesus’ words to her had so gripped her heart that she could not focus on anything else at the moment. We should not read too much symbolism into the leaving of the water pot, only that I believe her attention has been diverted by the power of Jesus’ words to her. The outsider is now on a journey spiritually to make a firm commitment to Christ. The text seems to indicate by her question in verse 29, “Could this be the Messiah?”, that she is still debating the question in her own mind. But she nonetheless becomes a witness for Christ in her Samaritan village. She invites the people to come and meet this man “who told me everything I ever did”.

The scene shifts now to the disciples imploring Jesus to eat. Jesus’ response to their pleas reveals his purpose. To do the will of his Father. He exhorts the disciples by using agricultural imagery to make a point concerning the priority of Jesus and his followers. Jesus wasn’t searching for food, he was searching for people. He is still seeking and saving the lost. . The whole narrative in is pointing out the priority of God’s mission. That outsiders become insiders. Those who are far from God would be drawn near. Those who are lost spiritual orphans would be adopted gloriously into the family of God. The Samaritan woman is broken, just as all of the human race is, and Jesus is the only one who can put all the pieces together and bring beauty from ashes.

The priority of Jesus must be the priority of his followers. If you chase two rabbits at once, both get away. Computers are good at doing more than one thing at a time, but people are not really wired to do that well. When we are scattered, smothered and covered the priority suffers. When we try to do everything, we end up doing nothing well and then nothing at all due to frustration and burnout. This is a lesson we must learn individually and out into practice in ministry.

One of the amazing things about this encounter in is that the outsider became an evangelist by simply telling people about Jesus. Her life change became the catalyst for the transformation of an entire village (note vv.39-42). God wants to use broken people to accomplish his purposes, just as he did with this woman. You and I are those broken people God have been adopted into God’s family by faith in Christ, now God desires and is seeking more to bring in to the family. Are we engaged in this priority?

One of the amazing things about this encounter in is that the outsider became an evangelist by simply telling people about Jesus. Her life change became the catalyst for the transformation of an entire village (note vv.39-42)

The fields are ready for harvest (verse 35). We need to stop waiting for the right time, the right place or the right person. We need to see that the time is now and the place is where you work, live and play, and that the people all around you are the right people. We need to stop bemoaning and blaming the culture around us and engage them with the hope of the gospel.

Our opportunity is clear. Here are our challenges this morning:

I. The Gospel is Too Good to Keep to Yourself

The woman of Samaria immediately left her waterpot and went back to her village to tell people about Jesus. Her message was simply put, “Come and see Jesus”. We look back and this is the same message of early disciples of Jesus in , come and see for yourself.

You should be Excited about the fact that Jesus has changed your life

I have heard it said many times in the business world, “Word of mouth is the best advertising.” Slick ad campaigns, fancy signs, rock star preachers or celebrity praise bands aren’t the ticket. Your testimony is the most powerful advertising the church of Jesus Christ has.

Illustrate: If some of you ladies here this morning found a store that was selling designer clothes and shoes at a fraction of the cost, you would be telling all your friends.

God never designed the church to be an organization where the “hired hands” do all of the work. That is that sharing the gospel should be left to the professionals. Yet it is a sad commentary on the state of the church today that many are content to sit around while a frazzled few do all the work.

Every day we have opportunities as followers of Jesus to simply say to others, “Let me tell you about a man who changed my life forever and his name is Jesus.”