John 4:27-42 (NIV)
The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
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?"
28Then, 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?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
33Then 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. 35Do 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. 36Even 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. 37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38I 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."
Many Samaritans Believe
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They 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."
Questions:
1. The woman went and told everyone about Jesus. When you became a Christian were you eager to tell people about Jesus?
2. Jesus talks about the harvest, are you telling people about Jesus now? Are you sowing or reaping?
3. The Samaritan woman shared her experience with others and people came to know Jesus. How has your experience ministered to other people?
2 comments:
Q1: I was eager to speak of the experiences that I had, indicating in particular how He guided me, and never left me, even when I was at my lowest ebb.
Q2: This questions is an interesting one. When we ask ourselves if we are "telling" about Jesus, I believe we need to take into consideration verbal as well as non-verbal messages. We may testify to others that God is real and provide examples of His work in our lives. We may also show by our lifestyles, attitudes, work ethic, etc., that we have an inner peace that can only come from our Lord and Saviour. I have observed that secular society tends to dictate that my spiritual beliefs are personal, and should be kept private. In some countries, it is quite alright if I displayed a prayer at my workstation. In other countries, this is an absolute no-no. In order to circumvent the restrictions that I face in "verbally telling" about Jesus I do a few things which include: stating my alternative preferences, in lieu of popular trends. As an example, in my workplace, there seems to be a general belief in astrology and the like. When asked about star signs, my response is categorically I don't have one because I do not share those beliefs. I am also not ashamed to indicate when I have prayed before attending to assigned tasks. As to whether I am therefore "sowing", I believe that I have. I have seen evidence of seeds sown in changes in the behaviour of some people I interact with. However,of course there is still work to be done.
Q3: In addition to lending a sympathetic ear, I am able to encourage. This includes the provision of examples from my own experience, the use of scripture to allay fears and discouragement, and the indication that they are not alone in their trials. I have come to realize that it means so much for someone to know that someone is praying for them, or is available to simply listen as they unburden their concerns, or can give them encouragement to press on. I think we mistakenly believe that when someone shares their challenges with us we need to provide advice. This tends to make us feel overwhelmed, in that we ourselves are sometimes unsure of the proper advice that should be given. As we lend a listening ear, we need to let our friends know that they are not alone and that Jesus will dry all their tears and lead them to the peace they seek.
I love your comment Blessed! Especially as to how you have modeled your Christian life.
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