Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"
The woman had an encounter with Jesus. She is so excited about the possibility of this Teacher; she forgot why she came to the well in the first place. She hurries off to town without her water jar.
Here comes a woman who had five husbands in her lifetime and was living with a man without the sanction of marriage. Yet, in spite of her reputation in town, the people actually listen to her.
They came out of the town and made their way toward Him.
She must have been very convincing. That these townspeople who knew her would listen to her concerning spiritual things is nothing short of astounding.
What was it? Her exuberance? Or was it her testimony that this Rabbi knew all about her even though He was a stranger?
Perhaps seeing the people coming from a distance, shimmering in the noonday sun like waves of harvest grain, Jesus says to His students:
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.
One woman and now a whole town coming to hear what the Teacher has to say. This is why Jesus has come to earth. To gather those who are prepared to receive Him.
It is now God’s harvest time.
no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
ReplyDeleteNo one asked, but that's apparently what they were thinking. They were surprised.
1. Instead of going around Samaria - as was the normal custom - they went right through it.
2. Jesus is talking to a Samaritan.
3. This particular Samaritan was a woman! Which in the day was a 3rd class citizen.
These things went against the customs and habits of religious Jewish people. So although they don't ask, they are surprised and questioning within.
They (towns people) came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Jesus looks up and sees that his discussion with one woman has the townspeople coming out to discuss things with him. And he says to his disciples:
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.
I get the impression that Jesus is saying - come on, guys! Look around you. I talked with one woman and the townspeople are coming out to find out about me. You went into the town and brought back no one. Who did you tell I was here? These people are lost and you told no one. You are my disciples and you told no one - this woman who you looked down upon has brought back many. The fields are ripe for harvest.
The fields are still ripe for harvest.
Would Jesus say the same thing to us?