Disciples
Rejoin Jesus
Just
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?”
v27
Jesus’
Jewish disciples returned to Him with physical food. They are surprised that
Rabbi Jesus is talking with a woman in public. Not only is she a woman, she is
also an adulterous woman and a Samaritan whom the Jews considered their enemy.
His disciples didn’t say anything to the Samaritan woman or Jesus. No doubt
through their travels with Jesus, they had learned not to question His
authority or actions. After all, Jesus had transformed water into wine. They
had learned that His ways were not their ways!
Jesus is doing a
totally unconventional thing. Rabbis did not talk to women in public let alone
one of ill-repute lest their reputation be marred. And they surely didn’t talk
to Samaritans because of the hostility between them. Jesus will bring His
Jewish disciples and this Jew/Gentile Samaritan woman together as one in Him.
He has taught this Samaritan woman about His “living, spiritual water.” He will
now teach His disciples about His “spiritual, living food.” Jesus taught truth
to both male and female, Jew and Gentile so together they would come up with
pure spiritual Truth.
Jesus while on
earth was walking amongst people who were spiritually dry and barren. Jesus
wanted them to know about the eternal, living water that only He could give and
the eternal, living Word that He is. Jesus was bold and strong because He is
the Living Word and the source of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit. Because
of this, Jesus could accomplish His purpose in the midst of this spiritual
condition surrounding Him. Followers of Christ also have the Living Word and
the Living Water of the Holy Spirit to help them in the midst of a world full
of sin and spiritual death.
Let’s
look at how Jesus dealt with this sinful woman:
- Jesus went out of His way and entered enemy territory to save this female sinner. No one wanted this woman because of her reputation.
- He did not judge or condemn her.
- Jesus loved the unlovable and those considered unworthy whether male or female, Jew or Gentile, young or old. He is no respecter of persons.
- Jesus spent time with her.
- He drew her to Himself through His compassion, acceptance and love.
- He spoke the Truth to her in love.
- He brought her to confession of her sin so she could be set free, and He could reveal who He truly is to her.
- He asked her to serve Him.
- She became a great evangelist. Her boldness and enthusiasm about the Man/Jesus brought an entire town to Him.
In the midst of the
accusers and opposition surrounding Jesus, He continued to show His love and
compassion to sinners in need of salvation. He came to seek and save those who
are lost. His detractors and those who plotted against Him did not stop Jesus
from doing the work God sent Him to do. Believers must also show love and
compassion to others in need of salvation and do the work God has called us to
do.
New
Food
Meanwhile
His disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But He said to them, “I have
food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then His disciples said to each
other, “Could someone have brought Him food?” John 4:32-33
The
disciples are talking about earthly food, but Jesus will teach them about
heavenly, spiritual food. Jesus wants us to hunger for spiritual truth. Jesus
often provided physical food to teach about spiritual food. Spiritual food is superior to physical food
and yet, there are many more in today’s church who will go to a physical
dinner, luncheon or buffet but fewer to a good bible study. Feeding on the
spiritual food of the Anointed Word is feeding our spirit and our eternal life
in Christ. Fleshly food sustains our physical life, but the spiritual food of
the Anointed Word feeds our spiritual life. Without Truth, we remain in
darkness and deception and are outside of the kingdom of heaven. His spiritual
food recreates us and gives us entrance into God’s eternal abode.
As
the faithful servant in the story of Rebekah and Isaac in Genesis 24:33 refused to eat until he told his message of the
father and the son, Jesus refused to eat as He taught people about His Father and Himself and God's food and will.
Jesus
continually wanted to raise the level of understanding from the earthly to the
spiritual. He came to do His Heavenly Father’s will. This was His food! He was
completely submitted to the will of God and was the only One who was perfectly
obedient to God’s will. Jesus was God-sent to show the Father’s love toward
humanity and to save humanity from eternal death. Jesus had a mighty, eternal
purpose. Doing the Father’s will satisfied the deep appetite of Jesus’s Holy
Spirit. Doing the work that God had sent Jesus to do and teaching the Anointed Truth
made Him forget about physical hunger. Jesus toiled unendingly to carry out
God’s will. He was walking in the midst of a people who were spiritually dry
and barren. In spite of the spiritual condition of those around Him, Jesus
accomplished His purpose. Our food should also be to do the will of God and His
purpose for our lives. We live in a world surrounded by darkness and naysayers.
In the midst of this spiritual condition, God wants us to accomplish His will
by bringing others into His eternal kingdom. There is no other way to the
Father except through His Son. The Perfect God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, work
through the imperfect in accomplishing God’s will on earth. The more we come to
the light of Truth and submission to it, the greater our understanding of the Word, and the greater
we can accomplish God’s will for our lives. Jesus had a mission and a purpose,
and He would let nothing come in the way of accomplishing that purpose for God.
I
cannot
stress enough the importance of studying the Word of God. There is no other way
of coming to the Truth. Jesus, the Sower, was sowing His seed of truth. Jesus
revealed the Truth about His Living Water to the Samaritan woman. Then He
revealed the Truth about His spiritual food to His male disciples. He gives
revelation knowledge to both men and women. When they come together and share
His revelation with each other, they will come to the real Truth. Jesus looks
for those who hunger and thirst for His truth no matter what gender, race or
background. Jesus is Truth so He is full of the water of the Word and the Holy
Spirit. Reaching lost souls was more important to Jesus than physical food. And,
obedience to the will of God and the work of God’s Kingdom was the essence of
His being. He had to finish His work! “And
this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has
given Me, but raise them up on the last day.” John 6:19 When followers of
Christ finish the work that God has called them to do, no matter how great or how small, He is pleased. Though,
like Jesus, we have opposition on every side, we must not let this stop us
because God is with us. Jesus said, “The
one who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, for I always do what
pleases Him.” John 8:29
(Next week: A New Harvest)
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