His Will

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

HIS WILL

John 4:31-42

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."  33 Then 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. 35 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. 36 Even 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. 37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 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 labor."  39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They 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."

NIV

This idea that Jesus had meat or food they, his disciples did not know about has an interesting concept. Being in the form of man, Jesus was subject to hunger, thirst and perhaps even fatigue. It would seem this may have been the case, as John tells us this is why he was sitting waiting at the well while his disciples went on into town to buy food. We already pondered on this reasoning that if Jesus was tired why weren’t his disciples. Nevertheless, here we are at the scene of his discussion with the Samaritan woman, and she has already gone back to town to testify to the town people about Jesus. That is a whole other story, in that she did not waste any time telling about her encounter with Jesus. Should we not be that excited about our encounter with Jesus that we have to tell the whole town? But what else is interesting is what Jesus says about having food his disciples did not know about. To be so focused on bringing the good news to this woman, any hunger, thirst, or fatigue are all set aside. Wanting to do the will of God is more important than personal needs seems to be the main truth here. This whole response of Jesus to his disciples about the harvest is about the harvest of souls. He is drawing their attention to something greater than themselves, the will of the Father. So often it is so tempting to get all wrapped up in our own circumstances, our aches and pains, or some other form of suffering, or our burdens, or physical or material needs, that we lose sight of the greater plan of God for our lives and being concerned about doing his will and not ours. This is what Jesus was pointing out to his disciples and to us. Let us try to keep our focus on the will of God, and not try to fit his will into ours, but ours into his.