What a moment, a present Messiah, and One speaking to a Samaritan
“And upon this came his disciples, and wondered that he was speaking with a woman: none however said, What seekest thou or why speakest thou with her?” (Ver. 27.) Their wonder was that He spoke with a woman: what was hers who knew that, every secret of her heart was naked and open before Him with whom she had to do? His grace however had fully prepared the way. He who searched all the recesses of her soul had already encouraged her by revealing the richest grace of God the Father—Himself, the only true Revealer of it, about to give the Holy Spirit that even she might receive and enjoy it truly. It was no question of seeking on His part or even on hers—the Father was seeking such; nor was it talking with her, but of revealing to her. The disciples had much to learn. Had they known the subject matter of converse, they might well have wondered incomparably more.
“The woman then left her waterpot and went away into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? They went out of the city and were coming unto him.” (Ver. 28-30.) The moral change was immense. A new world opened to her which eclipsed the present with new affections, new duties, the power of which asserted itself in lifting her entirely above the things that are seen, whatever might be the effect ordinarily, in strengthening to a better fulfillment of present earthly toil. But the revelation of Christ to her soul was both all-absorbing and the most powerful stimulus to make Him known to others. Where the eye is single, the body is full of light. She felt who needed Him most and acted on it forthwith. She left her waterpot, went off to the town, and told the men of Jesus. How well she understood Him! He had not formally sent her, yet she went boldly with the invitation. Nor was it merely that she bade them go, “Come, see a man.” She would go along with them. Her heart was in the current of His grace and counted upon the same welcome for others, unwarranted though it might appear, as for herself. Such is the power of divine love even from the very first.
Yet there was no enfeebling of the truth because of His grace. They too must prepare for what had smelled her. “Come, see a man that told me all things that ever I did. Is not he the Christ?” Well they knew what she had been, and if He had so dealt with her, might not they too see and hear Him? Such a personal experience has great power, and it is safe too where it is not merely an appeal to the affections, but conscience is searched along with it.
“ Meanwhile the disciples were asking him, saying, Master, eat. But he said to them, I have food to eat which ye do not know. Then the disciples said to one another, Hath any one brought him to eat? Jesus saith to them, It is my food that I should do the will of him that sent me, and finish his work.” (Ver. 31-34.) How humbling to find His disciples at such a time occupied with the body and its wants. And this the Lord makes them feel by His answer. They knew not as yet such food—disciples though they were. It is not as men often quote it, “his meat and his drink,” for there was an inner spring of loving and delighting in His Father beyond doing His will and completing His work. But this was His food. He came to do His will. In this He was never wearied, nor should we even now, whatever might be the fatigue of the body. For, “he giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Without Him even the “youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail, but they that wait upon Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wine; as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.” Jesus knew this Himself in perfection, and here is a sample of it.
“Do not ye say that there are yet four months and the harvest cometh? Lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and Behold the fields; for they are white unto harvest already. He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. For in this is the saying true, It is one that soweth and another that reapeth. I sent you to reap that on which ye have not toiled: others have toiled, and ye have entered into their toil.” (Ver. 35-38.) Whatever might be the times and seasons of the natural harvest, the fields spiritually were ripe for the reaper. Man, the world, undoubtedly deserved judgment; but the very same state of sin which calls for judgment God uses for His call of grace. The gospel comes expressly of the ground of man's total ruin, and therefore levels all distinctions. Jew, Samaritan, Gentile—what are any now but sinners? The Jew had been under probation, but he was now rejecting the Messiah—the Son of God. All was lost, but the rejected Christ is the Savior, and now there is salvation for any, and grace carries it among such as these Samaritans.
Not that grace had failed to work during the past times of probation. Man had broken down utterly, but God was preparing the way when it should be no longer experimental dealings and man's righteousness sought, but God's righteousness revealed in virtue of the work of Christ. His witness had not wrought in vain, however little seen the effects meanwhile. But the true light was now shining, and things appeared as they are to the eye of grace. What a sight to Christ the Samaritans coming to Him! coming to hear One who tells us whatever we did! The fields were white indeed.
It is remarkable that the Lord speaks about reaping now rather than sowing, though sowing of course goes on, and has its place elsewhere, as in Matt. 13. Of old it was rather sowing than reaping; now in this day of grace there is a characteristic reaping—fruit not only of God's past dealings, but of His coming and mighty work who thus speaks to the disciples: “the reaper receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both the, sower and the reaper may rejoice together.” So shall it be in the day of glory, as the spirit of it is even now true in the church and the Christian’s heart. “For in this is the saying true, The sower is one and the reaper another.” But while there are these differences still, it remains that the apostles are characterized by reaping rather than by sowing, and so of course are other laborers also. “I sent [or, have sent] you to reap that on which ye have not toiled: others have toiled, and ye have entered into their toil.” How emphatically this was verified at Pentecost and afterward, all know.
“But out of that city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the, woman as she bore witness, He told me all things that [ever] I did. When therefore the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to abide with them. And he abode there two days; and many more believed because of his word. And they said to the woman, No longer on account of thy saying do we believe, for we have ourselves heard and know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” (Ver. 39-42.) It is cheering to see how God honored the simple testimony of the, woman. Many out of that town believed on Him because of her word. Here again she bears witness to the searching of her conscience by His word. “He told me all that ever I did.” It is a good guarantee that the work is divine when there is no shrinking from such a scrutiny—otherwise grace is apt to be misused as a cover for sin or a slight dealing with a sinner, instead of judging all in God's light. But faith whenever it is real rises from the instrument to Him who deigns to use it, and God loves to put honor upon the word of Jesus Himself. Hence we are told that, when He graciously acceded to the desire of the Samaritans and abode there two days, “more by a great deal believed because of his word.” How sweet to the woman when they said to her,” No longer because of thy saying do we believe, for we have ourselves heard and know that this is indeed the Savior of the world!” God led them too in dropping His Messiahship, and the copyists have inserted it without due reason. Ancient authority seems conclusive that the words “the Christ” should disappear. Their confession is much more simple and emphatic when so put. They now knew and confessed the truth—the grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ. (Compare 1 John 4:14.)