Fields For Harvest (John 4:35)

 


Monday, January 6, 2025


Psalm 18:1-31

Isaiah 38:9-20

John 4:27-38


Observance: The Epiphany Of Our Lord


Fields For Harvest (John 4:35)


The story of Jesus and his meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well is well-known and well-loved. There are plenty of angles at which we could approach it, and there is plenty that has been written about and preached on from all those angles. But today we read a segment of the story that gives us the main melody line; the reason why St John included it in his Gospel.


The point is this: Jesus has come to save souls. And the application that Jesus makes to us, the reader, is that we are to join him in this work.


Are we afraid of talking to people about Jesus? Are we concerned about the response we will get? It is Jesus who has already met the woman at the well; he has already sat down with her and “told her all that she ever did.” She is already asking herself “can this be the Christ?” He is the One who has already sown; will we follow him, reaping and receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life?


Note also that it is often a surprising thing to proclaim the gospel. The disciples “marvelled that Jesus was talking with a woman”. It is marvellous that Jesus spoke to us – is it any greater marvel that he would speak to anyone else? If we think someone in particular might be a curious candidate for the inheritance of heaven, might they, in turn, think we equally curious?


Christ has sown the seeds of eternal life throughout the world. He speaks, even now, to his sheep. And he gives us the command: to go out into the world, proclaiming repentance and forgiveness in his name, and eternal life. We Christians are a funny bunch of people, and we are to go out and help gather in the rest of us funny people. There is nothing to fear in our evangelistic work. The hard work has already been done for us. We just need to go out and do our bit.


What are the names of the people in your life that Holy Spirit is urging you right now to speak to? What words might you use in your prayers before you go and speak to them about Jesus? And if you think those people might not be who God wants, have you considered how interesting the conversations will be at the heavenly banquet if they were there with us?


Christ who prepares the world for our work: give us a positive sense of marvel at the people to whom you speak. Give us courage to tend to our work of gathering in the harvest of souls.

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