OPEN YOUR EYES

John 4:31-42 / Keywords 4:42

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.”

4:31 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 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a 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.”

Many Samaritans Believe

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.”

1. The disciples urged Jesus to eat, but Jesus declined. He was full of joy and

revealed that his food was to do the will God and to finish his work. What gives

you joy? We can be filled with joy when we live for our heavenly Father and seek to

do his will. What is the will of God? Jesus turned his disciples from physical needs

to the world around them. He told them to open their eyes to see that the fields

were ripe for the harvest. Like the lonely, thirsty woman, many people around us

are in need of the Messiah. Several laborers have gone before us to plant the seed

of faith, and now we are sent to reap their labor. We can be co-laborers with Christ

to bring the lost back home.

2. The Samaritan woman went from being needy and thirsty to a bold witness of

the Messiah. Through her testimony, many came to believe in Jesus. One changed

life can lead many to Christ. Let us not grow weary in sharing the gospel but

continue to go into the fields to bring lost souls back to Jesus. May we sincerely

pray to reap the harvest and see many souls come to faith in Jesus this new year.

Prayer Lord Jesus, may you open our eyes to see that the fields are ripe for the

harvest. Send us out to do the will of our Father.

One Word Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest