Seeing Through Social Barriers - John 4:27-38

This passage comes right on the heels of one of Jesus' more controversial interactions recorded. He's talking to a Samaritan women! Jews and Samaritans did not mix well, so it came as quite a shock to the disciples that he was having this conversation at all. Jesus has just told the lady that he is the Christ and she believed him. He changed her life in just a few minutes. If you read on past this story, John tells of how many Samaritans came to follow Jesus because of her testimony.

Jesus saw the opportunity to minister to a woman that an upstanding Jewish man would never even make eye contact with. Jesus saw not just the opportunity with the woman, but knew that she could reach her whole town with the gospel. He didn't let her status get in the way of fulfilling the will of God, which was to minister to her in that moment. Maybe this passage will encourage us to see past social barriers that might ordinarily keep us from ministering to the people God puts in our paths. The fields are still ripe for the harvest.

John 4:27-38
27Just 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?"
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ[b]?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."

32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

33Then 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. 35Do 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. 36Even 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. 37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38I 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."

Questions
1. What do you like in this passage?
2. What is difficult about this passage?
3. What did you learn about God?
4. What is He leading you to do?
5. What part will you take with you and think about today?

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