John 4:27-42: Sowing the Word to the world

Analysis

The whole account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman is one of the most beautiful stories of evangelism and conversion in the scriptures in my humble opinion.

Jesus has shown the woman her need to be freed from her sin and her need for the saviour and she believed (v7 – v26). At that time two things happened, the disciples returned from the town where they went to buy food and the woman left the well to spread the message of the arrival of the saviour to the town’s folk (v27, v28).

It would seem that the disciples by now has learned that Jesus’ reasons for doing things a certain (or peculiar) way might not be easy to understand or might seem completely out of sync with tradition but that there was a very good reason for what he did or said. Thus they did not question Him about speaking to the woman but rather urged him to regain his strength. Their concern was greater for him than for the cultural faux pass they just observed. Here Jesus uses the opportunity to explain with the metaphor of the harvest what has transpired with the Samaritan woman (v34 – v38). They (disciples) might still be in training but there are many people to reach with the Word and the people available to do it are few. It is important that they do not give up preaching the gospel, even if it does not seem like it bears fruit. The groundwork done might allow someone else (in God’s time) to bring that soul to salvation.

Not long after saying these words to his disciples the woman returned with the harvest of the town’s people to whom she proclaimed Jesus to. She was the labourer that brought the harvest to the sower (Jesus) and the reaper (God).

And they believed because of the woman that brought them to Jesus and they believed in Jesus and his words.

What is your response ?

Jesus purely preached the Word of truth that he was the Messiah and saviour of the world. He did not (in this instance) use miracles or anything else to convince people of their need for a saviour. For the word of the cross is the power of God to those who are being saved (1 Cor 1:18)

Jesus also perfectly showed that the gospel is for everyone; Gentile, Jew or even Samaritan. It is our job to do as Jesus did and bring the word of salvation to everyone.