John 4:35
Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
Prior to this statement, Jesus had spoke with the woman at the well telling her all that she had done. With her faith placed in Christ as the promised Messiah, she went back to her town telling others about him. Meanwhile, Jesus disciples came back from buying food and wondered why he had been speaking with a Samaritan woman, but questioned him not. Now having food, Jesus used the opportunity to teach by example the importance of doing the work of the Father. Jesus makes the statement that he has food that they don’t know of: to do the work of his Father. The don’t understand his statement and think he is speaking of literal food. Then Jesus says, “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” I imagine that as he says this they look out and see a crowd approaching Jesus.
John 4:39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” Vs 41-42 And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
The fields are white for harvest. I just returned from Veracruz, Mexico along with SCEI and when I look back on the time we spent there all I can think about is how many people there are just waiting to hear the good news of salvation. We use sports as a platform for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it’s the Father that draws people to the Son. John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. There are people ready to hear if only there was someone to tell them. We were traveling from Poza Rica to Veracruz on a bus we rented for the 4 hour trip. The owner asked us to pick her up before we left the city. She said she wanted to hear about Jesus Christ. She spoke with the pastor’s wife and accepted Christ. We were just trying to get from point A to point B and God simply used our need of transport to accomplish His work.
I was given the opportunity to share my testimony in between basketball games to a high school team before our evangelist, Steven Arce, shared the salvation plan. Six accepted Christ.
The day of our last game in Veracruz, we were walking to a bus stop to visit the local church we were working with. As we passed through the streets Willie Weiler was passing out our team tracts and he gave one to a woman. She stopped us before crossing the street because she urgently needed to know who we were, what we were doing, and where we were doing it at. Most of the time people accept the tract out of courtesy and go on with their lives, but it seemed as if God planned our paths to cross that day. It is encouraging when our best efforts produce results, but it is humbling when God shows His glory in times when our efforts are at their least. Many more came to know Jesus as their Savior as a result of our program, but it was very apparent that God was at work and we were accompanying Him.
Romans 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Matthew 9:38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
