Jeff Klein, Pastor of Outreach
Jeff Klein 0:07
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose in the word of God. This is Jeff Klein, the Pastor of Outreach here at the church. It's Friday, March the 10th. This week we're stumbling to the cross with the woman at the well. I'll be reading from John chapter 4 verses 27 through 41.
Jeff Klein 0:23
Just 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?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 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. 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. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 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 of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
Jeff Klein 1:43
As Jesus conversation with the woman at the well concludes, the disciple show back up and another lesson ensues. It's about the harvest. He wants his disciples to look around and see the fields that are ripe for harvest. He doesn't want them to see lousy Samaritans, but instead, people who need to be rescued and introduced to the kingdom that he has come to build and present to the world. It's not all about the harvesting either. Some (people) plant, others harvest, everyone gets to get involved in the work, even unlikely missionaries (like the woman at the well). The woman at the well is a stumbler. We don't know her whole story, but we do know that she has struggled with multiple relationships with different men. In spite of this, she turns out to be a super effective missionary, letting her village know that she has found the Messiah. Because of her testimony, lots of people come to see and meet Jesus for themselves and many of them believe.
Jeff Klein 2:38
When you look at people - you know, the people you work with, in your neighborhoods, your kids school, the gym - do you see lousy sinners? Or do you see people who need Jesus? Who need to have a meeting with Jesus? Maybe you think you're not qualified to get the word out; to invite people to come and see. Maybe you think you're kind of disqualified because of your own story. But, the best missionaries are people who are stumbling along and finding something so life-giving that they want to tell others about what they found. Is that you? Is how you feel about Jesus? Maybe you should get out and get involved in either planting or harvesting this week.