I Have Food to Eat That You Know Not of

Challenging Discipleship

Jesus and his disciples arrived at Jacob'due south well outside of Sychar after walking well-nigh 15 miles. They were all tired and hungry and Jesus saturday down by the well while the disciples hurried into the town to buy nutrient. Every bit Jesus waited, a woman came to the well to draw water. We might speculate that this woman had come in midday so equally to avoid the general populace. This woman was far from righteous, having an openly immoral lifestyle, and may non have wanted to be the discipline of stares and murmurings as she drew her water. So she came a little after noon, and would not have had much business concern with a Jewish traveler resting nearby.

But when Jesus broke the silence and spoke to her, it had a startling effect. I tin can hear her voice, somewhat direct, fearful, and off-putting: Why exercise you lot a Jew, ask a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? Nosotros know the remainder of the story, Jesus' offer of living water, exposure of her sinful life, discussion nigh true worship, and finally admission that he is the Messiah.

The motion picture of Jesus and the woman is interesting enough, but just equally the chat is winding down, the disciples render. Can't you simply see their astonished look every bit they exchange glances of bewilderment? Then immediately the woman left her water pot and went into the city. As she disappears, information technology is evident that Jesus is thinking virtually what was going to happen next. He would take been able to moving picture her in the urban center excitedly sharing the news to come and meet the one she believed was the Messiah. The harvest had come and this was his purpose.

Just of a sudden, breaking into his deep thought are the words of the disciples every bit they opened their bags of food, "Rabbi, eat!" But Jesus waves them off. "I have food to eat that you practice non know about."

There are two contrasting pictures here. In that location is the textile and secular and there is the spiritual and mature; both come up from unexpected sources. First, there is an excited, happy woman who has realized she has found true life and is so preoccupied with her new found truth that she forgets all about the h2o she came to collect and fifty-fifty leaves her water pot. On the other hand, at that place are the disciples of Jesus who are astonished that he is talking to a woman, seemingly unconcerned about her spiritual needs, and urging Jesus to get back to the business of "real life" and eat lunch.

"I accept food to consume that you practise not know about."

The emphasis is on the "I" and "you." Thus, "I take something that you lot do non have." Jesus could have said, "I'll have something to swallow in a moment; I have some things to think nigh right at present." Instead, he challenges them to retrieve about what he has that they practice non have. In the text, Jesus conspicuously wants to transfer his way of thinking to them. He wants them to think like he is thinking and be filled with the "food" he is filled with.

Wouldn't it have been far more in line with spiritual thinking if the disciples had excitedly asked Jesus if he had been able to teach the adult female; and with that, even rejoiced over the prospect of what was about to happen as she entered the city? Simply no, non only do they ignore whatever had taken place between Jesus and the woman, they were astonished that Jesus had even bothered to talk to her. Then, as soon equally she left, their minds went to concrete food and notwithstanding did non seek to know what had happened with the adult female. Jesus knew that this kind of mentality must change if the kingdom message was going to grow.

"My food is to do the volition of him who sent me and to accomplish his work"

How distressing. The Lord'southward argument illustrates how far apart his thinking was from theirs. But and so you and I must ask, "Is Jesus' food my food?" Consider 4 lessons we must learn in order for us to seek the nutrient Jesus desired.

1. This reminds us of the danger of allowing our excitement for the living water to wane and thereby lose our passion for the kingdom and for souls. It is sad to sometimes see long-fourth dimension Christians less passionate for God than a new Christian. It is evidence that we are non eating the "food."
2. Nosotros can be so much like the disciples, concerned with our personal comforts to the extent that we will get to great lengths to nurture and protect those comforts while existence relatively unconcerned almost the eternal souls effectually us. This reminds us of Jonah and his gourd. Jonah lost his focus; he lost his purpose as a prophet of God. He was angry virtually the death of his gourd but unconcerned about hundreds of thousands in the urban center who were virtually to lose their souls.
3. How easily we compartmentalize our lives. The disciples conspicuously had their "spiritual" occasions, times in which they wanted to know more about deep theological questions and even times when they recognized the importance of didactics people. We besides have those "times." But and then as they traveled through Samaria, they evidently took a break from spiritual time and were in personal time. "After all, nosotros aren't in Samaria to teach people; nosotros know that no 1 here would be interested; we are traveling to where nosotros tin teach people." In the meantime, they blocked out the working-for-the Lord part of their life. Do you lot relate to that? We all practise, don't we?
4. When we think of eating spiritual food, what do we think about? We think about reading the scriptures and nourishing our spirits with the discussion of God. There is no dubiousness Jesus compares our spiritual nutrient to the word of God, just that is not what he does in this text. Verse 34 is the answer to the "nutrient": My food is to practice the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Charles Spurgeon, in a sermon on this verse, said this:

Some of you good people, who do nothing except go to public meetings, the Bible readings, and prophetic conferences, and other forms of spiritual dissipation, would be a practiced deal better Christians if you would … just constrict up your sleeves for work, and go and tell the gospel to dying men, you would find your spiritual health mightily restored, for very much of the sickness of Christians comes through their having nothing to do. All feeding and no working brand men spiritual dyspeptics. Exist idle, careless, with naught to live for, nothing to intendance for, no sinner to pray for, no backslider to lead back to the cross, no trembler to encourage, no little kid to tell of a Savior, no grey-headed man to enlighten in the things of God, no object, in fact, to live for; and who wonders if you begin to groan, and to murmur, and to look within, until you are ready to die of despair?"

In other words, our spiritual sustenance does not but come up from feeding on God'due south give-and-take, merely by actually serving Christ by caring about the spiritual wellbeing of others. Our sustenance is "doing" non just "consuming." This is exactly what the Hebrew author was saying (Heb. 5:11-14). Harvesting souls is to be our "food."

Berry Kercheville

berrykerch@gmail.com

Sermon on this text:  http://brentwoodchurch.com/john-learning-discipleship-from-the-principal.php

wagnershadeopleil.blogspot.com

Source: https://focusmagazine.org/challenging-discipleship-i-have-food-to-eat-that-you-do-not-know-about.php