As we continue our study of the Gospel of John, we pick up at verse 35 of Chapter 4. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle writes:
“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.'” (John 4:35-38)
To have a better perspective on context for this verse, we refer back to what the Lord had just said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” (John 4:34)
The folks He was talking to understood sowing and reaping. This is how they lived, and the work they had to do to create a crop to harvest. In these verses however, Jesus clearly is talking about spiritual sowing, and reaping, and eternal life as the harvest.
Having grown up on the farm, I can attest harvest time is the best time of the year. To be able to gather the crops, and take them to market, and enjoy the fruits of our labor was always a wonderful time. But, here was, and is, a truth. The time of the year may be there, but if there was no plowing and preparing the land, or no planting in the spring – no sowing of seed in its time, there will be nothing to reap. There was work to be done before the harvest.
So it is in the picture Jesus is painting here. It is harvest time for us. The Work has been done by others to bring us to this point. The Word tells us of the love of our Creator, the history of man, and the preparing of the soil, and the planting of the seed, leading up to this time. One has prepared the soil. Another has sowed. God has caused it to grow. The work has been done . Our privilege is to reap. “The fields are ripe for harvest.”
To ‘reap’ is to gather in the harvest. We gather in the harvest of souls simply by saying ‘yes’ to the Lord. We say ‘yes’ to Jesus, and all that He, and the Father, and the Holy Spirit has for us. We are filled with His love, and provision, and want to share it with others. He provides the time, and the place for us to tell of God’s love. As we do, and that soul says ‘yes’ to Christ, our job is done. He takes it from there. We rejoice with Him as we are filled with the joy of gathering our family.
Let us always have open eyes, and always be ready to say ‘yes’ when the Lord presents the opportunity. Let us enjoy the fruits of our labor. We are greatly blessed to live in a time such as this.
May you prosper in all good things, and in all good ways, God’s Beloveds. May you be blessed with perfect health, and walk in the divine wealth of favor, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
You are greatly loved, precious Child of God.