Lift Up Your Eyes on the Harvest - John 4:35

John the apostle wrote after Jesus was speaking to a “Samaritan woman” who came to a well located near the Samaritan city of Sychar, and then, “came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What do you seek? or, Why are you talking with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and said to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that you know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Has any man brought him anything to eat? Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”, and in chapter four and verse thirty-five of his book, John shared how Jesus asks His disciples, “Do you not say there are yet four months, and then comes harvest?” where we read:

Say not you, There are yet four months, and then comes harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

The verse reads, “Say not you, There are yet four months, and then comes harvest?” John began with the words, “Say not you” or “do you disciples of Jesus not utter, declare and proclaim”, “there are yet four months” which means “there exists still, only and solely four months of the year”, “and then comes harvest” or “and at that time arises and appears the act of reaping or gathering the crop”? John shared how Jesus asked His “disciples” whether they knew there were “four months” until the time for gathering the crops in the field.

The verse continues, “behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”. John added the word, “behold” which means “lo, look and consider”, “I say unto you” or “I, Jesus, utter, declare and proclaim to you, disciples”, “lift up your eyes” which means “raise and poise your physical eyes”, “and look on the fields” or “and behold, view attentively and contemplate the regions, countries, tracts of land, cities, villages or towns”; “for they are white already” which means “because, since and on account that the fields are light, bright and brilliant now and at this time” “to harvest” or “to gather and reap”. John shared how Jesus told His “disciples” to “look and consider” as they “raised their eyes” to “gaze upon” “regions, countries, villages and towns” that were “already” “ripe” to be “harvested”.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we see how Jesus was using the illustration of a “field” that was ready to be “harvested” to compare to the great number of people who were “ready” to be gathered into His Kingdom. People around the world are in conditions, situations and circumstances that prepare them to hear the “good news” of the Kingdom of God. Many are troubled, discouraged, fearful, ashamed, guilty and despairing, and they need a “Savior, Christ and Messiah” to bring them “salvation”. Jesus Christ came to the world to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sins upon the cross so people could have a personal relationship with God. God knows who they are, and their numbers are great. He offers “salvation” through the “blood sacrifice” of His own Son Jesus, and all who believe and trust in Him not only will be forgiven of their sins but also receive “everlasting life” with God in Heaven. In other words, they are “ripe unto harvest”, and God seeks for those who will gather them unto Himself.

Next time John shares how Jesus tells His disciples, “he that reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit unto eternal life”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".