Tuesday, August 13, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
John 4:27–42

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 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 truly the Savior of the world.” (NRSV)

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Reflection

“Come and see.” Such a simple invitation. The outcome of it may astound us.

The woman the disciples are so distraught to see Jesus speaking with is the “woman at the well” of biblical fame, who, in the preceding twenty verses, has engaged Jesus in a cryptic dialogue and water. There, he referred to facts about her life he couldn’t have possibly known, having just met her, which is the occasion for her urgent plea for her fellow Samaritans to “come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done!”

We’ve seen this formula before in the Gospel, after Jesus called Philip to be a disciple. Philip went and told Nathanael, but Nathanael was incredulous, so Philip simply invited him to “come and see.” Earlier, Jesus said “Come and see” to two disciples of John the Baptist when they asked him where he was staying.

“Come and see what God has done,” reads Psalm 66.

The woman from the well doesn’t have any explanation to offer her compatriots beyond her invitation that they come and see for themselves, which they promptly do. And once they do ...

What have you experienced in your faith that you might invite those close to you to come and see? Don’t feel comfortable talking about your faith? Worried about intruding upon someone’s private convictions (or lack thereof)? Then leave the convictions out of it and simply describe your experience. Then issue an invitation. No doubt somebody invited you to “come and see” at some point in your life, too.

These three words, perhaps as much as any, align our speech with the imperceptible-as-a-mustard-seed advance of God’s reign of peace, justice, and love.

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Prayer
You, who have fished other oceans, ever longed for by souls who are waiting, my loving friend, as thus you call me: O Lord, with your eyes you have searched me, and while smiling have spoken my name; now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me. By your side I will seek other seas. Amen.

(From “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore,” hymn by Cesareo Gabarain)

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Reflection written by Rocky Supinger, Associate Pastor for Youth Ministry and Worship

Reflection © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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