John 4:27-42 And on this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seek you? or, Why talk you with her?… I. CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST (vers. 27-30). 1. On the part of the apostles, who kept silence at the strange communion. They witnessed the power of Christ to awaken new life within the soul. Further on they knew better, but as yet they were caste-bound Jews. In view of their ancient prejudices, their silence is much to their credit. The Master may be always trusted to do right. Let us not question. 2. On the part of the woman. Not simply that she felt that her water-pot would be safe, but in her Saviour. The ground of this trust was Christ's knowledge of the secret life (Daniel 2:28-30, 47). History is full of such proofs of Christ's Divinity. He who looks within the Gospel sees his own heart mirrored. Truly this is the book of God. II. THE SOUL'S TRUE NATURE (vers. 31-34). 1. "Man shall not live by bread alone " (Matthew 3:4). 2. Noble souls are fed by the simple consciousness of doing good. The patriot, mother, wife, student, missionary have forgotten hunger. 3. The best way to lift a soul above temptation is to fill it with a worthy aspiration. An empty soul is a standing invitation to the roving spirits of evil. The music of Orpheus is a surer guard than the wax of Ulysses in the ears. 4. The noblest purpose that can occupy a soul is to do God's will and finish His work. III. THE COPARTNERSHIP OF THE HARVEST. (vers. 35-38). 1. There is always an interval between seed-time and harvest. (1) In nature. With some plants the time is less, with some more. Life, events, great thoughts, deeds, characters, are growths. A great man is the product of centuries. The present is born of the past. Impatience to reap ere the seed has matured has wrought many a barren harvest. No amount of fretting or driving will force a harvest. (2) In the spiritual world. Here the harvest is always ripe. The foregoing ages have prepared for their successors. 2. There is a fellowship in toil and fruitage between the dead and the living. The influence of the dead is continuous. "Their works do follow them." 3. "No man liveth to himself." One supplements another's toil. Joseph needed a Moses; Moses a Joshua; Joshua a Samuel; Samuel on the one hand a David, and on the other Elijah and the prophets. All these were perfected in Christ. How this should sweep away bigotry and encourage charity! 4. Our responsibility to the past and the future. (1) The past has claims upon us. If we would reap the good seed our fathers sowed we must nurture the crop that has sprung therefrom. Creeds, etc., are not to be dealt with ruthlessly. (2) The future has claims upon us. "Posterity never did anything for me," says the sneerer. But it can do much by giving you a noble purpose? Supposing your predecessors had thus argued! In sowing, let us think that we are sowing for ever, and not for present use alone. 5. The community of sower and reaper in wages. (1) The dark side. If the sowing be evil, so will be the wages. What a harvest of woe Israel reaped, and Babylon, Egypt, and Rome, and France. (2) The bright side — in both worlds. IV. TESTIMONY AND EXPERIENCE (vers. 39-42). 1. How readily the woman became a missionary! (1) Home, in that she carried the gospel to her own people. (2) Foreign, because those people were outside the pale of the true Israel. 2. The genuineness of the faith and grace of the Samaritan believers is seen in that their belief on good testimony led them to believe on good experience. (H. C. McCook, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? |
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