Will of God = Balanced Diet; John 4

May the mumbling commence!

Children of God do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.  Even the wheat flour and water and salt and yeast were created at the spoken Word of God!  Living off the Word of God was a concept from Scripture that Jesus used to defeat one of the temptations of Satan.  After Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus responded to his disciples concern with a similar thought.  Read the interaction from John’s gospel, chapter four:

Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." 

But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." 

Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" 

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.  Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.  Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the 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." (Verses 31-38)

It is far too easy to get caught up in the rhythms of life.  We rest, eat, drink, work, and play.  We soon come to think that these things sustain us.  God’s Word created these things.  We deserve none of the credit.  What we have, we have through the grace of God.  We benefit from the work of others, who were lead by the Spirit of God long before we even knew it existed.  Other people benefit from our work.  Other people will benefit from our work – some people we have never met face-to-face.  But, all of us together, depend upon God for our sustenance.

So, Jesus calls us to examine the ordinary and find the extraordinary.  Jesus calls us to look beyond our preconceived notions.  Jesus pointed to the Samaritans as a people ripe for harvest for faith in God.  Jesus did not address the disciples concern over him talking alone with a Samaritan woman.  Jesus ignored social customs between not only Jews and Samaritans but also between men and women.  Jesus noticed a chance to restore relationship and seized that chance with both hands.  God’s work always trumps humanity’s preconceived notions and social rules.  

And God was at work in the Samaritan village.  That was the food, the sustenance that Jesus lived for.  He invited his disciples to aide in the harvest and rejoice.  Rejoice with God in the long process healing of relationships within this village community and between the Jews and the Samaritans.

Taste and see that the Word of the Lord is good!  May we feed our various desires, passions, and needs through following the will of the Lord for our lives!  Indeed, we will find that is the only way to be truly satisfied.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out