I saved no one but myself!

After Jesus took the time to speak to the Samaritan woman at the well about living waters, His disciples show up. Let's pick up the account in John 4:27, NKJV:

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or "Why are You talking with her?" The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word.

Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." vv. 27-42.

This passage in John 4 is packed with divine truth! First thing I want to point out is something the woman at the well said earlier to Jesus, "For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." We see Jesus had no problem crossing racial or ethnic or gender lines to reach the lost. May we go and do likewise.

Secondly, as soon as the woman realized who Jesus was, she immediately went to tell others about Him. When I was born-again as a young soldier stationed in Fort Ord, California, I recall wanting everyone in my barracks to know about it. I shouted the good news for all to hear! And 35 years later, I'm still at it.

The third truth I'll point to is what our LORD said about our lost world: "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" Let me ask, do we see the lost as they truly are: Spiritually LOST, yet ready to respond to the soul-saving gospel of Christ? Are we in the harvest fields working for the kingdom, or are we content to let the world go to hell as long as we're safe in our salvation? Have we, like the murmuring Pharisees and scribes in Luke 15, forgotten the mission?

Dr. C.S. Lovett shares an interesting story in his book, Teach Soul-winning: Teacher's Guide for Soul-Winning Made Easy.

"It was a terrible fire which occurred before theatres were required to have fire extinguishers, proper exits and fire proof draperies. The Iroquois was starring Eddie Foy in a big extravaganza and was over-crowded. The fire broke out and seemed to explode in its race to envelop the building. Panic struck almost immediately and people jammed the aisles in a desperate struggle to get to the doors. The hot gasses filling the place made it a death chamber. Over 590 died. It was an awful sight. The strong shoved aside the weak and men literally climbed over the bodies of others as they clawed their way to freedom. Some made their escape over the mountain of bodies barring the exits.

"We're interested in the story of one man who got out. He didn't live long afterwards, the horror and shock affected him so. As he reached the end of his days, he would go into his room and shut the door. His worried family would come and listen only to hear him cry again and again in his agony ... "I saved no one but myself ... I saved no one but myself ... " And he kept it up until he died. What a way to go out of this life!"

I, for one, certainly don't want to go out of this life like that! When I stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:10), I want to hear our LORD say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I trust you feel the same. So, may JAH give us the boldness and power to enter into His work "and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together."

Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!

P.S. To learn more about becoming a child of the kingdom, see the "Jesus is Lord" and "Romans Road" tabs.