The Disciples Return and Marvel

The disciples return in surprise, the woman leaves her water jar, and she goes into town calling people to meet the man who knew her life.

J²⁷ust then His disciples returned and were surprised that He was speaking with a woman. But no one asked Him, “What do You want from her?” or “Why are You talking with her?” ²⁸Then the woman left her water jar, went back into the town, and said to the people, ²⁹“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” ³⁰So they left the town and made their way toward Jesus.

When the disciples urge him to eat, Jesus points to a different food: doing the Father’s will and finishing his work. He then speaks of a harvest already ripening.

³¹Meanwhile the disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.” ³²But He told them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” ³³So the disciples asked one another, “Could someone have brought Him food?” ³⁴Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. ³⁵Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest. ³⁶Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷For in this case the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ³⁸I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”