John 4.31-38 and What Really Satisfies
When the disciples come back with food for Jesus, it doesn’t say that He ate. He says that He HAS food and the disciples think that someone brought Him some. Here I am at the end of an hour wasted surfing the internet during my only quiet time of the day, and I realize that I’m left hungry. Doing the work of the Father really IS ultimately satisfying, and being distracted from that is ultimately Unsatisfying.
Jesus sent the disciples in to town to get some food, but all they came back with was something to eat. Jesus then sent the woman into town to get some food, and she came back with a town full of people that wanted to follow Jesus. His food is to do the will of His Father.
He is not some sort of weird ghost that doesn’t/can’t eat real food. In v. 6 it says ‚Äútired as He was from the journey‚Äù so he could get tired. He could also be hungry, but doing the will of His Father filled Him up. It apparently took care of the woman’s need for water too, since she went back into town and back out to the well with no water. The disciples would have had a really really hard time finding food to eat in Samaria, and I can imagine they would be uneasy and disappointed about what they may have found in Gentile markets.
Isn’t that just like the world? It shines and shows and looks satisfying, like the very thing we need, but it really isn’t? I’m glad Jesus didn’t rebuke them, and that He doesn’t rebuke me, when I miss the point and instead of showing up with the will of my Father done and lots of people to hear and see Jesus, I show up with some flesh satisfying food of questionable quality and cleanliness.
Can’t you just picture the disciples when they realize that they weren’t sent into town for nasty unclean meat or veggies cut by gentiles, but they could have been satisfied just by going into town and telling people who was waiting for them at the well? Judas probably grumbled about the money they would have saved. Peter would throw off his clothes and go running back to the city to bring out whoever the woman didn’t bring.
I just smack my forehead with my palm and say, “next time, I’m going pay attention.”
I recently watched my teen daughter place herself in danger to protect a smaller child, watched her take the same barrage of abuse, stood behind her declaring that I was her father, then sat behind her in support because it was their battle, knew our Father was standing behind us both. And I watched the least become the greatest of everyone there that day and say, “No” to evil, abuse, and injustice. I have never been more satisfied. Two daddies were smiling that evening.
peace