Why do we fail to see people the way God sees them? How can we miss what is most important in other people's lives? Why don't we recognize the real need for mission work here and around the world?
The disciples of Christ struggled with this issue in the same way we do at times and you hear Jesus’ diagnosis of their problem in the story of the Samaritan woman.
We don't see as God sees...
1. Because we are preoccupied with the temporal/material.
We don't see as God sees...
2. Because we are oblivious to the eternal.
We don't see as God sees...
3. Because we are ignorant of the potential.
Conclusion:
Why don't you see the need of being involved in reaching the lost souls of this world? What are you willing to sacrifice so you can invest in the eternal rewards of Heaven? What changes will you make in your spending/living to prioritize what God prioritizes?
What will it take for God to get your attention so you will see what He sees?
The disciples of Christ struggled with this issue in the same way we do at times and you hear Jesus’ diagnosis of their problem in the story of the Samaritan woman.
We don't see as God sees...
1. Because we are preoccupied with the temporal/material.
After Jesus had finished talking with the Samaritan woman the disciples returned from Sycar with food for themselves and Jesus. They kept on insisting (4:31, “urged” - imperfect, active verb meaning “to keep on asking, begging”) that He take some of the food for Himself, but He consistently refused. His explanation was that He had food to eat that was more important than the food they had brought from the city. But, they struggled to grasp His meaning (4:33).
All the disciples could see and had interest in at that moment was the temporal/material (food) and it kept them from seeing what Jesus saw and wanted them to see.
We are too often preoccupied by the temporal/material and it blinds us to the real needs of people. We live for the things this world offers while neglecting what really matters...the eternal souls of people.
When will enough (things) be enough? When will more be too much? When will we say no to greed and avarice in our lives? Whatever happened to contentment? Materialism grips this age and many Christians are caught in its grasp.
What if God gives you more so you can invest in greater ways in His Kingdom work, not so you can spend more on yourself? Shouldn't we be willing to sacrifice for the cause of Christ as those in the first century sacrificed or were taught to sacrifice for others? (Acts 5; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4; 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19)
We don't see as God sees...
2. Because we are oblivious to the eternal.
When the pursuit of the temporal/material becomes the primary focus of our lives we will no longer see the eternal things that really matter to God.
Jesus contrasted three things in this story that illustrated a distinction between the temporal and the eternal: water (4:10), food (4:34), & the harvest (4:35).
The disciples had gone into Sycar to get food, but never thought about the need of the souls in the city. They interacted with, had conversations among, and made purchases from the Samaritan people. But, as far we know, they never invited one person from the city to come out and meet Jesus.
On the other hand, a woman who had only known Jesus for less than an hour went back into the city and led a large group of people out to Him. Consequently, there were many in Samaria that believed on Him because of her (4:39-41).
Jesus rebuked His disciples for not recognizing the immediate spiritual need by quoting a phrase/proverb that was common among the people: "There are still four months and then comes the harvest" (4:35). This saying was familiar to the people and was used to indicate the need for patience or delayed action. (Something equivalent to, "Rome wasn't build in a day," i.e., it takes time.) In other words, the disciples were procrastinating about something that needed attention now...not later: the souls of the Samaritan people.
When you become preoccupied with the temporal/material you also become oblivious to the eternal. You’re living for yourself and for what you can get out of life at the moment, never realizing that there are people you could be influencing for the Kingdom of God. The need of people for the Gospel never crosses your mind or you choose to think about something other than what Jesus prioritizes. It’s the fundamental reason too many people won’t prioritize missionary endeavors or rearrange their spending to include the support of missionaries. They are oblivious to the eternal because they are preoccupied with the temporal/material.
We don't see as God sees...
3. Because we are ignorant of the potential.
Jesus quoted a second parable to the disciples that said, "one man sows and another reaps" (4:37). That point seems obvious, but the metaphor really speaks of an inequity that was recognized in the first century.
The joy was in the reaping, not always in the sowing. The sowers worked hard to prepare the ground and plant the seed, but often did not get to participate in the harvest. Consequently, they missed the celebrations that occurred during that special season of the year. Most people of this period saw this as an inequity that couldn't be helped. It’s a little like working hard most of your life to amass enough money so you can enjoy the rest of your life in ease only to die unexpectedly and leave it for someone else to enjoy. Sometimes life just doesn’t seem fair!
However, Jesus was saying to His disciples that the spiritual harvest of people's souls is different. Both the sower and the reaper equally experience the reward of bringing someone to Christ. Both will be rewarded for the labor they invest, regardless of whether they sow the seed (of the Gospel) or harvested the souls for Christ's Kingdom. Both would rejoice (4:36) in Heaven when the ones they’d led to Christ or helped others lead to Him, met them there. There is no inequity in the harvest fields of the world where God is at work. The one that sends the missionary, as well as the missionary himself/herself will rejoice and be rewarded together.
The disciples were ignorant of the potential that was right before them. If they only realized the opportunities around them they could lay hold of eternal treasures for Heaven’s sake.
When you become preoccupied with the temporal/material you lose sight of the eternal and fail to realize the potential of reaching others with the Good News that Jesus saves.
Jesus had to “shake” the disciples in order to get them to focus on what was really important. That’s why the first thing He says to them before telling them to, “lift up [their] eyes and look at the fields,” is “BEHOLD.” It is sort of like verbally grabbing someone by the shoulders and giving him a gentle “shake” in order to get his attention to see/understand what he is missing.
Conclusion:
Why don't you see the need of being involved in reaching the lost souls of this world? What are you willing to sacrifice so you can invest in the eternal rewards of Heaven? What changes will you make in your spending/living to prioritize what God prioritizes?
What will it take for God to get your attention so you will see what He sees?
