TURNING RELIGIOUS RELUCTANCE-XIII—John 4:1-42(:21-27, 31-38)
Turning the Religious Lost
Attention:
One of my uncles confessed to me that when he was a much younger man, he once tried to see how much oil was in his oil can by striking a match & holding it just inside the spout of the can so it would give light to the inside! The result would have been much worse had he taken that lit match to gasoline or to some other more volatile substance.
He told me that story when I was a child because he did not want me to end up doing something foolish...something that would endanger my life! My uncle loved me & knew that my awareness of the truth & my choosing to follow it would make all the difference in sparing my young life from needless & preventable sorrow.
Think twice before continuing down your current path!
The Church exists to turn the world away from it’s errant way, so they will avoid a needlessly spent eternity in hell!
Everybody lives by a ‘religion’—a set of spiritual & secular values that they hold to. These may be right or wrong.
Everybody has a belief system to which they subscribe—right or wrong.
Even atheists live by their atheism! Thus they are a religious people too.
All of these may be ‘reluctant’ to turn, But by the power of God, they are turnable nonetheless!
*We are all called as God’s witnesses to turn those who headed for disaster...“Go therefore & make disciples of ALL the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching THEM to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”!(Matthew 28:19-20)...
Jesus divulged/bore witness of/ His Messianic identity to a reluctant/hesitant but religious woman.
God’s people bear witness of Messiah’s/Jesus’ identity to reluctant religious people.
How/When will God’s people turn the reluctancy of the religious upon Almighty God?
OR--What will turn that religious reluctancy around?
Some insights toward turning religious reluctance to God.
Previously as we looked in these verses we found that,
Turning religious reluctance to God requires...
1. SERVICE Insight(:1-3)
2. CONSEQUENTIAL Insight(:4-6)
3. COMPASSIONED Insight(:7-8)
4. BLIND/UNHINDERED Insight(:9)
5. POSSESSIVE Insight(:10)
6. TRUTHFUL Insight(:11-14)
7. LIFESTYLE Insight(:15-18)
8. PLACE Insight(:19-20)
9. DECISIVE Insight(:21-24)
10. IDENTITY Insight(:25-26)
11. INTERRUPTIVE Insight(:27)
12. Turning religious reluctance to God requires ?the INTERRUPTIVE Insight of...?a.--SUSTENANCE(:31-34)
13—Turning religious reluctance to God also requires ?the INTERRUPTIVE Insight of...?b.--HARVEST(:35-38)
Explanation:(:35-38)
:35—““Do you not say, ‘There are still four months & then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes & look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”
Jesus chides His disciples for their obtuseness—their insensitivity & inability to grasp the significance of the need—not recognizing the need to proclaim the truth to others(evangelize). He likened an awareness for the need to evangelize, to a common awareness of a need to prepare for bringing in “the harvest.”
“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months & then comes the harvest’ ”
Jesus is bringing a ‘spiritual’ picture into focus for His disciples who lived in & would be most familiar with an agrarian or farming culture.
The timeframe here ‘may’ represent “the time between sowing & the earliest point of harvest.”—NAC However, the usual time between sowing seed & the crop’s harvest would have been closer to six months.—MNTC But let’s not undercut Jesus’ intent with extraneous details.
*“The saying, “Four more months & then comes the harvest” appears to have been a common proverb”, “though there is no independent evidence for its existence.”—BECNT
“Barley was harvested in March” & “Wheat” was harvested “from mid-April until the end of May.”—BECNT
Thru calling attention to this proverb, Jesus encouraged/urged them to do spiritually as farmers would necessarily do physically.
•Thus most probably it merely represents a standing awareness by any farmer, of his crop’s closeness to “harvest.” The “harvest” is the goal of any planting/sowing.
For the Christian, there must be a concern for the significance of the harvest!
“You/Ye”2X—umeiv—
“Not”(See :2, 18, 32; :14, 15—mh)—ou, ouk, or ouc—Particle—1) No, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. Strong—a primary word; the absolute negative [compare mh] adverb; No or not.
“Say”2X(See :7, 10, 28, 33; :5, 25—“called”)—legw—Verb—1) To say, to speak—1a) Affirm over, maintain, 1b) To teach, 1c) To exhort, advise, to command, direct, 1d) To point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say, 1e) To call by name, to call, name, 1f) To speak out, speak of, mention. Strong—a primary verb; properly--To "lay" forth, i.e. figuratively--Relate (in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, & lalew means an extended or random harangue]); by implication--To mean.
“Still/Yet”—eti—Adverb—1) Yet, still—1a) of time—1a1) Of a thing which went on formerly, whereas now a different state of things exists or has begun to exist, 1a2) Of a thing which continues at present—1a2a) Even, now, 1a3) with negatives—1a3a) No longer, no more, 1b) of degree & increase—1b1) Even, yet, 1b2) Besides, more, further. Strong—“Yet,” still(of time or degree).
“Four”—tetramhnon—Adj.—1) Of four months, lasting four months. Strong—A four months' space. Used 1X.?From—tessarev—1)Four. Strong—a plural number; Four.—&—mhn—1) A month; 2) The time of the new moon, new moon(the first day of each month, when the new moon appeared was a festival among the Hebrews). Strong—a primary word; A month.
“Comes”(See :5, 30)—ercomai—Verb—1) To come—1a) of persons—1a1) To come from one place to another, & used both of persons arriving & of those returning, 1a2) To appear, make one's appearance, come before the public; 2) metaph.—2a) To come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence, 2b) Be established, become known, to come(fall) into or unto; 3) To go, to follow one. Ercomai denotes motion or progress generally, & of any sort, hence to “come” & arrive at, as well as “to go.” Strong—middle voice of a primary verb(used only in the present & imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred [middle voice]eleuyomai; or [active]elyw; which do not otherwise occur); To come or go(in a great variety of applications, literally & figuratively).
“Harvest”2X—yerismov—Noun Masc.—1) Harvest, the act of reaping—1a) figuratively--Of the gathering of men into the kingdom of God, 1b) Referring to time of reaping, the final judgment, when the righteous are gathered into the kingdom of God & the wicked are cast into hell for ever. Strong—Reaping, i.e. The crop. Used 13X.
“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes & look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”
Jesus urged His disciples to responsibly take it upon themselves to “look at the fields”(spiritual). Upon their “looking”, they would certainly notice/‘see’/become acutely aware of, the ripeness of(“white”) the spiritual ‘crop.’
The immediate(“already”) need for initiating & undertaking that “harvest”, is based upon the reality of & the certainty of the final future God-ordained judgment upon the earth. God’s judgment is a judgment beyond which there will be no back-tracking...And besides that judgment, prior to it, all individuals face physical death anyway.
If a farmer knows he/she only has an opportune time within which to gather in the crop, then he/she is a fool for missing that opportunity!
To leave the crop to rot in the field as it were, would be completely irresponsible.
Why “white” fields? What is significant about that color regarding the crop?
•The “whiteness” of the particular crop was the sure sign to the farmer waiting for his/her harvest, that the particular crop, was indeed ripe & thus ready for “harvest.” The drying chaff of a grain crop lends such a change of color to the fruit. The whiteness would be the overall appearance of the entire crop’s acreage.
The farmer’s personal awareness of the state of the crop’s ripeness(“white”), & thus it’s readiness for “harvest”, was key to an effective “harvest” altogether...& key to the farmer’s actions!
As is a farmer’s ‘awareness’ of the physical, so is to be the ‘awareness’ of the spiritual by God’s people. God’s people are to consider & act within the bounds of an awareness & readiness regarding the “fields” of humanity. That consideration takes another aspect of readiness into view...that the time of the end of decision-making draws nearer with every second!
There is to be no waiting for sharing God’s Good News(evangelism)...because all people everywhere are “already” ready to be “harvested.”
“Behold”—idou—Particle—1) Behold, see, lo. Strong—second person singular imperative middle voice of eidw; used as imperative--Lo!.
“Lift up”—epairw—Verb—1) To lift up, raise up, raise on high; 2) metaph.--To be lifted up with pride, to exalt one's self. Strong—To raise up(literally or figuratively). Used 19X.?From—epi—1) Upon, on, at, by, before; 2) of position--On, at, by, over, against; 3) To, over, on, at, across, against. Strong—Over, upon, etc.; of rest(with the det.)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc.—&—airw—a primary root; To lift up; by implication--To take up or away; figuratively--To raise(the voice), keep in suspense(the mind), specially--To sail away(i.e. weigh anchor); by Hebraism[compare asn[to lift]]--To expiate sin.
“Eyes”—ofyalmov—Noun Masc.—1) The eye; 2) metaph.--The eyes of the mind, the faculty of knowing. Strong—The eye (literally or figuratively); by implication--Vision; figuratively--Envy(from the jealous side-glance).?English=‘Ophthalmic/Ophthalmologist’
“Look”—yeaomai—Verb—1) To behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate(often used of public shows)—1a) Of important persons that are looked on with admiration; 2) To view, take a view of—2a) in the sense of visiting, meeting with a person; 3) To learn by looking, to see with the eyes, to perceive. Yeaomai is used of a lay spectator looking at a parade. yewrew denotes a careful observation of details, whereas yeaomai denotes only perception in general. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb; To look closely at, i.e. by implication--Perceive(literally or figuratively); by extension--To visit.
“Fields”—cwra—Noun Fem.—1) The space lying between two places or limits; 2) A region or country i.e. A tract of land—2a) The (rural)region surrounding a city or village, the country, 2b) The region with towns & villages which surround a metropolis; 3) Land which is plowed or cultivated, ground. Cwra is "region, country", extensive; space, yet unbounded. Strong—feminine of a derivative of the base of casma[a "chasm" or vacancy(impassable interval)] through the idea of empty expanse; Room, i.e. A space of territory(more or less extensive; often including its inhabitants). Used 27X.
“Already”—hdh—Adverb—1) Now, already. “Now (already)”, with a suggested reference to some other time or to some expectation, the subjective present. Strong—Even now.
“White”—leukov—Adj.—1) Light, bright, brilliant—1a) Brilliant from whiteness, (dazzling)white—1a1) Of the garments of angels, & of those exalted to the splendor of the heavenly state, 1a2) Shining or white garments worn on festive or state occasions, 1a3) Of white garments as the sign of innocence & purity of the soul, 1b) Dead white—1b1) Of the whitening color of ripening grain. Strong—from lukh(“light”); white. Used 25X.
:36—“And he who reaps receives wages, & gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows & he who reaps may rejoice together.”
“And he who reaps receives wages,”
Personally involving oneself in the “reaping” of God’s harvest(:35) brings God’s “wages” to oneself. The wages are received instantly as well as eternally. The Christian always “receives” the proper “wages” for helping gather in the crop of the Lord.
These “wages” are never to be sought out for selfish reasons—although they ‘can’ wrongly be(Php. 1:15-18). But rather one is always blessed with God’s “wages” thru the work one does in the Lord Jesus.
Php. 1:15-18—“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy & strife, & some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; & in this I rejoice, yes, & will rejoice.”
“Reaps”2X(See :37, 38)—yerizw—Verb—1) To reap, harvest; 2) Proverbial expression for sowing & reaping; 3) Cut off, destroy—3a) As crops are cut down with a sickle. Strong—To harvest. Used 21X.?From—yerov(in the sense of the crop)—from a primary yerw(to heat); properly--Heat, i.e. Summer.
“Receives”—lambanw—Verb—1) To take—1a) To take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it—1a1) To take up a thing to be carried, 1a2) To take upon one's self, 1b) To take in order to carry away—1b1) without the notion of violence, i.e To remove, take away, 1c) To take what is one's own, to take to one's self, to make one's own—1c1) To claim, procure, for one's self—1c1a) To associate with one's self as companion, attendant, 1c2) Of that which when taken is not let go, to seize, to lay hold of, apprehend, 1c3) To take by craft(our catch, used of hunters, fisherman, etc.), to circumvent one by fraud, 1c4) To take to one's self, lay hold upon, take possession of, i.e. To appropriate to one's self, 1c5) Catch at, reach after, strive to obtain, 1c6) To take a thing due, to collect, gather (tribute), 1d) To take—1d1) To admit, receive, 1d2) To receive what is offered, 1d3) Not to refuse or reject, 1d4) To receive a person, give him access to one's self, 1d41) To regard any one's power, rank, external circumstances, & on that account to do some injustice or neglect something, 1e) To take, to choose, select, 1f) To take beginning, to prove anything, to make a trial of, to experience; 2) To receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Wages/Rewards”—misyov—Noun Masc.—1) Dues paid for work—1a) Wages, hire; 2) Reward--used of the fruit naturally resulting from toils & endeavors—2a) in both senses--Rewards & punishments, 2b) Of the rewards which God bestows, or will bestow, upon good deeds & endeavors, 2c) Of punishments. Strong—apparently a primary word; Pay for services(literally or figuratively), good or bad. Used 29X.
“And gathers fruit for eternal life,”
God’s people are engaged as “gatherers” of His “fruit.” That “fruit” is “gathered” with the intention of it’s being “for eternal life.”
Lk. 6:43-45—“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; & an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Such a “gathering’s” intention is that the “fruit” be ‘stored’ in the ‘coffers’ of heaven eternally...That is, that people will be rescued from an eternal kingdom in darkness by being brought into the eternal kingdom of light(Col. 1:12-14).
Col. 1:12-14—“giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness & conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
“Gathers”—sunagw—Verb—1) To gather together, to gather—1a) To draw together, collect--1a1) Of fishes, 1a2) Of a net in which they are caught; 2) To bring together, assemble, collect—2a) To join together, join in one(those previously separated), 2b) To gather together by convoking, 2c) To be gathered i.e. Come together, gather, meet; 3) To lead with one's self—3a) into one's home, i.e. To receive hospitably, to entertain. Strong—To lead together, i.e. Collect or convene; specifically--To entertain(hospitably).?From—sun—1) With. Strong—a primary preposition denoting union; With or together(but much closer than meta or para), i.e. By association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.—&—agw—1) To lead, take with one. Strong—a primary verb; properly--To lead; by implication--To bring, drive, reflexively--Go, specially--Pass(time), or figuratively--Induce.
“Fruit”—karpov—Noun Masc.—1) Fruit—1a) The fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields, 1b) The fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity; 2) That which originates or comes from something, an effect, result—2a) Work, act, deed, 2b) Advantage, profit, utility, 2c) Praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering, 2d) To gather fruit(i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal(as into a granary), is used in figurative discourse of those who by their labors have fitted souls to obtain eternal life. Strong—probably from the base of arpazw[to seize]; Fruit(as plucked), literally or figuratively.
“For/Unto”—eiv—Preposition—1) Into, unto, to, towards, for, among. Strong—a primary preposition; To or Into(indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or figuratively--Purpose(result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases.
“Eternal”—aiwniov—Adj.—1) Without beginning & end, that which always has been & always will be; 2) Without beginning; 3) Without end, never to cease, everlasting. Aiwniov gives prominence to the immeasurableness of eternity. Strong—Perpetual(also used of past time, or past & future as well).
“Life”—zwh—Noun Fem.—1) Life—1a) The state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate, 1b) Every living soul; 2) Life—2a) Of the absolute fulness of life, both essential & ethical, which belongs to God, & through him both to the hypostatic "logos" & to Christ in whom the "logos" put on human nature, 2b) Life real & genuine, a life active & vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions(among them a more perfect body), & to last for ever. Strong—Life(literally or figuratively).?Zwh corresponds to Hebrew—yx. A)quch—Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely--The animal sentient principle only, which is distinguished from, B) pneuma—The rational & immortal soul, & C)zwh—Mere vitality, even of plants. These terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew...A)vpn, B)xwr & C)yx.
“That both he who sows & he who reaps may rejoice together.”
Thus God’s people are engaged in two missions: “both” “sowing” as well as “reaping.”
1)We are to “Sow”--Declare the word of salvation & life eternal in Christ—with both our mouths & our life choices—&...
2)We are to “Reap”--Gather in that which has been sown/planted, & raised by others.
“The reaping of people for the granary of God is not the task of any one group nor is it confined to one era. Each reaps the benefit of its forerunners, & succeeding generations, in turn, gain from the accomplishments of their predecessors.”—EBC
Given that all of God’s people are involved in every aspect of the ‘farming’ business, particularly in bringing in the harvest, both “sower” & “reaper” have opportunity to “rejoice together.”
“That”—ina—Conjunction—1) That, in order that, so that. Strong—probably from the same as the former part of eautou(through the demonstrative idea; compare o, h, to); In order that(denoting the purpose or the result).
“Both”—kai—Conjunction—1) And, also, even, indeed, but. Strong—apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative & sometimes also a cumulative force; And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection(or composition) with other particles or small words.
“Sows”(See :37)—speirw—Verb—1) To sow, scatter, seed; 2) metaph.--Of proverbial sayings. Strong—probably strengthened from spaw[to draw(out)](through the idea of extending); To scatter, i.e. Sow(literally or figuratively).
“Reaps”(See :37, 38)—yerizw—Verb—1) To reap, harvest; 2) Proverbial expression for sowing & reaping; 3) Cut off, destroy—3a) As crops are cut down with a sickle. Strong—To harvest. Used 21X.?From—yerov(in the sense of the crop)—from a primary yerw(to heat); properly--Heat, i.e. Summer.
“Rejoice”—cairw—Verb—1) To rejoice, be glad; 2) To rejoice exceedingly; 3) To be well, thrive; 4) in salutations--Hail!; 5) at the beginning of letters--To give one greeting, salute. Strong—a primary verb; To be “cheer”ful, i.e. Calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation(on meeting or parting)--Be well.?From—cara—Cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight.
“Together”—omou—Adverb—1) Together: of persons assembled together. The distinction for these is ama is temporal & omou is local. This seems to hold in most places. However, see Ro 3:12. Strong—genitive case of omov(the same; akin to ama[properly--at the "same" time, but freely used as a preposition or adverb denoting close association]) as adverb--At the same place or time. Used 3X.
:37—“For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows & another reaps.’”
Paul states in 1Cor. 3:6 of himself & others, that “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” God’s people thruout history are involved in the process of bringing someone to trust Jesus Christ in their own time.
Thus many people thruout history are responsible for joining in a common/shared work with a view toward producing a common/shared result.
•That is, God’s intention for mankind is served thru varying generations of those who are faithful to Him.
Heb. 11:32--12:2—“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon & Barak & Samson & Jephthah, also of David & Samuel & the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings & scourgings, yes, & of chains & imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins & goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts & mountains, in dens & caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, [:40]God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, & the sin which so easily ensnares us, & let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, & has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“For”—gar—Conjunction—1) For. Strong—a primary particle; properly--Assigning a reason(used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles).
“In”—en—Preposition—1) In, by, with etc.. Strong—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality(medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest(intermediate between eiv[into, unto, to, towards, for, among] & ek/ex[out of, from, by, away from]).
“This”—toutw—Pronoun—1) To this one. Strong—To(in, with or by) this(person or thing).?Dative case singular masculine or neuter of—outov/outoi/auth/autai—1) This, these, etc..
“Saying”(See :39, 41—“word”)—logov—Noun Masc.—1) of speech—1a) A word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea, 1b) What someone has said, 1c) Discourse, 1d) Doctrine, teaching, 1e) Anything reported in speech; a narration, narrative, 1f) Matter under discussion, thing spoken of, affair, a matter in dispute, case, suit at law, 1g) The thing spoken of or talked about; event, deed; 2) Its use as respect to the MIND alone—2a) Reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating, 2b) Account, i.e. regard, consideration, 2c) Account, i.e. Reckoning, score, 2d) Account, i.e. Answer or explanation in reference to judgment, 2e) Relation, i.e. with whom as judge we stand in relation, 2f) Reason, cause, ground; 3) In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom & power in union with God, his minister in creation & government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical & ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, & shone forth conspicuously from His words & deeds. Strong—from legw[a primary verb; properly--To "lay" forth, i.e. figuratively--Relate(in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; ; whereas epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, & lalew means an extended or random harangue]); by implication--To mean]; Something said(including the thought); by implication--A topic(subject of discourse), also--Reasoning(the mental faculty) or motive; by extension--computation; specifically(with the article in John)--The Divine Expression(i.e. Christ).
“True”—alhyinov—Adj.—1) That which has not only the name & resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name, real, true genuine—1a) Opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended, 1b) It contrasts realities with their semblances, 1c) Opposite to what is imperfect defective, frail, uncertain; 2) True, veracious, sincere. Strong—Truthful. Used 27X.
“One”(See :38—“others”)(See “Another” below)—allov—Adj.—1) Another, other. Allov as compared with eterov denotes numerical in distinction from qualitative differences; allov adds('one besides'), eterov distinguishes('one of two'); every eterov is an allov but not every allov is a eterov; allov generally denotes simple distinction of individuals, eterov involves the secondary idea of difference of kind. Strong—a primary word; “Else,” i.e. Different(in many applications).
“Sows”(See :36)—speirw—Verb—1) To sow, scatter, seed; 2) metaph.--Of proverbial sayings. Strong—probably strengthened from spaw[to draw(out)](through the idea of extending); To scatter, i.e. Sow(literally or figuratively).
“Another”(See :38—“others”)(See “One” above)—allov—
“Reaps”(See :36, 38)—yerizw—Verb—1) To reap, harvest; 2) Proverbial expression for sowing & reaping; 3) Cut off, destroy—3a) As crops are cut down with a sickle. Strong—To harvest. Used 21X.?From—yerov(in the sense of the crop)—from a primary yerw(to heat); properly--Heat, i.e. Summer.
:38—“I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, & you have entered into their labors.””
Even this ‘early in the game’ Jesus tells His disciples that He has “sent” them to be “reapers.” “Reapers” are ‘harvesters’ of produce/crops or of fruit or of some product.
The produce/crop/fruit/product has been raised by others. The disciples(harvesters) had no part in the rearing or production of the crop itself.
•The disciples of Jesus are to “reap” a product, the beginnings of which, they themselves have had no part.
However upon their involvement in the “reaping”, they themselves “have entered into” the same productive “labors” as those who have gotten the crop to the point of harvest.
All who are involved in the proper production &/or harvest of the crop are all business partners in God’s work!
Putting your trust in Jesus Christ & allowing Him to generate or be the source of all your effort, secures your involvement in & with the “labors” of every saint of all time!
What does this say about our involvement together with the rest of God’s Church?...MUCH!
•God never intended for you to be a ‘lone wolf’ or a ‘loose cannon’ as it were! He intends for the Church to work together—here, there, & globally—because His mission for us is ultimately of global intent!
?How are YOU involved in the work of God?
•It CANNOT be because you are a ‘good person’!
•It can ONLY occur when you are surrendered to the Savior Jesus, & the continuing moment-by-moment surrender to Him as Lord of your life!...Because Jesus the Christ “SENDS” you!
“I”—egw—Pronoun—1) I, me, my. Strong—a primary pronoun of the first person I(only expressed when emphatic).
“Sent”—apostellw—Verb—1) To order(one) to go to a place appointed; 2) To send away, dismiss—2a) to allow one to depart, that he may be in a state of liberty, 2b) To order one to depart, send off, 2c) To drive away. Apostellw includes a reference to equipment & suggests official or authoritative sending. Strong—Set apart, i.e. by implication--To send out(properly, on a mission) literally or figuratively.?From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative).—&—stellw—properly--To set fast("stall"), i.e. figuratively--To repress reflexively--Abstain from associating with.
“You”—umav—Pronoun 2nd Accusative Plural—1) You. Strong—accusative case of umeiv; You(as the objective of a verb or preposition).
“Reap”(See :36, 37)—yerizw—Verb—1) To reap, harvest; 2) Proverbial expression for sowing & reaping; 3) Cut off, destroy—3a) As crops are cut down with a sickle. Strong—To harvest. Used 21X.?From—yerov(in the sense of the crop)—from a primary yerw(to heat); properly--Heat, i.e. Summer.
“That...Which/That Whereon/On Which/What”—ov, h , o—Pronoun—1) Who, which, what, that. Strong—the relative (sometimes demonstrative)pronoun--Who, which, what, that.
“Not”—ou, ouk, OR--ouc—Particle—1) No, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. Strong—a primary word; the absolute negative[compare mh] adverb; No or not.
“Labored”2X—kopiaw—Verb—1) To grow weary, tired, exhausted(with toil or burdens or grief); 2) To labor with wearisome effort, to toil—2a) Of bodily labor. Strong—To feel fatigue; by implication--To work hard. Used 23X.?From a derivative of—kopov—A cut, i.e. by analogy--Toil(as reducing the strength), literally or figuratively; by implication--Pains.
“Others”(See :37—“one & another”)—allov—Adj.—1) Another, other. Allov as compared with eterov denotes numerical in distinction from qualitative differences; allov adds('one besides'), eterov distinguishes('one of two'); every eterov is an allov but not every allov is a eterov; allov generally denotes simple distinction of individuals, eterov involves the secondary idea of difference of kind. Strong—a primary word; “Else,” i.e. Different(in many applications).
“You/Ye”—umeiv—Pronoun 2ndPer. Nominative Plural—1) You. Strong—irregular plural of su[Personal pronoun of the 2nd person singular]; You(as subjective of verb).
“Entered into”—eisercomai—Verb—1) To go out or come in: to enter—1a) Of men or animals, as into a house or a city, 1b) Of Satan taking possession of the body of a person, 1c) Of things: as food, that enters into the eater's mouth; 2) metaph.—2a) Of entrance into any condition, state of things, society, employment—2a1) To arise, come into existence, begin to be, 2a2) of men--To come before the public, 2a3) To come into life,2b) Of thoughts that come into the mind. Strong—To enter(literally or figuratively).
“Their”—autov—Pronoun Genitive Plural Masc.—1) Himself, herself, themselves, itself; 2) He, she, it; 3) The same. Strong—from the particle au[perhaps akin to the base of ahr[air] through the idea of a baffling wind]--Backward; the reflexive pronoun--Self, used(alone or in the comparative eautou) of the third person , & (with the proper personal pronoun)of the other persons.
“Labors”—kopov—Noun Masc.—1) A beating; 2) A beating of the breast with grief, sorrow; 3) Labor—3a) Trouble—3a1) To cause one trouble, make work for him, 3b) Intense labour united with trouble & toil. Kopov refers to the fatigue of work. Kopov denotes the weariness which results from labor, or labor considered from the stand-point of the resulting weariness. Strong—A cut, i.e. by analogy--Toil(as reducing the strength), literally or figuratively; by implication--Pains.
Argumentation:
Mat. 9:32-38—“As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute & demon-possessed. And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.” Then Jesus went about all the cities & villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, & healing every sickness & every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary & scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Dan. 12:3—“Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever & ever.”
Rom. 1:9-13—“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you & me. Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.”
*Rom. 6:20-23—“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, & having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, & the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The ‘harvest’ of the unsaved sinner, is a ‘reaping’(gathering in) of death(eternal), along with every aspect of what leads to it! Whereas, the harvest of the saved sinner is a ‘reaping’(gathering in) of eternal life , along with every aspect of what leads to it!
1Cor. 9:19-23—“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; & to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”
1Tim. 4:16—“Take heed to yourself & to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself & those who hear you.”
Js. 5:19-20—“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, & someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death & cover a multitude of sins.”
1Cor. 3:1-10—“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk & not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, & even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, & divisions among you, are you not carnal & behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” & another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, & who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants & he who waters are one, & each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, & another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.”
Illustration:
From 1981-1989 I was privileged to work at a marine research facility named Skidaway Institute of Oceanography/It was(& still is) located outside of Savannah, GA on Skidaway Island/Steve was my co-worker there & one of the people who was hugely instrumental in leading me to Jesus/He was not present when(1986) & where(alone in my living room) I accepted Jesus as my Savior/Steve used baseball terminology to describe my acceptance of Jesus/He described the events that led up to my salvation as ‘a run batted in’/In doing so, Steve was recognizing the input of his local church body in their prayers for me/He was recognizing their part in preparing him for ministering to me directly/He was recognizing the many(charter members) who were compelled of the Holy Spirit to see the need for & to bind themselves together to form that local church/Steve was also recognizing all those who came even before that church was established, who were compelled of the Holy Spirit to bear witness of Christ throughout the years since the Cross, Resurrection, & Ascension of Christ/Steve was giving credit to those faithful who would bring the witness to America/By describing the efforts put forth toward my saving experience as ‘a run batted in’, Steve was recognizing all of the people who would believe God’s entire testimony, extending from the beginning & thruout history/By seeing my saving experience as ‘a run batted in’, Steve(whom you do not know) has painted a picture for you, of the ‘team effort’ that is necessary to bring others to saving faith!/HARVEST
Application:
?Does Your HARVEST Insight readily Turn others to Christ/God’s way?
?Are YOU instrumental in Turning the Religious Reluctance of others, into a Confident Relationship with God?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Remember my uncle who checked the oil level by striking a match & holding it in the container so he could see!
My uncle confessed to me because loved me, & did not want me to end up doing something foolish! He sought to spare me from preventable & needless sorrow.
Action:
Turning religious reluctance to God requires...
12. the INTERRUPTIVE Insight of...?b.--HARVEST(:35-38)
1. SERVICE Insight(:1-3)
2. CONSEQUENTIAL Insight(:4-6)
3. COMPASSIONED Insight(:7-8)
4. BLIND/UNHINDERED Insight(:9)
5. POSSESSIVE Insight(:10)
6. TRUTHFUL Insight(:11-14)
7. LIFESTYLE Insight(:15-18)
8. PLACE Insight(:19-20)
9. DECISIVE Insight(:21-24)
10. IDENTITY Insight(:25-26)
11. INTERRUPTIVE Insight(:27)
a.--SUSTENANCE(:31-34)
Pt# 12b only! presented 08/11/2019am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
