The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Near Sychar at Jacob's Well
- Chapter 30 -
Sabbath foolishness.
While the considerable crowd from the town set out towards the well, My disciples urge Me to have something to eat beforehand, for they knew that as soon as people came to Me, I did not take any food; and they loved Me and feared that I might become weakened and ill. Although they knew that I was Christ, they still regarded My body as weak and frail, wherefore they urged Me to eat.
2
But I look at them with loving earnest and say, 'My dear friends, I have now a food to eat of which you know nothing.'
3
The disciples looked at each other, asking, 'Has then someone already brought Him food from somewhere? What kind of food would that be? Has He already eaten it? Nothing can be seen anywhere - except the still quite full water jar. Maybe He has changed the water into wine?'
4
Say I to them, 'Oh do not make such foolish guesses as to what I have or have not eaten. You have already often seen that while I am with you I have never had Myself served separately. I am now not speaking to you of any food for the body, but of a much higher and worthier spiritual food which consist in that I do the will of Him who sent Me and complete His great work. And He who sent Me is the Father, who you claim is your God, although you have not come to know Him as yet. But I do know Him and because of that am doing His Word, and that is My true food which you do not know. I tell you: Not only the bread, but every good deed or work is also food, although not for the body, but all the more so for the spirit.'
5
many of you have fields at home, and you yourselves say, "Another four months and the time for a full harvest has come. Then we shall have to go home and gather in the harvest." But I tell you: Better lift your eyes. Already now all the fields are white, ripe for the harvest. I do not, however, mean the natural fields, but the great field which is the whole world, where men are the ripened wheat that has to be gathered into God's barns.
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And behold, this gathering-in is true work and this work a true food which I as well as you will get to eat in abundance. He who is a true reaper on this field gathers in the true crop for eternal life, so that at the end of the harvest both sower and reaper may rejoice together.
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For after the harvest the sower as well as the reaper will both eat of one and the same fruit and one and the same bread of life. Then the old saying will come true completely: One sows and another reaps, but both will equally live from their work and eat one and the same food.
8
Look at the great crowd that has come to us from the town to see the Promised in Me, and as you can see, more keep coming. Behold, all those are already fully ripened ears of wheat which should have been reaped long ago. I tell you with much joy: The crop is heavy, but there are still too few labourers; therefore, beg the owner to send more labourers to harvest his crop.'
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I have taken you on and thereby already sent you out in spirit to reap what you have not sown, for others have sown and you have now come in for the harvest of their toil, for which you should consider yourselves extremely fortunate. - He who sows is still remote from the harvest, but he who reaps also harvests and has the new bread of life already before him. So be now zealous reapers, for your effort brings more bliss than that of the sower.'
10
Most of the disciples did understand this teaching and started right away to preach My Word of the love for God and the love for one's neighbour to the Samaritans; also, that I was truly the Christ.
11
But a few in their heart's understanding still rather stupid ones came to Me and asked Me secretly, 'Lord, where could be get sickles? Besides, it is the Sabbath today.'
12
Whereupon I replied, 'Did it ell you to reap the natural barley fields that lie before us? Oh you foolish men, how long will I have to bear with you? Do you not understand anything? So listen and grasp this:
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My Word about the Kingdom of God, first in your own hearts and from there passing through your mouths to the ears and into the hearts of your fellowmen and brothers, is the spiritual reaping sickle which I give you to gather the people, your brothers, in to the Kingdom of god, the realm of true cognition of God and eternal life in God.
14
It is indeed Sabbath today, but the Sabbath is foolish and senseless like your heart, and you think of the Sabbath because in your hearts you look still very like the Sabbath. But since I am also a Lord over the Sabbath, it ell you:
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If you want to be and stay My true disciples, free your hearts from the Sabbath as soon as possible. For us every day is a day for work; when the Lord of the Sabbath is at work His servants shall not be idle.
16
Does not the sun have to rise and set on the Sabbath just as on every work day? If the Lord of the sun and of the Sabbath ceased to work on the Sabbath, would you be satisfied, with a pitch-dark Sabbath? See how foolish you still are! So start now to do what I and also your brothers are doing, and you will be celebrating a truly alive Sabbath pleasing to Me.'
17
Following these words also the weaker disciples went to the Samaritans, who had already in great numbers come to Me from the town, and taught them what they had learnt about Me.