John 4:34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He also trains them to listen to His figurative words. What, then, is the will of the Father? He states and explains this afterward.

With you there is bodily food, but with Me there is spiritual food. You need to buy, but I need to redeem.

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us" (Gal 3:13), says the chosen vessel, Paul. I desire to catch this spiritual prey by means of water.

The law too is a work of God, since it was written by the finger of God (Deut 9:10). The Lord fulfilled this law, because Christ is the end of the law (Rom 10:4).

He brought to an end all that was done in the law and raised it from bodily service to spiritual service.

The Lord often speaks in a veiled way in order to make His hearers more attentive. He awakens them to inquiry and to the knowledge of what is spoken in hidden form.

By calling the salvation of men His food, the Lord teaches the disciples that, when they are ordained teachers of the universe, they too should not care much for bodily food. They should apply all zeal to the salvation of men.

Notice also that the Lord accepted food when someone brought it. For the disciples say, "Has anyone brought Him something to eat?" The Lord did this not because He needed the service of others. He Himself gives food to all flesh (Ps 135:25).

He did it so that those who brought it might have a reward and become accustomed to feeding others. He also showed all men that one need not be ashamed of poverty, nor be distressed when fed by others.

It is proper, and even necessary, for teachers to entrust care for food to others. Thus, without distraction, they may fulfill the ministry of the word. Therefore He even commanded the disciples to be fed at the expense of those whom they instructed (Lk 10:7).

This is what we thought necessary to say in the present case, insofar as it concerns the pattern and example of apostolic ministry.

But if something more doctrinal must be added to what has been said, then He says that He has been sent, clearly by the Father and God.

This may be understood either in relation to the Incarnation, since He shone forth to the world with flesh by the good pleasure and approval of the Father.

Or it may be understood of Him as the Word, in some manner proceeding from the Mind that begot Him, and being sent, and fulfilling His will.

He is not to be received as the servant of another's desires. Rather, He Himself is both the living Word and the most effective will of the Father, saving those who were lost.

Therefore, after saying that the "work" belongs to Him who sent Him, He nevertheless appears Himself as the accomplisher. For all things are from the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.

That the Son is also the Word, Counsel, Will, and Power of the Father, I think is evident to all. Yet it is not useless to bring proofs from divine Scripture.

That He is the "Word" may be seen in the words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Jn 1:1).

That He is "Counsel" may be seen in the words of the Psalmist, as though addressed to God the Father: "By Thy Counsel Thou hast guided me, and with Glory Thou hast received me" (Ps 72:24).

He is also called "Will" in the words: "O Lord, by Thy Will give strength to my beauty" (Ps 29:8). For the beauty of the saints, that is, strength for every virtue, is made firm by the living and hypostatic Will of the Father, that is, the Son.

That He is also "Power" you may again understand from this: "Command, O God, by Thy Power. Strengthen, O God, this which Thou hast wrought for us" (Ps 67:29).

Here you can clearly see that by the good pleasure of God the Father, His "Power," that is, the Son, was incarnate. This was in order to "strengthen" the body "which He wrought for us."

For if He had not "dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14), the nature of the flesh would not at all have put off the weakness of corruption.

Therefore the Son Himself, being the good will of the Father, "accomplishes His work," appearing as salvation for those who believe in Him.

But perhaps someone will say to this: if the Son Himself is the will of the Father, then what will was He sent to fulfill? For what is fulfilled must be something other than the one who fulfills it.

What shall we answer to this? Indeed, the use of different names requires a distinction in the things signified. Yet in relation to God, usage often does not distinguish.

The being of the Most High Nature sometimes allows no such exactness here. For it is not spoken of as it is in all truth, but as language can express and the human ear can hear.

For he who "sees in a mirror dimly" (1 Cor 13:12) also speaks in riddles (2 Cor 12:4).

Otherwise, what will you do when the Simple One appears before us as twofold in His nature? This occurs in His words about the Israelites: "They caused their children to pass through the fire, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My heart" (Jer 32:35; 19:5).

Must there then be another heart in God? And in that case, how can He still be understood by us as simple?

Therefore, even if something about God is said in human fashion, it must be understood in a manner befitting God. The limitation of our language must not harm the Nature that is above all.

Accordingly, if the Son is found speaking of the Father's will as though of something other than Himself, do not, in sound judgment, introduce a division.

Rather, attribute to the weakness of speech its inability to say anything greater, or to express the thing signified in any other way.

I consider this also sufficient to prove that the Son is understood as the will of the Father. Yet in the saying being interpreted, no reason compels us to understand the Son by the will of the Father.

Rather, we should take it simply as the Good Counsel concerning those who were lost.

So also the very drink for that woman was the fulfillment of the will of Him who sent Him. Therefore He said, "I thirst; give Me to drink" (Jn 4:7).

That is, He asked that she cultivate faith within herself. Then He would drink her faith and place her in His own body, for His body is the Church.

He Himself says, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me" (Jn 4:34).

Rather, refer these words to the humanity of Christ. Understand that His being sent by the Father means only that, by the good pleasure of God the Father, He was incarnate and became man.

Therefore, as man, He always fulfills the will of God and accomplishes the work of our salvation.

It had quickly kindled her with faith in Him. This word, passed on by her to her fellow citizens, had moved them to come to Him.

Seeing the crowd of townspeople coming toward Him, He rejoiced that the seed He had cast was already beginning to bear fruit. Therefore, when the disciples urged Him to satisfy His hunger, He answered that His food was to do the will of Him who sent Him.

Then, pointing to the Samaritans coming toward Him, He said, "You say that the harvest will come in four months. But I say to you: look at this field drawing near to us, how it has become white and ripe for harvest.

"I will send you to reap what has been sown by Me. You who reap will receive a reward, because you will gather fruit for eternal life.

"You will rejoice as you gather the harvest, though you yourselves did not sow. Yet the One who sows the word of God will rejoice with you, because what He sowed has borne fruit."

When grain is sown in the earth, most often the one who reaps, that is, gathers the fruit, is the same one who sowed. He sowed for himself.

But in the sowing of the word, the spiritual harvest almost always belongs to others. The one who sowed rejoices that others have gathered the fruit of his sowing, because he sowed not for himself, but for others.

Therefore, with regard to the spiritual field, it is entirely true that one sows and another reaps.

He is sowing the word of truth in the woman's heart and, through her, in the inhabitants of the city. This fulfillment of the will of the heavenly Father and accomplishment of His work even quenched His bodily hunger and thirst.

These crowds are drawing near to Him. He continues, "Do you not say, 'There are still four months, and then comes the harvest'? But I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white and ready for harvest."

"Do you not say?" These words themselves show that Jesus is citing common speech. In the language of the people He expresses to the disciples His joy that whole crowds of Shechemites are coming to Him, some believing, others ready to believe.

Only recently He sowed spiritual seeds in the heart of the Samaritan woman. Now the field is already ripe: the inhabitants of Sychar, with changed hearts.

The Savior often elsewhere compared the gospel to seed, and the conversion of souls to harvest: Mt 9:37ff.; Mt 13:3ff.; Mk 4:26ff.; Lk 8:5ff. In Palestine wheat was sown in November and early December.

By February the grain is already as high as it is among us in May. In the month of Nisan, which corresponds to our April, the firstfruits of barley were offered.

Christ Jesus took the image for His thought from the green field surrounding Him. This is important for determining the times in the Savior's life. From this it is evident that from Pascha, in April, until early February Jesus remained in the land of Judea (Jn 3:22; Jn 4:3).