t h e KING’S BUSINESS
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(rather, word) true, (add, that) one someth and another reapeth (rather, one is a sower and mother a reaper ). 1 send you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men (rather, others) labored, and ye are entered into their labours (rather, labor). In the present instance of the reap ing in Samaria, a common proverbial statement, “ One soweth and another reapeth” was illustrated. But there seems to be a suggestion on our Lord’s part that this was not always to be true, that in many instances yet to come, they would have to both sow and reap, and that there would be no harvest without labor. In the reap ing thus far done in the work to which the Lord had sent (notice the tense of the word “ sent,” clearly in dicating that the Lord pointed to the past and not to the future) them, others had labored and they had reaped that whereon they themselves had not labored, they had entered into the labors of others, but in the future they would have to labor if they were to reap (cf. Ps. 126:5, 6 ; 2 Tim. 2 :6 ). In reaping that on .which they had not labored, they were like the Israelites on entering Canaan (Joshua 24:13) but in the days to come, they would be like the Israelites in the later years when those who would reap must first sow In the iristance immediately before us, that of the Samaritans, it was Christ (and the Samaritan woman) who had labored and into whose labors they had entered. The words for “ labor” and “ labored” in the pas sage are very strong words, indicat ing intense, exhausting, painful toil. Without such toil on the part of sorrie one there can be no reaping, and usually we ourselves must toil if we would reap. Reaping is not the privilege of the lazy worker. V. 39. “ And many of the Samari-
The thought in this connection is, that not only was there work to be done at once in gathering this rip ened harvest of souls eager for the truth, but also that there was an im mediate reward, and one would re ceive his pay as he worked. This is always true of .the one who wins souls, not only will he receive a re ward in the eternal future, he re ceives his reward day by day. One of the greatest joys to be known on earth is the joy of bringing souls to Christ. Even though there were no reward hereafter, the joy now pays for all the sacrifice made and all the work done. Not only is there the joy o f winning the souls, but also as we do win them we are gathering fruit utterly unlike the fruit of any earthly harvest, fruit which shall never perish but endure “ unto life eternal.” What other work is there that man can do that compares with this? On the use of the expression “ unto life eternal” compare chapter 4:14; 6:27 and 12:25 where in our Authorized Version the order of the words “ life” arid “ eternal” is changed, but in the Greek the order is the same in all four passages. In many an instance one sows and another reaps (cf. v 37) but both he that sows and he that reaps rejoice together in the harvest. The sower is not jealous of the reaper, but re joices in the fruit that the reaper gathers from the sower’s work, and on the' other hand the reaper does not despise the sower. Not only do both sower and reaper rejoice, they rejoice “ together.” The sowing which our Lord did in that day is producing a harvest still and the Lord is rejoicing in the harvest which we are gather ing of the seed which He Himself sowed. Vs. 37, 38. “And, (rather, For) herein is that (rather, the) saying,
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