Title: Food of Jesus (John 04:27-38)
Description One day Jesus left Jerusalem and went down to Galilee, his hometown. On the way to Galilee there is a region called Samaria. The Israelites have great contempt for the Samaritans. This is because the Assyrians came to this land a long time ago and began to mix with each other, and the people in this land of Samaria ended up becoming a mixed race. They used to be brothers, but since then the Jews have come to treat the Samaritans as filthy as animals. Therefore, when Jews living in Galilee went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, it is said that they traveled long distances thinking that they would not tread on unclean land even though it was fast through the land of Samaria.
But on the way to his hometown, Jesus goes through the land of Samaria. He also sits down at a well called Jacob's Well, which is near the city of Suu, and rests for a while. At that time, the time was said to be "the 6th o'clock", and this 6 o'clock can be seen as between 12 noon and 1 o'clock in Korea time. This is because, according to Jewish custom, the time of sunrise is 1 o'clock and the time of sunset is 12 o'clock. This is the most unbearably hot time in the desert. Jesus, too, was sitting by a well and resting because he could not stand the scorching heat of the desert.
At that time, the disciples of Jesus went into the city to get food with Jesus. While they were going to buy food, a woman came out to draw water by the well where Jesus was. As a Jewish custom, dozens of wives come out to draw water in groups, usually in the morning and evening when it is cool. This woman who comes out to draw water by herself at this hot time when she doesn't even go out unless it's urgent, I think she must have some twists and turns. It seems that Jesus immediately recognized what kind of woman she was. The woman was marginalized in that society.
Jesus spoke to the woman. "Give me water." Full of discontent and wary of outsiders, this woman did not water easily. “As a Jewish man, why do you ask Samaritans and lowly women for water?” This woman may have wondered because Jews at that time would not ask a Samaritan woman for water even if they were thirsty.
Jesus says, "If you had known who it was that asked you for a drink, you would rather have asked him for living water." Curious, the woman asks, "How can you water when there is no bucket and no container for water?" Jesus emphasized, “Once I drink the water I give, I will never thirst again.” Wouldn't it be great if the woman could not fully understand these words, but at the same time did so! I thought that I would not have to go to draw water while enduring this humiliation every day. So the woman begs, "Give me such water, so that I will not come to draw water."
From this, the door of dialogue opens and Jesus begins evangelism. The woman's heart is wide open and she confesses Jesus as the Messiah and Savior. "You are the Messiah we are waiting for, who knows even my past and wishes and speaks precious words."
While Jesus was preaching diligently, the disciples who had gone to the city to buy food returned. When they saw Jesus talking intently with a strange Samaritan woman, they were suspicious. But they didn't say anything, they just offered food to Jesus. At that time, Jesus confuses the disciples once more by saying, "I have another meal to eat." They looked at each other, bewildered, saying, "Who brought food? There was only a Samaritan woman here." Then Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to complete his work."
These are the precious words we need to think about today. One). What is food In a sense, food means life. We cannot survive without food. That is why human beings need to eat and drink.
In very desperate circumstances, it is not the diamonds or pearls that are precious, but the food that is eaten. Because this food is directly related to life. Everyone has to eat in order to live. Didn't Jesus also compare himself to food and tell us that we must eat his flesh and blood?
2). Eating is not only directly related to life, but also gives us pleasure and relaxation. Europeans usually eat dinner for about 3 hours. They talk for long hours and eat a meal to relieve the fatigue of the day.
These days, young students are afraid to be late for school, so they wrap rice in water and eat quickly and run. They unfortunately lose the pleasure of eating and can be seen as living. That's why Japanese people even say "heaven is a place to eat together" funny. They think that eating is so beautiful that they can say so.
Food also serves to revive us. By eating and drinking when we are weary, we can recover from fatigue and be refreshed. People from North Korea are always hungry