FAUSTI - "They came out of the city and came up to Him" It is the exodus from the unfaithful town to come to Him. It's the first abundant harvest of His labor. What is happening, the abundant harvest of Samaritans rushing to Him, is the fruit of His mission. In the meantime, the disciples who had gone away to buy food arrive; Jesus tells them about His Son's food, which is the Father's love to be offered to His brothers and sisters. Food, like water, keeps life, but it is not life. The disciples ignore that Bread that is Life, just as the Samaritan woman ignored living water. As water gives, so too the Son has a food giving Eternal Life. Just as the woman asks herself about water, so the disciples ask themselves where this food comes from. They think that it is material bread, that someone has brought to Him. The game of misunderstandings now moves from water to bread. Water is a maternal symbol, bread, which will be described more extensively in chapter 6, is rather paternal. In fact, it is the result of work and relationship, connected with "doing". the will, the mission, and the Father. "My food is to do the will of the One who sent me". If food is life, the food Jesus feeds Himself on is the love of the Father, who impels Him towards His brethren. "On the seventh day, God accomplished creation. The work of the Father is to give Himself. In this gift the work of the Son towards the brothers is fulfilled. This is what Jesus came to do. That is why He works on Saturdays (5:17): to make us a gift of the seventh day. "Four more months..." The game of misunderstandings now moves from food to sowing and harvesting, work that provides bread. The material harvest is still far away. The harvest of which Jesus speaks indicates the last day, the end of the effort, the end of the mission, the joy of the harvest, in which the work of the Father is accomplished. But it is not yet completed. Everyone still ignores the gift of God. "Behold, I say to you" the Samaritans, who come to Him through the fields, are seen as the first fruits of the future harvest. The last day, "the hour" is always "now". when you rush to Him. "He who sows rejoices with him who reaps." Jesus' time is both sowing and harvesting: He Himself is a seed that produces fruit. Word that the disciples will sow in the world. It is the same Word that we encounter here and now, listening to His dialogue with the woman. Sowing, also for us today, coincides with harvesting: whoever receives the Word already enjoys of the fruit of eternal life. "One is who sows..." Whoever sows is always the Son, gift of the Father and seed of Life. "I have sent you to harvest" With Jesus began the final time, that of harvesting. In Him our land has given its fruit (Ps 67:7): His toil and thirst at the sixth hour has made Him a seed that germinates life for the whole world (12:24). The ministry of the disciples will simply be " harvesting ". To Him the suffering of sowing, to us the joy of harvesting.
FAUSTI - "They came out of the city and came up to Him" It is the exodus from the unfaithful town to come to Him. It's the first abundant harvest of His labor. What is happening, the abundant harvest of Samaritans rushing to Him, is the fruit of His mission. In the meantime, the disciples who had gone away to buy food arrive; Jesus tells them about His Son's food, which is the Father's love to be offered to His brothers and sisters. Food, like water, keeps life, but it is not life. The disciples ignore that Bread that is Life, just as the Samaritan woman ignored living water. As water gives, so too the Son has a food giving Eternal Life.
RispondiEliminaJust as the woman asks herself about water, so the disciples ask themselves where this food comes from. They think that it is material bread, that someone has brought to Him.
The game of misunderstandings now moves from water to bread. Water is a maternal symbol, bread, which will be described more extensively in chapter 6, is rather paternal. In fact, it is the result of work and relationship, connected with "doing". the will, the mission, and the Father.
"My food is to do the will of the One who sent me".
If food is life, the food Jesus feeds Himself on is the love of the Father, who impels Him towards His brethren.
"On the seventh day, God accomplished creation.
The work of the Father is to give Himself. In this gift the work of the Son towards the brothers is fulfilled.
This is what Jesus came to do.
That is why He works on Saturdays (5:17): to make us a gift of the seventh day. "Four more months..." The game of misunderstandings now moves from food to sowing and harvesting, work that provides bread. The material harvest is still far away.
The harvest of which Jesus speaks indicates the last day, the end of the effort, the end of the mission, the joy of the harvest, in which the work of the Father is accomplished.
But it is not yet completed. Everyone still ignores the gift of God.
"Behold, I say to you" the Samaritans, who come to Him through the fields, are seen as the first fruits of the future harvest. The last day, "the hour" is always "now". when you rush to Him.
"He who sows rejoices with him who reaps."
Jesus' time is both sowing and harvesting: He Himself is a seed that produces fruit. Word that the disciples will sow in the world.
It is the same Word that we encounter here and now, listening to His dialogue with the woman. Sowing, also for us today, coincides with harvesting:
whoever receives the Word already enjoys of the fruit of eternal life.
"One is who sows..." Whoever sows is always the Son, gift of the Father and seed of Life.
"I have sent you to harvest" With Jesus began the final time, that of harvesting.
In Him our land has given its fruit (Ps 67:7): His toil and thirst at the sixth hour has made Him a seed that germinates life for the whole world (12:24).
The ministry of the disciples will simply be " harvesting ". To Him the suffering of sowing, to us the joy of harvesting.