Day 11
My favorite fruit, hands down, is the peach. I don’t think it is solely because I’m a Georgia girl and Georgia is the Peach State. As a matter of fact, I imagine anyone reading this who is from South Carolina is groaning, “ Give me a break! South Carolina peaches are by far the superior fruit!” And I would have to agree. There is something in that South Carolina soil that makes it perfect to produce the highest quality peach.
There is nothing quite like a sweet, juicy peach, with its distinct smell, texture and color. Each year in early summer I am on high alert for ripe peaches. When we lived in D.C. it was next to impossible to find a perfect peach. Occasionally the local market would carry peaches and I would get so excited. I would feel them and try to choose the ones that were not too firm but not too soft. Then I would get them home, wash one and take a big disappointing bite. Now that we are living back in the south, quality peaches are so much easier to find. Peach orchards line both sides of I-85, the interstate highway that runs through South Carolina, some of which you can actually pick your own! A peach picked at its peak is truly unparalleled, challenging the harvester to try and keep the sticky sweet juice in your mouth and not running down your arms to your elbows!
How can you tell when peaches are ripe? Any experienced peach grower knows when peaches are ripe by their sweet aroma. You don’t even have to be within arms-reach of the fruit to know when the tree has ripe peaches ready to be picked. Especially on a warm sunny day, the enticing scent of ripe peaches will practically surround the peach tree, luring you in. Another clue to be on the look out for is color. A ripe peach will have put on some color and, most importantly, it will no longer have any green undertones. If a peach still has a greenish hint to its skin color, leave it on the tree for a few more days to ripen. If it is picked green, a peach will have a “green” or grainy taste to it and it will not be as sweet. Okay, now my mouth is watering for a juicy peach, but it’s early March!! I’ll have to wait at least four more months before this year’s harvest!
Following Jesus’ providential meeting with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, His disciples return and they get into a conversation about the surrounding fields which were ripe for harvest. What does harvesting local wheat and barley fields have to do with Jesus talking with a disreputable woman. Let’s read and find out!
Read John 4:27-42
The barley harvest was one of the first harvests of the year. It preceded the wheat harvest by one or two months and was generally expected in early April. It was also one of the most widely grown crops in Israel and was a staple food, especially among the poor. Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman likely occurred around late spring (April/May), which aligns with a time of natural harvest in the region. Jesus specifically indicates the season by telling his disciples, “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.” (v 35)
Now I don’t know much about farming, but I’m fairly certain that farmers can’t mess around during harvest time. There’s an urgency to getting those crops harvested. And unfortunately you can’t really get a head start, because the crops won’t be ready yet. But you also can’t wait too long or the crops will spoil. There is a narrow window of time to harvest those crops so the minute they show signs of ripening, it’s a race against time.
Jesus tells His guys to pay attention to the signs of spiritual harvest, starting with this adulterous woman. And look at how she freely shares her faith simply because she’s overcome with Jesus - His notice of and engagement with her. Notice in verses 28-29 how she’s so excited that she leaves her full water jar at the well, runs back to town, and says to the very people she had previously spent her life trying to avoid, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” (v 29) Then verse 39 records how “Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’”
Similarly, when we step out in faith and share how Jesus has redeemed and transformed our lives and can change others as well, the Holy Spirit uses that in powerful ways. Let’s keep our eyes open for signs of ripening, for it is in those moments that we are privileged to be a small part of harvesting souls!
Big Picture Questions for Today:
Think about your faith story, who you were before the Spirit of the Living God opened your eyes to see your sin and His gift of grace. How is your life different now?
Who you might be able to share your story with? Who has God put in your life that might be even the slightest bit open to talking about spiritual matters?
Pray for two to three people who the Lord brings to mind who may not know Jesus and His gospel of grace and forgiveness. Begin praying for them every day, and ask the Spirit to open your eyes for openings to approach that conversation.
