35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. (John 4:35-38 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Our blessed Saviour having, in the former verses, given a most plain and evident demonstration of his fervent desire to bring souls home to God, doth in these verses labour to stir up and kindle the like affections in his disciples; and this he doth by three very effectual arguments.
The first argument is drawn from the ripeness of the people, and their willingness to hear, and their readiness to be reaped and gathered by the gospel (whereof there was a present instance in the Samaritans, who were now coming forth in multitudes to Christ) which opportunity was therefore to be improved: Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest.
Learn hence, That as a people is sometimes ripe for the ministry of the word, as corn is ripe and ready for the reaper’s hand, so it is the duty of the ministers of Christ to lay hold upon such opportunities, with as much desire and delight, as the harvest-men do upon a reaping season.
The second argument to stir up the disciples diligence in preaching the gospel, is drawn from the great reward they should receive for this their work. He that reapeth receiveth wages. The harvest-man’s wages is double to what other labourers receive. The ministers of God shall receive good wages at his hand, how ill soever they are requited and rewarded by an unkind world.
And, as a farther encouragement, it follows: He that soweth, and he that reapeth, shall rejoice together; that is, the prophets who took so much pains in sowing the seed of the gospel, and particularly John the Baptist, and you my apostles which succeed them, and reap the fruit of what they did sow, shall have the same reward in glory, and rejoice together.
Learn hence, That not only the successful, but the faithful labourer, in God’s harvest, shall be rewarded; not only those which see the fruit of their ministry in the conversion of sinners, but such as are faithful seedsmen. Though the seed does not come up till we are in our graves, nay, though it rots under the clods, and does not come up at all, yet shall the faithful seedsman be rewarded according to his labour, not according to his success.
The third argument to quicken the disciples diligence, is drawn frrom the easiness and facility of that labour which God required of them: Others have laboured, and ye are entered into their labours; that is, the prophets and John the Baptist have prepared the ground, and sown the seed, and made ready a people for the Lord, and now you enter into their labours, performing and gathering them into the gospel-church; yet this must not be understood absolutely, but comparatively: not as if the prophets reaped nothing, converted none: but that their fruit was small in comparison of the success which the apostles found. Nor is it to be understood as if the apostle took no pains at all, but that the prophets greater pains render the apostles labour successful, who took less pains. Learn hence, That the wisdom of God sees it fit that all his servants in the work of the ministry do not meet with the same difficulties, nor enjoy the same success. Some are laborious sowers, others are joyful reapers; some labour all their days with little visible success, others bring in many to Christ, perhaps by a single sermon: some labour even with weariness, and reap little, others enter into their labours, and reap much.