The Reapers

How often do you benefit from the work of someone else?

For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." - John 4:37-38

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus has just encountered the Samaritan woman at the well, while his disciples were out getting something to eat.  When they return, he confuses them by telling them he has food they do not know of.

He quotes a saying that reminds me of the parable of the talents.  In that parable, the servant who receives the one talent does not invest it like the others, but hides it.  His reasoning is this.

‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ - Matthew 25:24-25

In both Deuteronomy and Joshua, the people of God are told that they are the beneficiaries of the work of others, reaping the crops sown by others, being given land they did not work and gifts they did not earn.

Is this what Jesus is referring to?  And does that give us some insight into the meaning of the parable?

There seem to be two ways to look at this situation of reaping where you do not sow.  Either it is a blessing or it is dishonest.

For us, it is a way of life.  Few of us grow our own food, raise our own cattle and chickens for milk, eggs and meat.  Yes, some hunt and fish and some grow a garden, but we do not live on these efforts alone.

We reap the benefits of the work of others, and we pay for them.

But what if it is given to us without need of payment?

John paints Jesus as a teacher. Everything he says has a lesson built into it.  The encounter with the woman at the well is a good example.  So it is no surprise that he reminds the disciples that all that have including what they buy is from someone else's labor. And buy benefiting they are entering into that labor along with those who did the work.

That is a good lesson for all of us.  

But the servant with the one talent didn't see it that way.  He saw the one who benefits from the labor of others as evil.  

We hear a lot of talk like that today.  If the company I work for makes money from my labor is it evil?

And if we go all the way back to the benefits of inhabiting land not tilled by our people, as God directed, is that evil?

Ah.  That is a good question since there are forces in the world that want to take the land for themselves using God as their justification.  

So where does that leave us?

I think we need to see our lives as linked to all other lives.  We are not alone and what we do affects, benefits or hurts others.  It is how this world works.  

Not ideal perhaps but necessary.  I guess we can make the best of it if we plan to live together in peace.  

More to come...