"31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.”
John 4:31-38
There are two things we should notice about the disciples here. In the first place, it is striking to realise how considerably, albeit unconsciously, they were conditioned by the climate of religion of their day (27), and by the Pharisaic attitude to 'sinners' (cf. Luke 15:2). Jesus was cutting across that attitude in His dealings with the woman, but they were surprised and concerned, because they were all unawares conditioned, more than they knew, by the atmosphere and spirit of their time. How careful we need to be, in this respect. The second thing relates to their misunderstanding of Jesus' words in 32, 33. It is quite remarkable that they should show the same kind of spiritual obtuseness as both Nicodemus and the woman of Samaria showed in 3:4 and 4:11, putting a literal interpretation on words that were given a spiritual meaning by our Lord. This prompts the reflection that as between them and the disciples there was not a great deal to choose, and that even in the context of discipleship there was so much for them to learn. The 'meat' Jesus speaks of has no reference to any miraculous supply, as suggested by some, for He explains what that 'meat' is in 34. The word 'finish' indicates bringing the work to its proper end, which in the case of the woman was to have brought her into the light of the gospel. We are not to suppose that Jesus was no longer hungry for ordinary food - doubtless they went on to share their meal - but that in the doing of the will of God there is a satisfaction and a fullness that nothing else can bring.