Are you aware of the evangelistic opportunities all around you?

They may seem few and far between. But are they, really?

In John 4, we read about Jesus’ famous conversation with the woman at the well. Jesus and the disciples arrived near the town of Sychar, in Samaria. It was unusual for a Jew like Jesus to be there. Most would have avoided the country altogether. The Jews and Samaritans hated each other. But, of course, Jesus loved the world, so He went.

As Jesus sat to rest by Jacob’s well, the disciples went up into town to buy food (v 8). And when they came back down…they came back with food (vv 27, 31).

By contrast, consider the woman. As soon as she came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah she ran back into town and told the men what had happened (v 28, 39-40). And as a result, who came back down? The townsfolk. They came rushing down the hill to meet Jesus, and many believed.

Twelve apostles went up, said nothing about Jesus, and twelve came back down.

One woman went up, told them about Jesus, and the whole village came down.

The apostles did not see the opportunity.

The woman did.

I heard a preacher who visited Israel comment on this verse. He was visiting this area when he noticed a man climbing down the hill in the distance. The man was wearing white robes that stood out against the brown hillside. The preacher imagined what it must have looked like to have the whole town come down that hill. They would have looked like a sea of ripe cotton balls, rolling down the hill, ready to be picked. Was Jesus looking at the Samaritans coming towards Him when He said,

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest”(John 4:35).

There is evangelistic opportunity all around us. There are people ready and willing to believe Jesus’ saving promise. We just don’t see it. But we should. You need to lift up your eyes every once in a while.

Lord, give us eyes to see the harvest!