“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).
By looking at this passage we quickly understand that Jesus spoke of proclaiming the kingdom of God to the lost. While farmers wait for the harvest, i.e. for the matured crop, Jesus speaks of the time for saving men from among men is now. This is the usual consensus of this passage within its context. It is for this reason we still observe the act of praying for reapers so the harvest is gathered.
Looking deeper into the words of Jesus there could still be greater wisdom and thought present. One thing for sure is that if harvest is left unattended it rots and thereby, the loss of the crop. Based on this, believers say, much clearly the preachers of the gospel, that time should not be wasted. Jesus uses literal language to induce a deeper meaning, much like a parable. Apart from the visible message He gives He speaks of the emotion that should come forth from His followers. His command to pray for reapers is proof of it. Just like He sees and feels regarding the lost they too ought to have His eyes. That is the eyes full of purity so they can see the actual yoke that is over weighing men and understand the burden of sin they unsuccessfully bear. Only a follower of Jesus (one that depends heavily on Christ’s mind) and not a mere believer have such eyes, for Christ Himself provides them. With them he can see the need of men. He can rightly envision the kind of greater trouble they will fall into, though for the moment they appear comfortable.
Not only does Jesus words refer to unbelievers, but also those that are weak in Christ, who have gone errant, that do not preach the truth about the kingdom of God, that are mind, knowledge and skill oriented and that twist the Word for selfish gain. Jesus’ words suggest that these people need separation. Once the mature grain is cut off what’s left is useless. It is from this uselessness they need to come away. As we have the eyes of Jesus the more we act to make a person complete in Christ the more we harvest for God’s kingdom.