John 4 35 KJV: The Fields are White

"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." (John 4:35 KJV)

The Fields are White

We all have "four-month" timelines. Maybe it's training for a marathon, finding a new home, or completing a required certification course at work. But often we procrastinate. We tell ourselves, "I'll get to it later, I’m too busy and stressed right now." It’s a natural way of thinking and feeling, based on our own timing and expectations.

This is the mindset Jesus addresses in John 4 35 KJV. After a life-changing encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus’ disciples arrive with food. They’re thinking about the next meal, the next town, and the natural cycle of the seasons. Jesus redirects their attention to something far more urgent.

He says, "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."

Jesus is challenging our earthly perspective. The disciples (and many of us) are thinking in terms of agricultural seasons—four months until the next harvest. But Jesus points us to a different kind of field, one that is "white already to harvest."

This isn’t a future event. It is today. Right now. The harvest is not coming; it is here. Jesus is telling us that people all around us are ready to hear the good news of the Gospel. They are seeking, questioning, and hurting—and they are ripe for the harvest of salvation.

So, where are the "white fields" in your life? Is it an extended family member you talk with once a month? A neighbor you see as they carry out the trash? A stranger who has that “I’m struggling” look? The “white fields” are impossible to miss unless we close our eyes and say, I'll get to it later, I’m too busy and stressed right now.

Jesus' command to "lift up your eyes" is a call for a change in attitude and behavior. We must stop looking at our own calendars and start looking at the world with His eyes. The harvest is ready. The question is, are we ready to be the laborers?

John 35 5 KJV Prayer:

Lord, I pray that You would open our eyes to new possibilities to serve You. To see the fields that are white for harvest. Forgive us for our delays and our self-made timelines. Give us the courage to step out in faith and be Your laborers today. Show us the opportunities You have already prepared, and give us the words to share the hope of Christ. Amen.