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The Desire of Ages
accomplishment of the mission which He had left heaven to perform
strengthened the Saviour for His labor, and lifted Him above the ne-
cessities of humanity. To minister to a soul hungering and thirsting for
the truth was more grateful to Him than eating or drinking. It was a
comfort, a refreshment, to Him. Benevolence was the life of His soul.
Our Redeemer thirsts for recognition. He hungers for the sympathy
and love of those whom He has purchased with His own blood. He
longs with inexpressible desire that they should come to Him and have
life. As the mother watches for the smile of recognition from her little
child, which tells of the dawning of intelligence, so does Christ watch
for the expression of grateful love, which shows that spiritual life is
begun in the soul.
The woman had been filled with joy as she listened to Christ’s
words. The wonderful revelation was almost overpowering. Leaving
her waterpot, she returned to the city, to carry the message to others.
Jesus knew why she had gone. Leaving her waterpot spoke unmistak-
ably as to the effect of His words. It was the earnest desire of her soul
to obtain the living water; and she forgot her errand to the well, she
forgot the Saviour’s thirst, which she had purposed to supply. With
heart overflowing with gladness, she hastened on her way, to impart to
others the precious light she had received.
“Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did,” she
said to the men of the city. “Is not this the Christ?” Her words touched
their hearts. There was a new expression on her face, a change in her
whole appearance. They were interested to see Jesus. “Then they went
out of the city, and came unto Him.”
As Jesus still sat at the well side, He looked over the fields of grain
that were spread out before Him, their tender green touched by the
golden sunlight. Pointing His disciples to the scene, He employed it
as a symbol: “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.” And as He spoke, He
looked on the groups that were coming to the well. It was four months
to the time for harvesting the grain, but here was a harvest ready for
the reaper.
“He that reapeth,” He said, “receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit
unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may
rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and
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