What does John 4:32 mean?

The New Testament records many places where Jesus says something provocative, controversial, or mysterious. In some cases, He even seems to choose His words and timing specifically to rattle the spiritually resistant (John 5:8–11; 9:13–14). His intent, in most cases, seems to be to let people's reactions speak for themselves. A famous psychological experiment, the "Rorschach test," was once used attempting to do the same thing. The test used blobs of ink, and what a person saw—supposedly—indicated more about their minds than anything else. While those tests are not reliable, the idea recognizes that a person's own mind and perspective are powerful influences, even in what they claim to have seen or heard. Rather than vague shapes or obscure experiments, Jesus often asked pointed questions intended to let people reveal their own hearts (Mark 10:18; Luke 20:4). The way people respond to Jesus' questions, or actions, demonstrates their level of spiritual knowledge, interest in the truth, and so forth.

In this case, Jesus has been refusing nutrition from the disciples for some length of time (John 4:31). His reference to food, not surprisingly, is completely misinterpreted by His followers, as verse 33 demonstrates.