John 4:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."

NIV: But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

NASB: But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.'

CSB: But he said, "I have food to eat that you don’t know about."

NLT: But Jesus replied, 'I have a kind of food you know nothing about.'

KJV: But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

NKJV: But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

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.

John 4:27–45 is an object lesson for the disciples. Jesus has just finished a conversation with a Samaritan woman, while the disciples were in town buying food. As it turns out, this supposedly unclean woman will bring many people to meet Christ. The disciples have brought no one. Jesus explains that some work to plant spiritual seeds, while others collect the harvest. Both are valuable and we should be ready for opportunities in either case.

Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman who is drawing water from a well. He confronts her about sin, yet He also comforts her with the truth of the gospel. Even though He knows her sins, He still seeks after her, and those like her. The woman returns to town, eventually bringing many people to meet Jesus. The disciples, meanwhile, are reminded of the purpose of their mission. Jesus also heals the son of a government official in a way that demonstrates the importance of trusting faith, rather than reliance on spectacle.

John chapter 4 continues the use of contrast. Jesus goes from conversing with an educated, powerful, prestigious man (John 3:1–2) to talking to an outcast, unlearned, self-conscious woman. The combination of this passage, along with Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, makes an important spiritual point: the gospel is for all people, in all places, and all times. Christ can reach each person exactly where he or she needs to be reached.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.