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; John 9:13–14). His intent, in most cases, seems to be to let people's reactions speak for themselves.

A famous exercise in mental health circles is the Rorschach test, where a person is shown vague blobs of ink, and asked to describe what they see. What people see in the ink spots is often more a reflection of their own minds than anything in the images itself. Rorschach tests may or may not be a very reliable way of understanding someone's mind. Jesus' pointed questions, though, are always intended to let people reveal their own hearts. The way people respond to Jesus' questions 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 soon bring back many people to meet Christ, while the disciples have brought no one. Jesus explains that some work to plant spiritual seeds, while others might be the ones collecting 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. Jesus both confronts her about her sin, and comforts her with the truth of the gospel. In particular, He explains that 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, have to be 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 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.