Jesus Talks to a Woman in Samaria (continued)

²⁷At that time Jesus' followers came back from town. They were surprised because they saw Jesus talking with a woman. But none of them asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" ²⁸Then the woman left her water jar and went back to town. She told the people in town, ²⁹"A man told me everything I have ever done. Come see him. Maybe he is the Christ.*" ³⁰So the people left the town and went to see Jesus. ³¹While the woman was in town, Jesus' followers were begging him, "Teacher, eat something!" ³²But Jesus answered, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." ³³So the followers asked themselves, "Did somebody already bring Jesus some food?" ³⁴Jesus said, "My food is to do what the One (God) who sent me wants me to do. My food is to finish the work that he gave me to do. ³⁵[When you plant] you always say, 'Four more months to wait before we gather the grain.' But I tell you, open your eyes. Look at the [people. They are like] fields ready for harvesting now. ³⁶Even now, the person that harvests the crop is being paid. He is gathering crops for eternal life. So now the person that plants can be happy together with the person that harvests. ³⁷It is true when we say, 'One person plants, but another person harvests the crop.' ³⁸I sent you to harvest a crop that you did not work for. Other people did the work, and you get the profit from their work." ³⁹Many of the Samaritan* people in that town believed in Jesus. They believed because of what the woman had told them about Jesus. She had told them, "He (Jesus) told me everything I have ever done." ⁴⁰The Samaritans went to Jesus. They begged Jesus to stay with them. So Jesus stayed there two days. ⁴¹Many more people believed because of the things Jesus said. ⁴²The people said to the woman, "First we believed in Jesus because of what you told us. But now we believe because we heard him ourselves. We know now that he really is the one that will save the world."

Jesus Heals an Official's Son(Mt. 8:5-13; Lk. 7:1-10)

⁴³Two days later Jesus left and went to Galilee. ⁴⁴(Jesus had said before that a prophet* is not respected in his own country.) ⁴⁵When Jesus arrived in Galilee, the people there welcomed him. These people had seen all the things Jesus did at the [Passover]* festival in Jerusalem. These people had been at the festival too. ⁴⁶Jesus went to visit Cana in Galilee again. Cana is where Jesus had changed the water into wine. One of the king's important officials lived in the city of Capernaum. This man's son was sick. ⁴⁷The man heard that Jesus had come from Judea and was now in Galilee. So the man went to Jesus [in Cana]. He begged Jesus to come to Capernaum and heal his son. His son was almost dead. ⁴⁸Jesus said to him, "You people must see miracles* and wonderful works before you will believe in me." ⁴⁹The king's official said, "Sir, come [to my house] before my little son dies." ⁵⁰Jesus answered, "Go. Your son will live." The man believed what Jesus told him and went home. ⁵¹On the way home the man's servants came and met him. They told him, "Your son is well." ⁵²The man asked, "What time did my son begin to get well?" The servants answered, "It was about one o'clock yesterday when the fever left him." ⁵³The father knew that one o'clock was the same time that Jesus had said, "Your son will live." So the man and all the people in his home believed in Jesus. ⁵⁴That was the second miracle* that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

Christ The "anointed one" (Messiah) or chosen one of God. Samaritan From Samaria. Samaritans were part Jewish, but some Jews did not accept them as pure Jews. prophet A person that spoke for God. Passover An important Jewish holy day. The Jews ate a special meal on this day every year to remember that God freed them from slavery in Egypt in the time of Moses. miracle(s) Miracles are amazing works done by God's power.