Nothing testifies more to the regrets of missed blessings than Thomas’s absence when the risen Saviour met with the disciples. Of all the times to forsake a meeting of believers, Thomas will be known for missing this meeting until the Lord comes. The Bible does not disclose why he was not with the other believers, but we do know what special event he missed – the presence of the risen Lord. Although the Lord Jesus will not visibly or physically show up in our church services, missing a service could cause us to miss His presence in a very special way. For instance, a lost sinner could get saved, or a brother or sister who had wandered from the Lord could find repentance. Maybe something for which you have faithfully prayed was to be answered during the service. Regardless of what might take place, missing the service will mean missing wonderful blessings, some of which can never be recovered. The one service you take for granted could be the very one that God meant to be most special for you.
The context of our passage shows the disciples gathering some food while the Lord dealt with a Samaritan woman alone. When the disciples returned, the woman left to tell others she had found the Christ. The disciples were confused when they saw the Lord talking with a Samaritan woman. They immediately seemed to focus on His physical needs and begged Him to eat. To their shock, the Lord suggested that He had meat to eat that they knew not of. What was this meat to which He referred? His meat was to do the will of His Father (i.e., mend broken lives). The Lord instantly turned the disciples’ attention toward the harvest, only the harvest involved the souls of men rather than earthly sustenance. Christ pointed out that the time to labour was not some future date, but here and now. The fields were already white to harvest. There was no time for excuse or delay. Now was the time for diligence!
