John 4:36-38

And he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. V. 37. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. V. 38. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor; other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.

That these Samaritans turned to Jesus was a sign that the great harvest among the heathen of the world was at hand.

And this fact was of great importance to the disciples, who were supposed to be reapers in this great harvest of souls for the kingdom of God. He that gathers the harvest, by doing so gets his reward; and in the spiritual kingdom the reaper, the messenger of salvation, gathers fruit unto life eternal. In the great harvest festival, therefore, which will be held in heaven, both the sower and the reaper will rejoice together. Compare 1 Cor. 3, 6—8.

In the case of the Samaritans, the disciples, as reapers, almost trod on the heels of the great Sower, Jesus.

In general, it is a great truth that finds its application in the kingdom of Christ: One man has the joy of sowing, another that of reaping. Jesus Himself had done the work of a sower in Judea, and the disciples had had the joy of baptizing many that were convinced by the Word of the Master.

It is a truth which always holds true in the preaching of the Gospel. One pastor sows the seed of the Word, the older generation of people work to bring the Gospel to others, and, as a rule, they see but little of the results. But in later years, after the preliminary work has achieved its object, the successors reap the results in wonderful measure.