Seeing Harvest
Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”- John 4:35-38
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” – Matthew 9:36-38
Harvest is a major theme throughout the ministry of Jesus. It is in part, the connective tissue between John 4 and Matthew 9. These two very different moments in Jesus’ ministry are linked by Jesus’ observation that a harvest was ready. There is also a sameness in the slowness of the disciples to observe a harvest readiness. Though what they saw is not explicitly stated in either case. In John 4 at least, we can be pretty sure that the disciples were confused as to why Jesus was wasting His time trying to minister to ‘Samaritans,’ (an ethnic group most Jews saw as at least undesirable if not unredeemable). But, Jesus saw people ready to respond to the good news He was bringing. Matthew 9 for its part, adds a second instance where Jesus saw harvest but the disciples did not seem to. I wonder what Jesus sees when He looks out over my nieghborhood, city, county, state and country? Other countries? The world? I think He sees harvest. I confess, I do not. I can often spot the “harassed and helpless” but I don’t often see them as ready to accept the good news about Jesus. I should though. They are sheep without a shepherd. They are women at the well at midday, told by their culture that they don’t fit in and are unwelcome. Jesus doesn’t see that as much as He sees people ready to accept the good news that the Kingdom of God has come. Just today, I encountered a headline that stopped me up short: Meet the World’s Fastest-Growing Evangelical Movement, it was about the church in IRAN!? (you can read the article here) I don’t think of Iran as a ready harvest field. To me it seemed more a barren desert with serious restrictions on Christian worship and evangelism; an “unreachable” place. Obviously, I need to better see what Jesus sees.
I don’t know what the future holds but, I have a sense that many people’s problems are going to grow and multiply over the coming days. As they become even more aware of their harassed and helpless state, will I see what Jesus sees? Will His compassion be my lens as I look out over people who are suffering hardship? Will I lift my eyes and see harvest? Prayerfully, yes, I will and so will you!
Helpful Further Resources:
US Alliance church facts (this corrects something I miss remembered and miss stated yesterday (there are 2,000 CMA churches in the US about 500,000 worshipers), but is also just helpful information about our denomination if you are unaware)
Video for this week’s 40 Days of Prayer theme, Alliance Misisons.
For those who want to hear a better re-telling of the ‘ice cream money’ story I shared with the kids, you can view it here.