After this, the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” – Luke 10:1-2
“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.” – John 4:35
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10
“This is just not a receptive place. No one is interested here.”
I’ve heard it again and again both in the United States and about various places in the world — particularly Europe and other secular Western nations. They may be receptive in Africa, but not here.
Really? You mean there is no one around you who longs for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness or self-control? You mean no one around you finds life a meaningless chasing after the wind? No one around you longs for a transcendent purpose for their life?
You mean no one around you is worn out with a world of conflict and suffering. No one is longing for peace or relief from the emotional pain of broken trust and betrayal?
No one is feeling shame and guilt or longs to feel clean or vindicated? Really?
You mean there is no one where you live, work or play who feels alone and unlovable? No one longs for the overwhelming affirmation that they are known, accepted for who they are, and counted worthy of the deepest love? Really? I find that stunning.
Too often we blame the harvest instead of taking Jesus at his word, trusting that God has already been working in the field before we arrived, and launch out bravely in prayer that God will guide us to the people He has prepared to hear good news in the form of a believer like us. Jesus says the harvest is ready now. Not in four months. Now.
