The Harvest is Plentiful
Scripture
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 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 9:35–38)
Reflection
Jesus was born a man and shared completely in our human condition: he laughed, cried, loved, wept. Sometimes he was cold, tired, or lonely. He chose to share our limitations: he needed to learn and grow from childhood to manhood. In all this, he embodied the presence of the divine in human form.
In his ministry ushering in the dawn of the messianic age, Jesus both taught and healed. He taught about the Kingdom of God, which he said was in our midst, or within us. (Luke 17: 21) In the incarnation of Jesus, God had indeed drawn near, and with the gift of the Holy Spirit we become God’s temple. Jesus healed the blind and cast out demons. He forgave sin, which was humanity’s greatest need. In all this he fulfilled the messianic prophesy of Isaiah (Isaiah 35) where we hear that God Himself will heal the afflictions of his people and give them strength.
Danielle is our dog’s groomer. Today, I bumped into her near where she works. We started talking, and our conversation drifted to a place where I felt I could ask her if she went to any church. She didn’t. Danielle had grown up in the church, but somewhere along the way, she had dropped out of practicing religion of any kind.
Taking a leap of faith, I invited her to join us in our church on Sunday. I got a pretty definitive “No thanks, that’s not me anymore.” Those weren’t exactly her words, but you get the gist. After what I saw as my evangelical failure I felt pretty low and a little foolish. Then I started writing about the above passage from Matthew’s Gospel, and it was as if God was speaking just to me.
I was right to offer Danielle an opportunity to meet Jesus. Without him, she is like a sheep without a shepherd. She needs Jesus’ loving care. I may not have been the person to help her, but, as Jesus instructed, I am asking the God to send the right person to her.
There was so much work to be done; there are so many lost sheep like Danielle. We need to have Jesus’ compassion, we must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his field. And we must be among them.
Prayer
Creator God, the fig tree is in blossom, but your sheep are scattered, hungry, and in danger. Lord send more laborers into your fields to heal the suffering, bind up the wounded, comfort the fearful, and bring good news to the poor. We ask this in the name of the One who died and who now lives as Lord and Christ.
Activity
Think of one concrete way that your relationship with Jesus has changed your life. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, in fact it can be quite ordinary, but it needs to be real! Ask God for an opportunity to share it with someone: a family member, a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker, or someone you casually meet. Then have courage, trust in the Spirit within you, and take a risk. You are the laborer the Lord asked us to pray for.
Watching and Waiting For the Lion of Judah: Advent Day by Day
Rev. Richard Hasselbach