Back in 2019, leaders here in the Texas District took a leap of faith in creating Harvest Workers, our online ministry training program. The biblical inspiration came from Matthew 9 where we read about Jesus’ daily ministry: he was teaching and preaching, healing, casting out demons, forgiving sins, and calling disciples. Day after day we read about this ongoing ministry among the ordinary people he encountered wherever he went. One of these days as he went about his work, he paused and surveyed the crowd. As he looked out upon the world that he was dwelling in, I believe he saw all of the problems: the hurt, pain, brokenness, issues, division, anger, addictions, and everything else. Jesus saw all of it!
And upon surveying the world and seeing the problems, Jesus wasn’t depressed, angry, or hopeless. Nor did Jesus shame or blame people. Instead, Jesus was moved with compassion and speaks these words: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
I don’t know about you, but when I pause to look around at the world, it is easy to see just how messed up so many things are. And the truth is that life is hard and full of complex problems. In the face of the magnitude of these problems, it would be easy to think that all we can do is pray. And certainly we should! But I believe God is calling us to also recognize and respond: to be sent out as Harvest Workers. The very next thing Jesus does after he said to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers: He sends them out! The same people he just told to pray, his disciples, he sent out!
Are you a disciple of Jesus? Do you follow Jesus? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? If so… then Jesus is calling you and me and every other follower of Jesus to not only pray for Harvest Workers… but also to BE Harvest Workers. So it is time to lace up your work boots, y’all! We have work to do… work that will never save us, but that we were saved for as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-10.
Day by day as we live our lives in this messy world may we be like Jesus and be moved with compassion and live out the Gospel and share Jesus’ love. #LoveWorks2024
