Do you see the harvest that is out in the fields right now? Do you see how ripe the conditions are for God’s kingdom to be proclaimed? Our nation, already reeling over the limitations caused by the Corona Virus, has been fighting with itself. Instead of looking to the chief Shepherd Jesus, many are seeking a self righteousness of their own in the form of doubling down on political strivings. Nowhere in the news does there seem to be an emphasis on striving to submission to our Lord in this time of need.
These recent events could simply be a cause for discouragement- a tense feeling in the shoulders and the back of the neck- when can I have a vacation from all of this? No matter how we feel about it, the world around us has been prepared by our loving God for the harvest.
The evidence is all around us. People are clearly lost, like sheep without a shepherd. The sin of racism has become a central focus in our nation in recent weeks. And certainly God’s Word makes no allowance for racism- all of us are created in God’s image.
How clever Satan is that as some people target one sin such as racism- they go down a rabbit’s hole of illogic and commit an entirely different sin of hatred and violence toward the authorities in place in our government.
We know from God’s Word that those who live through hate and outrage , those who carry a self righteous anger, no matter the political direction it comes from, are walking down a lonely road of bondage to their own sin. As a nation we are like sheep without a shepherd. The Harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
The Collect of the Day asks for faith to believe God’s promises that we may receive eternal salvation. This is language about how the harvest works. We take on the role of harvesters because we believe God’s promises. Our faith in Jesus is what allows us to collect any harvest. Without this trust in Jesus, we can do no harvesting for God’s kingdom.
The workers are few because there are many without faith or with a stunted faith. Many are called, few are chosen. Think of the parable of the Sower where some seeds are devoured by birds, other seeds came up on rocky soil and with no depth of roots the plants were scorched by the sun. Other seeds feel among thorns and were choked out by them. Only the one group of seeds out four fell on good spoil and produced a great harvest.
The laborers are few because unbelief reigns. When people do not have faith, they are not in any way qualified for the job. The scarcity of workers is because of the common place instances of unbelief and doubt, and denial of the truth of God’s Word.
Consider what it means that there is a greater harvest than the laborers available. There is a big percentage of the pie our role of service in the kingdom left for us to dig into. We do not have to fight off others for the cultivation of the harvest. There is plenty of fruitful work for us to pursue.
The work all revolves around our trust in our Savior, our faith in God’s Word.
There are so many troubling events happening in our time, everything from drug addiction to broken families, to racism, to the media throwing gasoline on fires. Karen and I were talking this weekend about what it feels like to search through the news looking for some answers as far as what direction our nation is heading and realizing the answers are not there.
God’s Word has all the answers about the state of our nation and about our future. Even our gospel reading for this morning has plenty of answers about the world we live in and how God has designed that we respond.
To start with consider Jesus’ reaction to the crowds of people: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” In the New Testament this Greek word for compassion is only used of God. Only Jesus who is without sin can fully understand how lost and helpless we are without Him. In Christ what was impossible is now possible. In Christ we can extend this compassion to others.
The answers are all in the scripture. Because people are without a shepherd, we have these tragedies of discord in our land. And because Jesus has taken our flesh and redeemed us, Jesus offers the path forward toward a new and better way.
A shepherd leads and guides. Think of the great commission from Matthew chapter 28, the 11 disciples at that time, were called to make disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching. The answer to the helpless condition of our world is the new life in Christ, and the teaching of God’s Word that comes with this new life.
With verse 10 in our gospel reading we see a distinction between all of the disciples that followed Jesus and the particular 12 he sent out. Here things get tricky for our application as the church. What does this mean, is this a promise only for the Apostles, or only now for pastors who take on this role? Enter no town of the Samaritans? How do we apply this? The answers are in study of God’s Word. We find answers in considering how before the crucifixion Jesus directed his ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and after his resurrection He commands his disciples to be his witnesses throughout Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
The calling to the pastoral office is a special thing instituted by our Lord, and it is a prayer often prayed in our church about pastors, that the harvest is great and the laborers are few, send out new men as laborers into the harvest fields as pastors.
But the harvest is for the entire church. No church ever grew with only the pastor doing all of the work. The shepherd leads and we follow, so that the harvest is great for us all.
Think again about what it means that there is more harvest opportunity for us than we have time to gather. Jesus has prepared in the hearts of countless people a willingness to hear His Word.
As a church there are many decision points we have as far as how often we offer Bible studies and other opportunities to grow in our faith. It is encouraging to consider that every ministry outreach we hold can play a role in collecting the harvest the Lord has prepared for us.
This is the continuation of the day of Pentecost message of the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us without limits. Nothing stops us from publishing posts on our church facebook page or our website that communicates the good news of Christ for us. The harvest is always there, what varies is whether we are prepared as workers to collect.
I pray the Lord would continue to provide me with faith and courage to help lead you all to greater faithfulness in your own vocations in life, whether at home or in the ministry of our congregation- so that every day of your life contributes to the Lord’s harvest.
Around this time 2 years ago I chatted briefly with LCMS President Matthew Harrison at a conference, while he was at a table for a book signing. I told him I was without a call to a congregation, and he told me to hang in there and advocated for more congregations to call pastors on candidate status. It was meaningful to me to have the President of the LCMS offer encouragement, it helped me realize we in the church are all working toward the same goals, regardless of what we have accomplished in life or what reputation we have.
The inscription on the book read: Nick, The Lord bless you and make you a blessing.” It’s a two step process that the Lord works in us, blessing us with faith, and blessing others through our faith. In all things the harvest is the Lord’s. God’s Word says it all.
Our reading from Exodus chapter 19 helps us see how the harvest is all produced by the LORD. “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” Faith for the people of Israel was clear as sight, the LORD’s deliverance of them.
Israel was carried to salvation from Egypt as on wings of an eagle. Because they were carried in this way, they were put in a position to be God’s treasured possession among all the peoples. “and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
The harvest is so great, a whole nation stands before the world as a kingdom of priests. So plentiful the harvest, the church which is present in every country in the world shares the good news of the kingdom. We as the church are the priesthood of all believers who are built on the foundation of Christ. We are chosen for this calling. It is the Lord’s doing, He is the master gardener designer the beautiful and awe inspiring results. Amen.
