Finding a Field to Work

The Workers Are Few- Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching 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."

When I think of this scripture I begin to see wonderful possibilities. I begin to see my life differently. These verses clearly point out the compassion of Jesus and these verses also clearly identify the need for workers for the harvest. The fields that need worked are in the world around us. The church buildings that we sit in on Sunday are not the fields. The fields are out in our everyday life but too many of us are playing it safe within the framework of our American Church culture and so we do not have the time nor can we see the fields that we are to work.

The fields are hard and calloused and need turned over many times before they become fertile. The harvesters are called to break up the hard spots first. People are hardened to God because of sin and so the harvesters job is to love those around them but at the same time be prepared to dig deep when necessary. Could you imagine what would happen if we all worked our fields? The reason that we don't think in these terms is that we have transferred the callings and gifts of ministry to a chosen few. We think that church pastors along with their staff are the workers and that we are paying them to do the plowing.

One of the enemies of true harvesting is false conversions. I have recognized over the last 35 years that too many people have made what I call a "mental ascent" toward Christianity. They believe what they have read about God in the Bible and agree with all of its principles but have never been made alive in Christ. The act of of being saved is miraculous in nature. The old man dies and a new man is born. Their is a spiritual hunger in a newborn christian. That is a clear indicator of a real salvation experience. It's not played out in the mind. It's a change that occurs deep in the spirit.

We cannot go out into the world and work in the harvest without first being changed deep in our heart. If that has already happened to you then look at the world around you, where you work and where you play. The Lord will show you where you should begin to plow. Find some fellow workers and pray together before you go out into your fields so that you can rejoice together when the harvest comes.