There is no doubt in my mind that there is a harvest of people who are in need of hearing the life changing message of Jesus Christ. The Lord in Matthew chapter 9:37 declared that “The harvest truly is plenteous”.
The very next command is to pray for laborers…. but I believe that the key to this passage is found in the “compassion” that Jesus Christ experienced. It is from this compassion… this desire not just to pity or to feel bad for… it is a compassion that compels us to action. I believe that type of compassion only comes when two things take place.
1. Being with the multitudes. There is no substitute for being with the multitudes… because of the pace of the society we live in, this is the easiest thing to dismiss as being “impossible” for us…. our schedules are already jam packed. It is this very thing, that when neglected, allows us to continue on in our lives… thankful to God for what He has done in our lives, but without concern for those who yet grope for answers in life. Notice that the compassion that the Lord displays is a result of being with the multitudes and seeing them for what they really are going through. So compassion comes first from being with the multitudes… but also
2. When we live unselfishly. If you look at John 4:35 where Jesus makes a similar statement… he tells the disciples to “lift up your eyes”. It is when we take our eyes off ourselves and look at the condition of those around us that “compassion” will be awakened. We will not minister if our eyes are on ourselves.
As we worked these past few weeks inviting children to our Vacation Bible Time, I saw many parents who were looking for fulfillment in life through the use of drugs or alcohol… I saw many parents who thought that the answer to fulfillment in their children’s lives was a sports program or some camp somewhere… and there is nothing wrong with sports and camps… but the real answer for them is the Lord Jesus Christ.
These things don’t discourage me… I see all this as opportunities for God to do a wonderful work in their lives… and it is then that we notice that the Harvest really is plenteous!!
