Gospel Reference: Luke 10:1-9, 16-20
Growing up in Idaho, I always knew when harvest was going to start. My father and grandfather would get the combine out of the shed as the fields around us began to turn a golden yellow indicating that the crops were ready to be harvested. I remember riding the bus to school and getting stuck behind the grain trucks as they made the long haul to the grain elevators as the producers sell their product, I remember taking one too many sugar cubes from the grain operators stash as we waited for the truck to empty.
While I have fond memories now, I was not always the biggest fan of working on the farm and I enjoyed my escape from it when I left for university on the opposite end of the state of Idaho thinking that I would never have the itchy barley discomfort again. However the harvest followed me to Boise Idaho, the valley would begin to smell as the sugar beet plant fired up to take the harvest that fall, and we would see trucks full of potatoes and onions travel down the road.
I will always remember when one of my friends in college told me that he would be missing the next week of classes to go help his family harvest, he was not from a family of producers, but a family of immigrants and his family had come to Idaho because there was plenty of work for them in the agricultural industry allowing them to support their family, and help send their son (him) to university with the hope for a better life. The harvest this year was plentiful and the producer needed more hours from his crew to prevent the crops from going bad.
Much like the producer asking for more people to come work for him during harvest Jesus asks us to help with the harvest; We read, “The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field – Luke 10:1-2.” We are helping to spread the good news and to free people from Satan’s grasp, Jesus goes on to give some guidelines to follow:
- “Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves – Luke 10:3a
- Lambs are people who believe in the word of God
- Wolves are Satan or the people that will deter or discourage you
- “Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road – Luke 10:3b-4.”
- Trust in Jesus for our daily needs, so that you are focused on the task ahead. This passage is not telling you to be unfriendly, but to focus like a laser on the task in front of you.
- When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.“ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house – Luke 10:5-7.
- You are not looking for the best food in the house, remember we are doing God’s work not our own.
- Not everyone will be a pastor, but some will; give your gifts that have been given to you by the grace of Jesus, give thanksgiving for them as you work to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
Now Jesus wants us to share in the joy of the harvest as well; We read, “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” – Luke 10:17-20.”
In today’s world demonic possession is less commonly and Satan works behind the scenes more often than not, but we can still spread the good word but we still can free people from his grasp, because whether we speak His Word privately with a friend or publically on behalf of the congregation Jesus is there.
- “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me – Luke 10:16.”
In today’s world many say we live in challenging times, discouraging times. But our discouragement comes from not joining in with the harvest. However, Jesus wants YOU, he wants you to to have joy by joining the harvest whether it is by teaching Sunday School, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or talking to the stranger on the bus. He wants you to have Joy in the work that this congregation is doing, he wants you to have joy in all of the mission work across the globe but never forget our original joy, that we are saved by Jesus Christ
Amen