Harvest Time!
Marc-Lautenbacher, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Blind to what God sees
In America, we prize our individualism, as if it were sacred. We wear our individualism as a badge of honor. But our commitment to individualistic expression is at odds with the call of Jesus to follow HIm, and the faith and life of believers in the early church.
If we claim to be followers of Jesus who calls us to deny ourselves (Luke 9:23), and cling to our individualism as Christian believers, our faith becomes a non sequitur. It’s illogical and incongruent with genuine faith.
Our individualistic focus—concern about ourselves above others—also blinds us to see what God sees about others.
When Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at an ancient well, she returns to her village to share this good news. As the story unfolds, we see the response of the people when they hear Jesus for themselves. The disciples didn’t see this as a possibility because of their prejudice towards the Samaritans. They lacked God’s vision for the salvation of all people.
The apostles—Jesus’ closest followers—saw their relationship with Him as exclusive. They saw their relationship to Jesus and His calling upon their lives as a privilege, as if they were more special than others.
What Jesus tells them and what the Samaritan villagers later declare reveals the opposite. God’s heart is not exclusive, but inclusive of others.
Scripture
“Don’t you say, ‘In four more months the harvest will be here’? I’m telling you to look and see that the fields are ready to be harvested. The person who harvests the crop is already getting paid. He is gathering grain for eternal life. So the person who plants the grain and the person who harvests it are happy together.
In this respect the saying is true: ‘One person plants, and another person harvests.’ I have sent you to harvest a crop you have not worked for. Other people have done the hard work, and you have followed them in their work.” [vss 35-38]
Many Samaritans in that city believed in Jesus because of the woman who said, “He told me everything I’ve ever done.” So when the Samaritans went to Jesus, they asked him to stay with them. He stayed in Samaria for two days.
Many more Samaritans believed because of what Jesus said. They told the woman, “Our faith is no longer based on what you’ve said. We have heard him ourselves, and we know that he really is the savior of the world.” [vss 39-42]
(John 4:35-42 GW) [Context– John 4]
Key phrase—
“One person plants, and another person harvests.”
Reflections...
Individualism does not have a place in God’s kingdom and the work of service Jesus calls His followers to do. Jesus tells His disciples plainly that working with Him is a partnership, not an individual assignment. Each believer is called to a purposeful life greater than themselves.
Jesus says His disciples have the easy part of gathering the harvest that others have sown. Who was Jesus referring to? Most likely, the Old Testament prophets, including John the Baptizer. It would also include the faithful remnant such as Simeon the prophet and Anna the prophetess mentioned in Luke (see Luke 2:25-38).
Even the Samaritan woman at the well gives us an example of this. She left her water jar at the well to tell those in her village about Jesus. They responded by going out to Jesus themselves (verse 40), which He refers to in verse 35. The Samaritans prevailed upon Jesus to stay with them, and He did for two days.
Many of the Samaritans believed what the woman told them because of her testimony, but after they heard Jesus for themselves, they believed in Jesus by their own faith. This is how it works when we share our testimony of faith with others. Our trust in Jesus opens the door for others to put their trust in Him.
Our responsibility as believers is to introduce people to Jesus. We are to be partners with Him and others who are called to reap this eternal harvest. Sometimes we sow the seeds of faith in the Lord with our testimonies. We may “water” those seeds, perhaps shared by others, with conversations and the example of our lives.
This is why we need to have God’s vision for those in the world. We need to see people as He sees them. This requires us to put aside our prejudices, fears, doubts, selfishness, or whatever else may blind us to opportunities to share our faith with others. As Jesus said to His disciples then, He says to us now—
“I’m telling you to look and see that the fields are ready to be harvested.”
Digging Deeper...
What does Jesus tell His disciples about the time of harvest?
How is this at odds with what they say and think?
What type of harvest is Jesus speaking of, and how is this made clear?
What does Jesus tell the disciples about their involvement with this harvest?
Taking it to heart...
Who has spoken to you about Jesus and shared the gospel with you?
As a believer, who have you spoken to about the Lord and His love?
Was Jesus speaking of this eternal harvest just for those disciples or for us too?
Do you personally know Jesus—the Savior of the world? If not, why not, and what holds you back from believing?
If you know Him, have you told others about Him?
Personalize it...
Jesus calls those who choose to follow Him into a partnership with Him and others to sow and gather in an eternal harvest. This requires each believer to choose Him and His Kingdom’s work above their own personal interests.
God is the great Includer, inviting us to partner with Him as we invite others into His family of believers.
Pray for God’s vision to see the harvest He sees. Ask Him to open the eyes of your heart to see people as He sees them. Ask Him to open your heart to those He wants to gather into His family, into His kingdom.
