Matthew 9:35-38 Equipping Christian Witnesses 10-25-20
Dear friends in Christ, “so what’s the plan?” That is the question that came to my mind as I chatted with the chairman of our church property committee. It was early summer. After worship we walked outside to look at the landscaping. Right around the front door weeds outnumbered the desirable plants. The bushes had not experienced a good trimming in quite some time. In general, the entrance did not say “We take care of our property.”
We continued our tour to the parking lot side of the building. Several bushes had died due to the brutal winter. Sections of parking lot pavement had crumbled. Then there were the trees along the boulevard. They needed some major pruning.
I thought about the task before us. I weighed that against the typical turnout of maybe a dozen volunteers for a congregational work day. The two just did not mesh very well. So, the questions came to mind, “What’s the plan?” How will we accomplish what needs to be done?
Perhaps a similar question comes to mind as we think about the work of reaching out with the gospel. There are needs right here in Belle Plaine. There are opportunities in neighboring communities. There are children to reach, teens to teach, adults to nurture. The moral decline across America calls for rescue. Our Forward in Christ magazine highlights wonderful opportunities in Asia, Africa and just about everywhere else on planet earth. We may look at the task, feel a bit overwhelmed, and wonder, “How can we do what needs to be done? What is the plan?” Today in our reading the Lord answers that question. Let’s turn our attention to the reading now. We will begin with the need.
I
Jesus saw the need. Our reading tells us “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless.” The Lord saw, he noticed the crowds. I do not know how many people there were on that particular day. Perhaps it was several hundred. Maybe it was several thousand. In either case there were many people. I am also sure that when Jesus spoke about the ripe fields, he had in mind the folks living around the world. How many people might that have been? I did a little google search on world population at the time of Jesus and found that it is estimated there were about 300 million people world-wide. That is the plentiful harvest spoken about in our reading.
Jesus looked out at this vast sea of humanity. Compassion filled his heart. Compassion is that inner feeling you get when you see someone in pain or great need, and you just have to do something. Compassion swept over the Lord. Why? What was the great need? He told us. These folks are harassed and helpless. They were sheep without a shepherd.
Spiritually speaking the folks of the Lord’s day were in a dangerous position. Satan was prowling around the flock. He was looking for someone to devour. Worse yet, the priests and rabbis in Israel were not doing their job of caring for the flock. The people were not being taught about the grace of God. Free and full forgiveness through the blood of the Lamb was not the theme of the day. Instead a system of works simply piled guilt upon guilt. This was not good. The consequences were eternal separation from God and all that is good. That need called forth a response of compassion.
Application
Friends, the harvest is still plentiful. Today world population is about 7.8 billion. Think of how the number of people has mushroomed since the day of Christ. From about 300 million to nearly 8 billion – that growth is mind-boggling. We know that about 2/3 of those people are not Christian. They do not know the life-saving message of forgiveness. They are still trying to earn eternal life by their good deeds.
Brothers and sisters, we do not need to look half-way around the world to see harassed and helpless souls. They sit next to us in the gymnasium bleachers. They walk down the same supermarket aisles as we do. Some may join us for family gatherings. Make no mistake the fields are ripe right here, right now.
II
So, what shall we do? An old hymn says, “With the Lord begin your task.” Pray, we begin the task of reaching out with prayer. Jesus himself was a man of prayer. On so many occasions in the gospels we find Jesus talking to his heavenly Father in prayer. Think of few examples. Mark tells us that sometimes Jesus got up very early, while it was still dark, to pray (1:35). I am guessing the reason for that is because there was less distraction. People were still sound asleep. Jesus took advantage of that solitude. He talked to his heavenly Father about the work that lay ahead of him.
On another occasion, the Lord’s friends were struck by how much time Jesus invested in prayer. They asked him to teach them to pray. He responded with what we call The Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1). Jesus often prayed before a miracle. He prayed before enjoying a meal. He prayed as he approached the horror of holy week. Jesus was a man of prayer.
Jesus urged his followers to pray as well. Specifically, Jesus says, “Pray for workers. The harvest is plentiful. We need more workers.” Prayer is the first part of the Lord’s plan. I wonder if the disciples thought this was strange. After all they were people of action. Some of them were fishermen. If they wanted fish, they knew they needed to get the net wet. They needed to take some action. The same could be said about the other disciples. Whatever their occupation was, they knew they needed to get busy. Perhaps part one of the Lord’s plan seemed a bit strange to the twelve.
Why would Jesus teach his followers to begin with prayer? No doubt there are many answers to that question. A few that come to mind are these. When believers pray, God is listening. He loves it when his children come to him in prayer. He is never bothered by the interruption. No, just the opposite is true. He invites us to call upon him.
Not only does the Lord want to hear what is on our minds, but He is the one who can actually do something about whatever the problem is. Scripture tells us that he is able to do far more than we can ask or imagine. I don’t know about you, but I can imagine a lot. However, whatever I can imagine is child’s play for God.
Not only is that true, it is also a fact that the outcome belongs to him. James reminds us, “You ought to say, if it is the Lord’s will we live and do this or that” (4:15). The Lord knows what needs to be done, and the outcome is in his hands. That is powerful motivation to pray.
I am sure that you can think of additional reasons to go to God in prayer. Jesus invited his disciples to do that very thing. As they looked out at the ripe fields, as they considered the enormity of the task and the shortage of laborers, Jesus laid out the plan. Pray! Ask the Lord of the harvest to provide workers for his harvest field. Remember it is his harvest field. He is concerned about bringing in the harvest. The disciples could have full confidence that when they asked God for more workers, he would say yes. That prayer harmonized with his good and gracious will.
Application
Friends have we been asking the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers? Is that sort of request part of our normal prayer life? I have to confess that I have not been faithful in this regard. Oh, from time to time I have asked God to provide the needed workers. However, I cannot say that I have fervently called out to the Lord of the harvest about this need. I do not see myself in the persistent widow repeatedly demanding justice. How about you? Would you say that the need for workers regularly finds its way into your prayer life? If you, like me, find some need for improvement I invite you to join me in confessing that failure. Jesus did live a life of prayer in our place. Jesus did take our failures to the cross. Take heart dear friends. We are forgiven.
Rejoicing in that forgiveness let’s make some changes. Let’s work the plan that Jesus gave us. Let’s begin with prayer. What sort of things shall we pray about? As a little food for thought I prepared a list of prayer suggestions. There are thirty-one prayer ideas on this sheet of paper, one for every day of the month. The ideas are just that, ideas. They are not the prayers themselves. You are invited to express each idea in your own words. You can use these ideas for more than one month. Perhaps these ideas will spawn other ideas in your mind.
The ideas on this sheet are related to the campaign our Martin Luther College is carrying out. The campaign is called Equipping Christian Witnesses. I will be going through the booklet in the education hour after worship. However, one thing I will call your attention to right now is that the campaign urges us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers. If you cannot join us in the education hour to take a longer look at the booklet, please read through it at home. Then pray for workers.
III
The challenge for the disciples was great. We might even say it was overwhelming. Jesus helped them see the plan. It all began with going to God in prayer. Prayer was part one. Part two was to go. In this regard Jesus once again led by example. He did not just sit in the coffee shop while everyone else went to work. No, he went through the towns and villages. Compassion for the lost moved the Lord to go.
In the words right after our reading today Jesus sent his followers out. He said, Go to the lost sheep. Kind of an interesting flow of thought. Pray for workers. OK, you are the answer to your prayer. You are the workers. Jesus did the same thing just a bit later in his ministry. A larger group, 72 believers, had gathered around him. Once again, the Lord talked about the great harvest and shortage of workers. Then he repeated the instructions to pray for workers, followed by the command Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
Every single believer was God’s answer to the request for more workers. “Yes, we need more workers. Go, use the skills I have given you to bring the gospel to more people.” That was God’s reply. Going with the gospel was the second part of the plan.
Later Jesus added some details. He said start in Jerusalem. Then go to Judea. Then move out beyond that to Samaria. Then keep on going to the ends of the earth. Not everyone would physically go on a mission trip. Some would support the missionaries with their prayers and offerings. Others would build relationships through community involvement. Still others would share Bible lessons with children. Everyone would have some way in which they could be part of bringing the gospel to others.
Application
Go, it’s such a simple strategy. It is the strategy that Jesus gave to his church. Now it is our turn to go. We go in a variety of ways. All of us can talk to our FRAN. That is our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors. Perhaps you know someone who does not attend church. Perhaps you know someone who is burdened with sadness for some reason. Maybe you know someone who does not seem to have any hope. Tell them why you have hope. Invite them to come with you to learn about Jesus.
In addition to that use the various skills that God has given to you. Some in our midst today can help maintain the property. Others can play an instrument or sing in the choir. Still others enjoy serving on a committee, or teaching Sunday school. The gifts God has given are as diverse as we are.
Jesus invites us to go. How have we been doing at that? I ask you to honestly evaluate your labor in God’s harvest field. If we discover we have not been as diligent as could be, let’s confess that sin. He will forgive us. Then responding to his amazing grace, let’s go.
So, what’s the plan? I pondered the question as I looked at the huge task before the property committee. We did come up with the plan. It was not a single day effort. In fact, it is an ongoing effort. We began by pulling the weeds and trimming the bushes near the front door. On another day we removed the winter kill. Then we began lopping off tree limbs. Repairs to the asphalt are next. With a plan the overwhelming task became manageable.
In a similar fashion the task of reaching out with the gospel may seem daunting. After all world population is knocking on the door of 8 billion. What can this congregation do? What’s the plan? Jesus gives us the plan: begin with prayer, then follow up with action. Responding to God’s grace, and filled with compassion, let’s work the plan. Amen.