Harvest Waiting

When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:36-38

Harassed and helpless—this is how Jesus saw the crowds that followed him. They were full of needs they could not meet for themselves—needs for peace, for forgiveness, for hearts made new by God’s power. Some of them suffered from hunger, sickness, and homelessness. They were lost and confused, harassed by the devil, tempted to doubt and despair.

Who could help them? Only Jesus. When he looked at them, he saw their needs—but he also saw God’s harvest. These were the people Jesus would suffer, die, and rise from the dead for. They were the people God loved and meant to turn into his children.

There are other people God sees in the same situation today—his harvest waiting for the Gospel of Jesus. Who? You. Me. Everyone who has ever been in need of a Savior. And this includes the refugees and immigrants of St. Louis.

“Harassed and helpless” are very good words to describe what it feels like to be a refugee. You are in a country you never intended to live in, and however kind people are to you, you can never quite figure out how things work or what you’re supposed to be doing next. The very language your new neighbors speak is strange to you! And every time you turn around, you make a mistake. You need help. Where will you find it?

This is where Jesus calls on us who follow him. If your own needs have been met by Jesus—if you trust in him and know the peace, joy, forgiveness, and healing he gives us as children of God—then you are not just part of the harvest anymore—you are a harvester. Whether you go directly or you support others who go, Jesus is sending you out to work in his harvest—to care for all the people who need to hear and believe in him. You are a messenger of God’s love to them, just as someone was to you. What a wonderful privilege!

By Dr. Kari Vo