Matthew 9:35-38
Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Have you ever watched a child play with bubbles? You know the ones I'm talking about - those in the bottle or tube with the little wand that has a circular band on the end for creating delicate - and elusive - prismatic spheres that quickly drift away or fall to the ground and burst. Children are often all about catching those bubbles and holding onto them for a few seconds. But their attention quickly turns to the next batch.
I'm afraid this is just how we Christians often treat new believers. We are so invested in them...so concerned about their spiritual future...so eager for them to invite Jesus to be the LORD of their life. We want to add their names to our membership rolls at church and share their story with others. We are excited about their decision and hold them up as examples of how Jesus can work in the lives of others. And then we are done.
This is how we interpret Jesus's challenge to be "harvest hands". We're a lot like the child with bubbles...or a kid opening presents at Christmas or on his/her birthday. Each package holds our attention for a few minutes...and then we move on to the next one. In my opinion, many of the "confused and aimless" to whom Jesus refers in this passage are not the "lost"...at least not in the sense of this word that we generally recognize.
Take a good look at the prayer list for your church. How many of those folks do you know personally? Have you not only prayed for them, but also connected with some of them...sent a card, made a phone call, dispatched an encouraging e-mail or just offered a hug or handshake when you met them in public? Take a mental inventory of those who attend your church - or rather, attended. Where are they now? If they have stopped coming on Sunday, do you know why? What about that person in your circle or the community at large who seems to have dropped off the face of the earth? Have you made any inquiries about these folks? Are their hearts bruised and hurting? Are they sick or in need of some kind?
What about the elderly and infirm? Are they shut away in a facility or at home, and no one other than paid employees or immediate relatives are checking on them to let them know that they matter? Are we so busy flitting from one "pretty bubble" or gift to the next that we have neglected the "sheep" in our midst? I honestly believe that when Jesus "visits our towns and villages", He is grieved at how quickly we lose interest and focus in those who are in our own back yards.
Remember the story in Luke 15:3-4 of the "lost sheep", and how Jesus talks about going after one out of 99 that was missing. Each person is precious to Him. We all matter! Our transformation in Jesus is instantaneous...and at the same, we are ongoing "works in progress". We all need continual nurture and care. And as much as Jesus seeks "harvest hands" to bring more people into a relationship with Him, He wants us to cultivate strong discipleships and kinship among fellow believers.
We desperately need real "harvest hands"...believers who are awake, alert and "dialed in" to the needs of those in their midst. In every "town and village", there are sick, bruised, hurting and lonely people who are hungry for a touch of Jesus' love and care...and YOU may be the person He has chosen to deliver it. Will you be so busy blowing new bubbles that you fail to recognize those all around you?
Are you ready to get your "harvest hands" dirty for Jesus? Don't you think you should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label harvest hands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harvest hands. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for January 18, 2014
Matthew 9:35-38
Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Like many other people across America, I’ve become a huge fan of the PBS Masterpiece Theater mini-series Downton Abbey. I am intrigued with this program on many levels. The writing is compelling…the costuming and set design are both like art in motion…and the character development is complex and compelling. I find the “class structure” particularly interesting…how serving as a butler or footman – or working in the kitchen – is considered better than working as a clerk in a village shop…something that is spoken of with such disdain by the servants that you would think this type of work was unbelievably humiliating and degrading! Apparently in early 20th-Century England, the definition of an “honest day’s work” was relative!
Another thing that I find interesting is how the whole household panics when they are “short” a servant or two. If one footman falls ill or gets injured and cannot serve dinner, there is a mad scramble to find someone to replace him. When a “ladies maid” or valet moves to another house to serve another matriarch or “lord”, the whole place goes into a tailspin! They all fret and stew about how they will manage… who will dress Lady So-and-So? How will they juggle the dinner service and attending to “Lord” Grantham? In the little world of “Downton Abbey”, there are sometimes not enough “harvest hands”!
I know…this sounds ridiculous – and it is, to us. But these were very real problems for these manors “back in the day”. And while this was not a serious problem in the scheme of things, a true need for “harvest hand workers” is right under our noses – and many of us don’t even see it. I could list several instances of people I know personally who are battling unimaginable problems…terminal illness…incredible struggles and worries of all sorts…bruised and hurt lives. To all who observe them, there is often no outward indication that something is amiss.
A friend blogged that during a recent cab ride to an appointment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, the cabbie asked her and her husband, “Which one of you is the patient?” See, they both looked so “normal” and well that he was unable to determine this. And that’s the way it is for so many. We cannot tell “which one is the patient” just by looking…but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t great needs. The question is…are we even looking for these “lost sheep”?
When Jesus looked out over the crowds of bruised and hurting people, His heart broke. Does ours? Are we attuned to the problems around us…and do we really care about those who are confused, aimless, sick, injured and hurting? Are we seeking those who need a “harvest” and ministering to them? This goes well beyond reaching un-believers and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. Certainly there is a great need for this type of witness and ministry. But winning souls to Christ is not enough. It’s a “been there, done that…now what?” situation. Are we leaving people in the dust and failing to share Jesus with them at the very core? Are we saying, “You’ve been saved by the blood of Jesus…the rest is up to you!”…or are we saying, “Welcome to the family…how can I help you?” There IS a difference!
Everywhere we turn, people are in need of something that only Jesus can offer. But He is counting on each of us to serve as His vehicle for delivery. Perhaps we could learn something from Downton Abbey and care a little more about having enough “servants” to handle the workload. Unlike the characters in this mini-series, no task performed in the name of Jesus is beneath our “station”…no ministry and/or service is too great or small for us to gladly execute.
Do you truly have Christian compassion for others? Are you doing your part as a member of Christ’s body? Look around…see who needs to feel the love of Christ through your “harvest hands”. It’s time for all of us to get busy and go to work!
©2014 Debbie Robus
Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Like many other people across America, I’ve become a huge fan of the PBS Masterpiece Theater mini-series Downton Abbey. I am intrigued with this program on many levels. The writing is compelling…the costuming and set design are both like art in motion…and the character development is complex and compelling. I find the “class structure” particularly interesting…how serving as a butler or footman – or working in the kitchen – is considered better than working as a clerk in a village shop…something that is spoken of with such disdain by the servants that you would think this type of work was unbelievably humiliating and degrading! Apparently in early 20th-Century England, the definition of an “honest day’s work” was relative!
Another thing that I find interesting is how the whole household panics when they are “short” a servant or two. If one footman falls ill or gets injured and cannot serve dinner, there is a mad scramble to find someone to replace him. When a “ladies maid” or valet moves to another house to serve another matriarch or “lord”, the whole place goes into a tailspin! They all fret and stew about how they will manage… who will dress Lady So-and-So? How will they juggle the dinner service and attending to “Lord” Grantham? In the little world of “Downton Abbey”, there are sometimes not enough “harvest hands”!
I know…this sounds ridiculous – and it is, to us. But these were very real problems for these manors “back in the day”. And while this was not a serious problem in the scheme of things, a true need for “harvest hand workers” is right under our noses – and many of us don’t even see it. I could list several instances of people I know personally who are battling unimaginable problems…terminal illness…incredible struggles and worries of all sorts…bruised and hurt lives. To all who observe them, there is often no outward indication that something is amiss.
A friend blogged that during a recent cab ride to an appointment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, the cabbie asked her and her husband, “Which one of you is the patient?” See, they both looked so “normal” and well that he was unable to determine this. And that’s the way it is for so many. We cannot tell “which one is the patient” just by looking…but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t great needs. The question is…are we even looking for these “lost sheep”?
When Jesus looked out over the crowds of bruised and hurting people, His heart broke. Does ours? Are we attuned to the problems around us…and do we really care about those who are confused, aimless, sick, injured and hurting? Are we seeking those who need a “harvest” and ministering to them? This goes well beyond reaching un-believers and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. Certainly there is a great need for this type of witness and ministry. But winning souls to Christ is not enough. It’s a “been there, done that…now what?” situation. Are we leaving people in the dust and failing to share Jesus with them at the very core? Are we saying, “You’ve been saved by the blood of Jesus…the rest is up to you!”…or are we saying, “Welcome to the family…how can I help you?” There IS a difference!
Everywhere we turn, people are in need of something that only Jesus can offer. But He is counting on each of us to serve as His vehicle for delivery. Perhaps we could learn something from Downton Abbey and care a little more about having enough “servants” to handle the workload. Unlike the characters in this mini-series, no task performed in the name of Jesus is beneath our “station”…no ministry and/or service is too great or small for us to gladly execute.
Do you truly have Christian compassion for others? Are you doing your part as a member of Christ’s body? Look around…see who needs to feel the love of Christ through your “harvest hands”. It’s time for all of us to get busy and go to work!
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 5, 2012
Matthew 10:5-10
Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:
“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
“Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Today marks a major milestone for my family. My grandmother – Mam-ma Polly – the matriarch of my family… is celebrating her 100th birthday. Imagine all she has seen and experienced since November 5, 1912. Some of it you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy… hardships, tragedies, and disasters of all kinds. But if you asked her what frames her life… she would probably list three things… her Heavenly Father, her family, and her friends.
My grandmother has “traveled light” all of her life. She never had much extra money in her pocket… she and my grandfather eked out a living on their meager farm by working “day jobs” – often more than one – in town. But when I was a little girl, I thought they were rich land barons! This was due in large part to their incredible charity and service to others. To say that my grandmother has lived generously would be an understatement.
My grandmother probably missed more than a meal or two in her lifetime, and she often had to purchase things “on credit”… but she never missed a payment. She was incredibly responsible in all things. She used her always-gloved “harvest hands” to reach those in her neighborhood. She ministered to the sick, lifted the sagging and dying spirits of those who were losing heart, and reached out to those many would consider “untouchable.” One of her first questions when she met new people was, “Where do y’all go to church?” This was often followed by “Would you like to come for dinner/supper?” or “Would you like a mess of turnip greens… some purple hull peas?”… or whatever extra produce she had grown in her garden.
I will be the first to tell you that my grandmother is something of a “character.” But she has also been a tremendous role model for the “harvest hands” of Jesus. She never left the country, but the effects of her missions and ministries were far-reaching. There are now days when she asks, “Why am I still here?” and I always tell her, “Because God is not done with you yet!”
I pray that I can be as effective as my grandmother in using my “harvest hands.” If each of us made a conscious effort to “travel light” and concentrate on doing the work of Jesus, we might find the road ahead of us a little easier, in many ways. When we shift the focus from ourselves and our own needs to those of Jesus and reaching out to others in His name, a lot of what we thought was important suddenly seems incredibly insignificant.
Where is your focus these days? Are you more concerned with what is in it for you and dramatically bursting on the scene to save the world for Jesus? Or are you humbly and generously meeting the needs of the lost, lonely, and needy in your own midst… and offering them a loving smile, a healing touch - or even food for their stomach or their soul? You don’t have to live 100 years to leave a legacy of “harvest hands” for Jesus. What is important is that you make the most of every year God gives you. How are you doing these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:
“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
“Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My grandmother has “traveled light” all of her life. She never had much extra money in her pocket… she and my grandfather eked out a living on their meager farm by working “day jobs” – often more than one – in town. But when I was a little girl, I thought they were rich land barons! This was due in large part to their incredible charity and service to others. To say that my grandmother has lived generously would be an understatement.
My grandmother probably missed more than a meal or two in her lifetime, and she often had to purchase things “on credit”… but she never missed a payment. She was incredibly responsible in all things. She used her always-gloved “harvest hands” to reach those in her neighborhood. She ministered to the sick, lifted the sagging and dying spirits of those who were losing heart, and reached out to those many would consider “untouchable.” One of her first questions when she met new people was, “Where do y’all go to church?” This was often followed by “Would you like to come for dinner/supper?” or “Would you like a mess of turnip greens… some purple hull peas?”… or whatever extra produce she had grown in her garden.
I will be the first to tell you that my grandmother is something of a “character.” But she has also been a tremendous role model for the “harvest hands” of Jesus. She never left the country, but the effects of her missions and ministries were far-reaching. There are now days when she asks, “Why am I still here?” and I always tell her, “Because God is not done with you yet!”
I pray that I can be as effective as my grandmother in using my “harvest hands.” If each of us made a conscious effort to “travel light” and concentrate on doing the work of Jesus, we might find the road ahead of us a little easier, in many ways. When we shift the focus from ourselves and our own needs to those of Jesus and reaching out to others in His name, a lot of what we thought was important suddenly seems incredibly insignificant.
Where is your focus these days? Are you more concerned with what is in it for you and dramatically bursting on the scene to save the world for Jesus? Or are you humbly and generously meeting the needs of the lost, lonely, and needy in your own midst… and offering them a loving smile, a healing touch - or even food for their stomach or their soul? You don’t have to live 100 years to leave a legacy of “harvest hands” for Jesus. What is important is that you make the most of every year God gives you. How are you doing these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 4, 2012
Matthew 9:35-38
Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, NBC news reporter Anne Curry interviewed a woman on Staten Island who looked into the camera and said, “…you need to come here and help us. We need assistance…PLEASE!” Even though thousands of people were either helping already… or headed to the East Coast to give a hand… more were needed. The President and many on his staff were on-site, doing their job… but “harvest hands” were needed to carry out the directives and provide necessary aid and “ground support.”
Truly, the people who live on America’s East Coast are bruised and hurting. Many are indeed aimless… like sheep with no shepherd. But help has arrived…and amazingly in many cases, life is returning to normalcy. Lights are coming on, water is receding or being pumped out, debris is being shoveled up and hauled away, and helping hands are on scene to see that everything is repaired, restored, and renewed.
Can I tell you something? We have a bit of a “Spiritual disaster” on our hands… and it’s happening in our own back yards! Everywhere you look, people are sick, hungry, bruised and hurting. Many are confused and aimless. Others just need to know that someone cares. And the “disastrous” part of this is that few “harvest hands” are answering the call. We are all too busy with our own lives – or our own agendas – to bother with the needs of others. We have decided to let the church or community (i.e. a handful of people who seem to answer EVERY call) handle these issues. Or we have written these people off as simply unworthy of time and attention… most certainly ours!
This is really a sore spot with me. There seem to be plenty of people who are concerned with numbers… how many names are on membership rolls…how much money is in the coffers… how much we are able to afford to purchase (houses, cars, clothes, entertainment, and more)…where our team ranks in the standings…how well our children or grandchildren are doing in school, sports and more…or even how significant our latest ailment/illness was - or what he said/she said. But when it comes to helping the needy… whether the sick and infirm, the poor, the elderly or the orphans, or just the neighbor or fellow church member whose problems are weighing on them like a ton of bricks, most of us simply do not have the time, energy or inclination to do anything.
We are collectively a group who is mostly talk… and very little action. And this is NOT what Jesus expects of His disciples. This.has.to.stop! We have to start caring, at least… and praying for “harvest hands”… our own, and those of fellow Disciples. If you have ever felt neglected or needy in any way and wondered where the “hands and feet of Jesus” were, you can understand in some small way how significant this must be for others in similar situations. How are we ever to add to God’s Kingdom if we show others a body of Christ who is self-centered, disinterested and uncaring?
Jesus has called us to fall to our knees and pray for “harvest hands”… and the first sets to report for duty should be our own. Who needs to hear from you today? Where are the needs in your neighborhood, church, community, and at large? What are you doing to meet these needs? How worn are your “work gloves?”
©2012 Debbie Robus
Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, NBC news reporter Anne Curry interviewed a woman on Staten Island who looked into the camera and said, “…you need to come here and help us. We need assistance…PLEASE!” Even though thousands of people were either helping already… or headed to the East Coast to give a hand… more were needed. The President and many on his staff were on-site, doing their job… but “harvest hands” were needed to carry out the directives and provide necessary aid and “ground support.”
Truly, the people who live on America’s East Coast are bruised and hurting. Many are indeed aimless… like sheep with no shepherd. But help has arrived…and amazingly in many cases, life is returning to normalcy. Lights are coming on, water is receding or being pumped out, debris is being shoveled up and hauled away, and helping hands are on scene to see that everything is repaired, restored, and renewed.
Can I tell you something? We have a bit of a “Spiritual disaster” on our hands… and it’s happening in our own back yards! Everywhere you look, people are sick, hungry, bruised and hurting. Many are confused and aimless. Others just need to know that someone cares. And the “disastrous” part of this is that few “harvest hands” are answering the call. We are all too busy with our own lives – or our own agendas – to bother with the needs of others. We have decided to let the church or community (i.e. a handful of people who seem to answer EVERY call) handle these issues. Or we have written these people off as simply unworthy of time and attention… most certainly ours!
This is really a sore spot with me. There seem to be plenty of people who are concerned with numbers… how many names are on membership rolls…how much money is in the coffers… how much we are able to afford to purchase (houses, cars, clothes, entertainment, and more)…where our team ranks in the standings…how well our children or grandchildren are doing in school, sports and more…or even how significant our latest ailment/illness was - or what he said/she said. But when it comes to helping the needy… whether the sick and infirm, the poor, the elderly or the orphans, or just the neighbor or fellow church member whose problems are weighing on them like a ton of bricks, most of us simply do not have the time, energy or inclination to do anything.
We are collectively a group who is mostly talk… and very little action. And this is NOT what Jesus expects of His disciples. This.has.to.stop! We have to start caring, at least… and praying for “harvest hands”… our own, and those of fellow Disciples. If you have ever felt neglected or needy in any way and wondered where the “hands and feet of Jesus” were, you can understand in some small way how significant this must be for others in similar situations. How are we ever to add to God’s Kingdom if we show others a body of Christ who is self-centered, disinterested and uncaring?
Jesus has called us to fall to our knees and pray for “harvest hands”… and the first sets to report for duty should be our own. Who needs to hear from you today? Where are the needs in your neighborhood, church, community, and at large? What are you doing to meet these needs? How worn are your “work gloves?”
©2012 Debbie Robus
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