[Faith-talk] Harvest by Richard Clark Jr.

[Paul Smith]

Here is yet another article from two years ago by the managing editor 
of the Christian Record Braille magazine, Richard Clark Jr.  He 
mentions in his piece the fact that he lives in the state of Nebraska, 
but what he is focusing on is the parable of Jesus recorded in Matthew 
20.  Read below to find out all about it.

As the end of summer blends into the start of fall, shortening days and 
cooling temperatures forecast the culmination of the year's harvest 
cycle here in Nebraska.  Fields of maturing corn and soybeans beckon 
waiting combines, which will soon begin combing the fields, emptying 
load after load into trucks headed for the grain elevators.

Harvest.  It has a sense of urgency to it.  It's like the sprint to the 
finish in a race.  It calls for endurance, for extra energy.  If the 
crops grew well, then harvest will be a happy time.  The hard work of 
the farmers will be rewarded.  But unless the harvest is brought in at 
the proper time, under proper conditions, the year's work could be 
lost.  These conditions may only occur during a short window of time.

Several of the parables Jesus told were of harvest.  One of Jesus' 
harvest parables is found in Matthew 20.  A landowner went and hired 
laborers first thing in the morning to harvest his grape crop.  He 
agreed with them on a price and they started working.  A few hours 
later, he was back at the marketplace--where day laborers gathered to 
seek employment.  He saw more people standing around.  He hired them 
too, telling them he'd pay them what was right.  He went back to the 
market two more times and hired more laborers.  Finally, the owner 
hired one last batch of workers.  This last group started work just one 
hour before quitting time.

In a similar way, God continually calls for more people to work for Him 
in His fields.  He will continue making that call until the close of 
earth's harvest time.  Jesus' promise is certain:  "And this gospel of 
the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the 
nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14, NKJV).  Though the 
task of faithfully sharing Jesus is impossible in human strength and 
wisdom, this will be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit 
(Zechariah 4:6).

The Joshua Project measures the progress of sharing Jesus with "every 
nation, tribe, tongue and people" (Revelation 14:6).  It keeps track of 
the unreached ethnic groups--people groups who have yet to hear about 
the Savior who loves them.  According to the Joshua Project, the 
majority of people groups unreached with the gospel live in an area of 
the world dubbed the 10/40 window.  This region, between 10 degrees and 
40 degrees north latitude, stretches from north Africa eastward to 
southeast Asia.  It is home to nearly two-thirds of the world's 
population.  And this is only part of the harvest Jesus has sent His 
church to work in.  For as a teacher of mine used to say:  Every heart 
with Christ is a missionary, and every heart without Christ is a 
mission field.  The harvest truly is great! (Luke 10:2).

In God's providence, many individuals from unreached people groups, 
including those from parts of the world where it is forbidden to share 
the gospel, come to countries with religious liberty.  They come as 
refugees, as students, or perhaps as business professionals.  
Christians in countries with religious freedom have valuable 
opportunities to selflessly befriend these people.  In this way, the 
gospel can take root and spread back across oceans and continents to 
the families and friends of the refugees, students, and businesspeople 
from unreached people groups.

At the end of the day, the landowner in Jesus' parable had his steward 
call the laborers in to be paid.  The steward started by paying the 
latecomers and ended with the crew that began the earliest.  In a 
surprise move by the landowner, each laborer was given equal pay--a 
whole day's wages!

When the first crew complained, the landowner said to one of them, 
"Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  ... I wish to give to this last man 
the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my 
own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?" (Matthew 20:13-15).

>From the parable, we learn that the call to work in God's harvest is 
open to anyone who will heed it.  More and more people came to the 
market looking for work--and the landowner kept hiring.  This 
invitation to become laborers together with God is reason to rejoice.  
We also learn that the reward for service is not to be the primary 
concern for the Christian.  The reward is the same for everyone who has 
accepted God's generous call to work in His harvest and who faithfully 
completes his or her task.  And thirdly, we learn that the reward for 
service is not--is never--based on the laborers' deficient works but on 
God's all-sufficient, abounding grace.  This is cause to rejoice all the more.

As I write, how this year's corn and soybean crop will turn out here in 
Nebraska is uncertain.  But I do know that God's harvest will be 
bountiful--"a great multitude which no one could number, of all 
nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues" (Revelation 7:9).  Laborers are 
still being called to work in God's vast harvest.  If you haven't yet, 
will you respond to God's call today?

And there you have Brother Richard's message for today.  If the Spirit 
leads, I just might read this article over the facilities of our local 
radio reading service here in Baltimore.  May God bless the reading and 
dissemination of this article.

And that will do it for now.  Until sometime tomorrow when, Lord 
willing another timely piece will be posted, may the God of Abraham, 
Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in 
these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul