Whilst laying on my bed, I saw in my mind’s eye, how many of us were walking past the numerous harvest field without any care in the world.
I saw myself in the midst of this harvest field but I was oblivious of it. Many of us in the 21st Century do not even have a clue as to what a harvest field is.
When we look around us, on the bus, on the train, in our work places, in classrooms, at restaurants, everywhere we go, we see lost and broken people. We see a harvest field but unfortunately, we have become too preoccupied with everything else but the harvest field.
Jesus said to His disciples in John 4:35
35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
When Jesus said to His disciples lift up your eyes and see it was in response to the question asked Him about food. The disciples wanted know if any one had brought Him food. In Jesus response in John 4:34.
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
In essence Jesus was saying there is more to life than food. Jesus was taking His disciples attention away from self-gratification to what was more important and on the heart of the father - THE HARVEST FIELD.
We live in a broken world that is looking for solutions to so many issues of life. Our society today is more confused than ever before. Many people profess to have solutions to the challenges a lot of people are facing, but they leave them with more problems than ever before.
Jesus’ primary pursuit and mission while on earth was for the Salvation of the lost. It was for the lost that Jesus lived and died. Jesus’ mandate to all believers is to go out and win lost souls presenting them with the Good News of the Gospel.
It is however surprising today how many who have professed Christ as their Lord and Saviour have closed our eyes to the lost and focussed more on giftings, ministry, anointing and more.
We have lost focus of the lost souls in our families, our neighbours, our communities. What is more important to Jesus as become less important to the Church of Jesus Christ.
Hence Jesus said to the servants, “lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”
It is time we the church opened our eyes and look around the harvest field because it is ripe and ready for harvest.
In Luke 19:10 said these words to Zacchaeus
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Jesus wants us as His disciples to take off the blindfold and see the lost just as He sees them, like sheep without shepherd scattered and confused.
We as true Christians must put on Jesus’ glasses and see the lost with compassion. Mathew 9:35-38
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
The cry of Jesus’ heart was for soul winners, with a compassionate heart, labourers with the same heart of compassion for the lost. He said pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to His harvest field.
We are His labourers, we don’t have to look any further, we just need to lift up our eyes and see the harvest field that it is ripe and ready for harvesting.
Jesus’ love for the world was full of compassion and it was sacrificial. He did not have to die but because of His immeasurable love for us, He did. He has also called us to show love to the lost. He has set us an example as His followers to have compassion for the lost.
1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
1 Peter 2:21-22
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps: 22“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
Christlike love and compassion for sinners, backsliders and the destitute in life will help win them over to God. We are called to the same Christlike love for the lost.
Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman, the woman caught in adultery and many more that encountered Jesus, were open to the gospel because of His love and compassion.
Lift up your eyes and see that the harvest is ripe and ready. Jesus has done the greater part of the work, ours is now to bring the harvest in. It is God’s desire that all men be saved.
1 Timothy 2:1-5
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus
God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, please grant us a Christ like compassion for the lost in our community, to love them and pray for them and be able to share the gospel with them.
Holy Spirit, please help us to speak that which is on the heart of the father in Jesus name. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.
Let us open our eyes, see the harvest and go after the harvest.
