Something Important About The Harvest

Everything in scripture is equally true, but everything in scripture is not equally important. That is not trying to take away anything from scripture, but trying to reflect what the Bible teaches about itself. Some issues in the law are more "weighty" (Matt 23:23) than others.  There are "greater" commandments (Matt 22:38). Paul said, "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (I Cor. 2:2).

So how do we know if something is really important? One way, among many, is to recognize when something is repeated again and again in a variety of contexts. That is exactly what we see with Jesus' remarks about the harvest and our responsibility to carry out the mission.  He says some version of this 3 times, in 3 different situations. But with the same meaning and implications.  How important is this?

Luke 10:2  "And he said to them, “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."

Matt 9:37 "Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 

John 4:35- in the context of Jesus conversation with the Samaritan woman and the disciples question about why he is talking to her rather than worrying about lunch. "31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” 

In The Storm With Jesus

On Sunday I preached on Luke 8:22-26.  This is the passage where Jesus calms the storm.  It is an amazing miracle, and the intent of the passage is to make clear just what kind of person Jesus is. He is not just a gifted teacher or religious pioneer.  At the end this section his disciples are in shock. We read in v.25,  “they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?’”

Some folks take passages like this to mean that if we have enough faith that Jesus will calm all of our storms. And though we should gladly embrace his ability to calm every storm. And every Christian I know can tell numerous stories of help and rescue.  But, we should remember that even the very disciples in the boat on this occasion would later face storms that would NOT be calmed.  Peter and James would both later be imprisoned. Peter would escape, but James would loose his head to the sword of Herod (Acts 12:2) just like John the Baptist those 21 Egyptian Christians that were martyred by ISIS. 

There are several important lessons for us from this text.

First, Jesus is the eternal God come in the flesh. He is a real man that can take dangerous trips, and be so exhausted that he will fall sleep in a boat. But he is also has power over the wind and the waves. The ability to calm the storm is clearly a power reserved for the LORD God alone.  His disciples as well as anyone familiar with the Old Testament would recognize this. For example, Ps. 89:9 “You  [LORD of Hosts] rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.”  Our savior is powerful. He has strength to rule heaven and earth.

Second, He is with us in the storm.  From one perspective, this is why he came into the world. He entered this world full of death, suffering, and fear so he could bring the death of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). Even in the middle of the storm, Jesus is there. And after rebuking the storm he rebukes them, “where is your faith?”  These men, including several professional fisherman, were so taken with the problem that they forgot that Jesus is with them in the boat. When they finally wake him and ask him for help, it is sadly not an expression of faith.  We are never alone in our suffering.   The one who holds heaven and earth in his hands will never leave us alone.

Third, He cares. Mark relates that after waking Jesus, the disciples scolded him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) When we are in the middle of a trial, there is always the temptation to think that God is unconcerned.   We may not think we are alone, but that he is distant, or that he is not taking our phone calls. But based on the rest of the story, we know this is not true. Not only did Jesus calm this storm. He entered another storm that could not be calmed with a word. He went to the cross for our sins. He swallowed up the storm of death with his own death and resurrection, and he did this by taking our suffering upon himself. We may not know all of God’s reasons for our trials, but we know what the reason is NOT. It is not that he doesn’t care, for he has demonstrated that beyond dispute at the cross.

You can listen to the message here.

Photo Courtesy of the Internet Archive Book Images

Why You Should Respond To Truth

This morning we looked at Luke 8:16-18.  Below is a great passage from Bock’s commentary on the book of Luke.

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” (Luke 8:16-18, ESV)

“Luke 8:16-18 calls people to respond to the light because of the dire consequences of not doing so. Jesus’ message is portrayed as light. He notes that one does not light a lamp to hide it, but to make its light available by placing it on a lampstand. The function of light is to make visible that which was previously hidden in darkness. So it will be with Jesus’ message. Everything that is hid will be made known, and all secrets will be brought to light. One must therefore listen with care, since we are all accountable. There is much at stake, for whoever has, in terms of responding to revelation, will get more. On the other hand, those who do not have because they refuse to respond will lose what they seemed to have, ending up with nothing.”

Bock, Darrell L. Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996. Print. The NIV Application Commentary.

Photo Courtesy of the George Eastman House

Breath of Wine, Breath of Locusts

Last Sunday we looked at Luke 7:28-35 where Jesus provides commentary on why so many in Jesus generation (especially of the Pharisees) had rejected him and John the Baptist.   John was a great prophet that was in Jail and questioning whether he had misunderstood whether Jesus was "the one."  It seemed clear before, but prison and a looming death sentence can try the faith of the best men. Jesus bends over in love to show him again, and even to honor him before the listening crowds.

Then Jesus replies with a parable. He says that his generation is like children that go the to market place (the place where you are supposed to play), and yet refuse to play no matter which game is suggested.  One kid suggests they play the wedding game with music and dancing. "look, I brought flute." "Nope." Another says, "Well why don't we play funeral? We can act sad and cry and sing those funeral songs." "Get lost."  

Why would Jesus tell this story? Because the pharisees and others claimed that they reason they didn't listen to Jesus or John was because of their methods.  "John is strange, he lives in the wilderness, eats bugs, and wears strange clothes. He is always talking about judgment. He must be crazy, demon possessed. Jesus is always hanging out with the wrong people. John was an ascetic, but Jesus is a festival man. And he goes to the wrong parties. He must be a drunk himself. No self control. Junkie."  That is what they said. "We aren't listening to these guys and repenting because of the way they do business." Jesus says: No, not really. You pretend to want to play, but in the end you aren't willing to sing or dance. The given reasons weren't the real reasons.

One of the takeaways for me, is that this passage shows the diversity of methods and ministries God will use. These men had different methods, but a similar message. They called people back to God in repentance.  John did it as an Old Testament prophet.  He lived a life of self denial. He wore strange clothes, ate grass hoppers and never drank wine or strong drink. Jesus did it as the messiah, the savior himself.  Jesus did it with a full plate and a full glass of wine. He called the worst kind of people to the best thing of all: Forgiveness and Fellowship with God.  And he did it in a way that depicted the very message he preached.  

You can listen to the message here.

Photo used by permission Stefanlend. Some rights reserved