Will You Look at That!
My parents had a large
garden. Every spring we would till the
garden and plant rows of vegetables. Through
the summer we would weed and water, watch and wait until eventually Dad
declared things ready to harvest. It seemed the different vegetables would
mature pretty much at the same time. We
would fill the garden cart with carrots, clean them, cut off the tops and Mom
would toil in the hot kitchen canning them. We also processed the beans, peas,
and corn. Meanwhile, the tomatoes and zucchini would be taking over the place,
we could not keep up until the frost killed the plants. Harvest was the reward
of the summer's work.
Jesus asked the disciples to look
around at the harvest. They did not recognize the Samaritans that had come to
Jesus as a harvest. The Samaritans
wanted to hear Him. Many believed in Him
as the Messiah - God in the flesh.
Even as a kid, before I knew
Jesus as my Savior, I had never had a problem with the idea that Christians
tell others about Jesus. I had always thought that is what they are supposed to
do. Jesus said to look up. When I look up, I see people of all walks of life,
and nationalities to talk with, my responsibility is to recognize those as the
harvest. Those that dress strangely may want to hear about Jesus. There is nothing wrong with a respectfully
delivered invitation to meet Jesus.
"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say
unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already
to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life
eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And
herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap
that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into
their labours.” John 4:35-38.
© copyright Kevin T Boekhoff
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