October 25 (Daily reading: Luke 10) Jesus sent His disciples on a specific mission and used three key words in His description of their mission. The first key word is “harvest.” “The harvest is plentiful;” God is “the Lord of the Harvest” and it was “His harvest” (v. 2). Jesus always saw the harvest. The Jews hated the Samaritans, but Jesus once said about Samaria: “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (Jn. 4:35). The Judeans looked upon Galilee with contempt, but it was Galileans that Jesus saw as sheep without a shepherd, and said: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Mt. 9:37). In Luke 10, Jesus spoke again of harvest in probably Perea, a neglected area east of the Jordan.
The second key word is “pray.” “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (v. 2, NKJV). The disciples were to preface their mission by praying for workers to go into the harvest fields. People will respond to the gospel if the workers are available and willing to go. We pray also for those who hear the gospel, that they will receive the message of peace (v. 5).
The third key word is “go.” “Go, behold, I send you out” (v. 3). The word go implies commitment and engagement. Our authority comes from Jesus: “I send you.” That is all the reason we need to make a commitment to go and become engaged in God’s harvest fields! Jesus said they were like lambs among wolves, but He promised that among the wolves they would find those He called a “man of peace” (v. 6). These are the people whose hearts have been prepared to receive the message of Christ. Remember, He is responsible for the harvest; we are responsible for praying and going!
– Al Gary
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