The Harvest Is Now

John 4:31-38 (KJV)

³¹ In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

³² But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

³³ Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

³⁴ Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

³⁵ 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.

³⁶ And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

³⁷ And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

This conversation between Jesus and His disciples follows the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. The disciples know Jesus has not eaten and being in the form of a man, they knew He needed nourishment. While this was with good intention, Jesus saw it as a lesson to teach. He knew there were more important things in the Kingdom than fleshly needs. What nourished Jesus was doing the will of His Father. The food they knew nothing about was the will on His life. They still did not fully understand His reason for coming to this earth. But subjecting Himself into the form of a man, Jesus, like you and I, had to listen to the Father’s voice and do as He was instructed and that only. Those who have labored in Christ know the joy of being in the Father’s will. There is no greater joy than being the hands and feet of the Lord. To know you are one with the Father and Jesus is a joy and purpose far above anything this earth has to offer.

So why is there so much hesitation in the body of Christ to get to work? Jesus spoke to this hesitation of laborers in verse 35. He uses the analogy of a harvest 4 months away. While they would tend to their fields farmers didn’t expect to see anything for months. Maybe the disciples thought they were still preparing for a future when Jesus would save them from Rome and restore Israel to its rightful place. But Jesus said look up for the harvest is already here. As He was saying this, a group of Samaritans were approaching. These were the same Samaritans the woman at the well evangelized to. She didn’t wait at all to spread the Good News of what she heard. The Lord is challenging us to look around us. We all have communities, families, coworkers, the homeless, the poor all around us. There is more of a harvest than we could know what to do with. There are lost people waiting to hear of the love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But as Jesus Himself said, the laborers are few. It is time for God’s children to take their eyes off of the affairs of this world and get their minds in heavenly places. God has given all of us a will, and He expects us to act on it now. Whether you are called to start a business, a ministry, a bible study, a prayer meeting, or whatever it is - don’t wait until tomorrow, but do it now. We are left without excuses church. Jesus told the disciples they would reap where they had not sown. John the Baptist, the prophets before him, and Jesus Himself paved the way for the Kingdom of God and its advancement. We have 66 books of the Bible, all the technology we need, and freedom to preach. But what have we done with it?

I hate to end a blog this way, but I give a solemn warning. Jesus Himself said that he who does not use what was given to him, what little he had would be taken away and given to him that did. What is even more sobering is that the Father took the useless branches that did not produce fruit and threw them into the fire. But we have the opportunity while it is still day to work, church. We need to begin doing the Father’s will. But as Jesus stated in verse 34, we need finish and endure until the end. Be encouraged and don’t grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. May the Lord’s grace and peace be with you all. Shalom.