I wonder if we look at our city and think that people are just closed and darkened to the truth and the soil of our mission field is hardened clay. If you think that, perhaps we can be reminded that we live in an exciting time. We may not always see a mass harvesting of souls in our neighborhood this very moment, but all around the world Christians are witnessing to the truth of Christ and people are believing. The type of confidence we can have is linked to the fact that Jesus is the Lord of the harvest.
Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 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."
Jesus teaches his disciples what a compassionate heart for the lost looks like. He teaches them that there is no shortage of people who will come to know Jesus, and he teaches them that we need to pray continually for more believers to spread his good news. The harvest is ready, Jesus is the Lord and Savior of souls, and we are his means through prayer and obedience.
In John 4, we find a similar discussion between Jesus and his disciples within the account of Jesus talking with the Woman at the well. While the Samaritan woman has run to tell the town-folk about Jesus, Jesus talks to his disciples about his purpose. He is here to do the will of his Father. John 4:33-34 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. We then hear Jesus talking about what he is doing in accomplishing the Father's will. He is bringing a great harvest.
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."
It seems to be a confusing way to talk about the harvest. Jesus acknowledges that his disciples realize that in the current season, the harvest will not yet happen for another four months. Jesus is, however, talking about a harvest that they have no need to wait for. There is now a harvest that is ripe because Jesus has arrived. The time for the harvest has come because the fulfillment in Christ has arrived. With Jesus, the spread of the gospel is ready to go everywhere all the time. While there is still sowing and reaping, we will all do this work and rejoice as we see people hear about hope of forgiveness in Christ and come to faith.
For the disciples, they were working in the ground laid by the prophets, the last of which was John the Baptist. The ground had been prepared, the sowing complete, and now Jesus had arrived, the harvest can begin. There can now always be a harvest because the long-expected Jesus has arrived. We now live in the reality of his completed work.
Is there something else that must be done to prepare the world for the harvest? The answer is no. Jesus is the Savior, the work of the cross is complete, the atonement has been made, the resurrection life has been obtained, the hope of victory over sin and death has been achieved. The fields are ripe for harvest in every set of ears that need to hear this good news.
Go tell it.