Laborers for the Harvest

Scripture: Luke 10:1-9

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’

Reaction: Today’s reading is again about evangelism, and yet I know that my recent attempts to proclaim the kingdom of God have been less than fruitful. But today I felt that I can indeed be a laborer for the master of the harvest even if gathering crops in not my forte. I can lend my hands in a supporting role, I can pray for others to discover the joy of living with the Lord, I can serve as an example to others as I continue to seek a deeper relationship with Christ. Since our faith-sharing group has met a few times now, I know that I am definitely not the person to lead spontaneous prayers or to speak eloquently on what Christ has done for me; yet, I do share my own prayerful reflections and encourage others to do so. I have fallen into a role I often served in the business world: the organizer of the group, ensuring the next meeting has both a venue and a leader. It turns out that our oldest group member is the most inspiring when it comes to leading group prayer and to sharing her profound faith with the rest of us. I believe that the Lord is using each of us to contribute what we can based on our abilities. Even our youngest and most reticent member serves a useful purpose: she gives others the opportunity to encourage her and draw her out, and we too are heartened that she continues to attend our discussions. Even the meeting hostesses are offering hospitality, and the peace of Christ is resting on all of us as we continue to build up one another through prayer and fellowship.