VERSE:
[Jesus Speaking] “Do you not say, ‘four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest…”
— John 4:35
THOUGHT:
Jesus, in this verse, is talking to His disciples about the “harvest of souls” that we need to gather for the Kingdom of God. When I see verses like this, I automatically think of going to the masses and bringing in multitudes of souls into the kingdom. However, when I read this verse in context it opens up a different, more practical picture of how to harvest this crop. When we think of a harvest, usually the first picture that comes to mind is the end result – the heap of fruit gleaned from the crop. We rarely think of the day-in, day-out toil of cutting each individual fruit off of its branch.
In John 4, Jesus is spending dedicated, intentional time with only one person (not the multitude) – He was talking to the woman at the well. When His disciples saw Him, they wondered why He was speaking with this Samaritan Woman. That’s when He told them “open your eyes”. In other words, “see the bigger picture”. The field is ripe for harvest, and the way to harvest the crop is one fruit at a time.
APPLICATION:
Our mandate as Christians is to make disciples. That’s when the question of “how do we do that” comes. Jesus is telling us the same thing He told His disciples – “open your eyes”. Look for the Samaritan Woman (or man) in your neighborhood. Talk to the lonely vagabond on the side of the road. Start a conversation with that person you sit next to at work. Don’t wait for a bigger platform than the one God has given you. See that the field is ripe for harvest.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, help me to see the harvest field of souls in my sphere of influence. Open up doors for me to speak with people about Jesus, and give me the courage to walk through those doors. In Jesus’ Name I pray, AMEN!