John 4: 37-38
‘”Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.’”
When we are allowed to help with God’s harvest, we are helping in a joyful work! In my experience, seeing people come to Jesus makes me smile. So you might say that those of us who joyfully help with the “reaping” of God’s harvest are “Grinning Reapers.”
Jesus is the Master of Mixed Metaphors. When talking with Jesus the wind isn’t really the wind, water isn’t water, and seeds and reaping have nothing to do with grain.
God’s perspective is all about salvaging his creation. I use the word “salvaging” consciously because this world was spoiled by Satan when he tempted Adam and Eve into sin resulting in spiritual death and the new ability to see both good and evil. The ability to see evil resulted in more sin, and eventually God cleaned mankind from the face of the earth except for Noah and his family.
Since then, God raised up a people for his own purposes, and from the descendants of Abraham he caused his son to be born of Mary. Until the time of Jesus, people lived under the covenant of the Law. Now, in the time after Jesus, people live under a new covenant, but only if they have accepted the need for a savior and Jesus as that Savior.
While we are concerned with having a job, paying off our mortgage, and wondering not where we will find food for dinner, but what kind of food we want for dinner, God is concerned with ensuring that every person he calls to be with Him finds his way to Jesus.
Generally speaking, I try and keep these posts as fact-based as possible and minimize injecting my opinions. For this post, however, I would like to offer this thought: I believe Jesus will succeed in finding every lost sheep of his with or without my help. Being able to participate in helping others find Jesus is not so much an obligation as it is an opportunity, a gift from God. He allows us to be part of his work and part of the adventure of waging spiritual warfare on behalf of God’s kingdom.
Q: Why would God want us to help in the work of reaping His harvest?
I thought about this, began thinking of the words I would use to answer and the more I thought, the longer my response became. In the end I thought to myself, I would need to write a book to answer this question.
Then I realized God has already done this.
Maybe He wants us to learn a valuable lesson by participating in cleaning up the mess we made. Worked with my kids.
Ron,
As long as the question made you think, that is the main thing! Love the comment about kids!! So true! 🙂
You do have a way of getting the wheels to turn Brother.
Thanks for all you do!
I think it’s because God wants arelationehip with us. He doesn’t need us, but wants us to acknowledge Him and bring glory to Him through proclaiming who He is.
Interesting thought, Robster. I agree that God doesn’t “need” us in the sense that he pre-existed Creation, however I wonder if He might need us in a way similar to how we, His creation, need each other. Certainly if one is going to love another, there has to be another one to love.
I’m with Robster on this one but I would add to a love of the family helping your brothers and sisters in Christ. Helping encourage, keeping them accountable. Helping guide, ect…. along with fellowship to keep the relationship strong.