Sending the Seventy, part 2

Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (Luke 10:1-2 NASB)

In the previous post, we looked at the two areas of responsibility for the harvest. There are those that go to gather the harvest (the uttermost ends of the earth) and those who stay at home and pray. Those who pray and those who go make a perfect team to get the job of harvest done. 

On closer inspection, we find that Jesus' instructions about praying for the harvest were first directed to the seventy, the "sent ones". It turns out that the ones who go have a big job of intercession, as well. Why? It is not because they are somehow "better". They are not better at faith, in their Christian life, or in their prayers. It is simply much easier to pray with insight when you are "on site", isn't it? Seeing the need helps us to better understand what it will take to meet the need and gives us a better understanding of how to pray. 

This is the idea behind "prayer walking". Intercessors go to a specific town or area of a town, walk through, and pray as they walk, allowing the Holy Spirit to prompt their heart as they see the needs with their eyes. In a way, the on site sight brings greater insight. That's an awkwardly complex sentence that conveys the idea behind prayer walking. It's praying with your eyes wide open to see the needs around you. 

When Jesus sent the seventy, they were to go to the towns and villages where He was going. At that time, His going had flesh and blood restrictions. Because he was wrapped in flesh, He could not be everywhere at once. Now, because of His Holy Spirit, our omniscient, omnipresent Lord is everywhere at once. No matter where we go, He precedes us, and that means everywhere is a potential harvest field. Even if we never leave our home town, there is a harvest just waiting for those serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. Look around. There are multitudes of people who need Jesus all around us and they are waiting for those of us who know Him to make the introduction. 

In our family, we usually make a donation in honor of our family members at Christmas rather than elaborate gifts, and we will continue that tradition again this year. As I'm writing this morning, it seems that a gift of harvesting might be the one gift that would most please our Lord. Walk or drive through your town, eyes wide open to see the needs around you. As you see those needs, pray that God will send someone to meet the need. Pray for each home, each family. Pray for the homeless, the lonely, the grieving. Pray for the lost, those who are wandering from their faith, those who are wondering about faith, and those who are certain about their faith. Pray that God will send exactly who He wants to meet the need, bring the Word, provide comfort and tangible goods. Pray that He will send someone to tell the news about Jesus. Don't be surprised, though, if the one He sends is you. 

There is a harvest, and we are the ones who are called to bring it in. Open your eyes, reach our your hands, and get your feet on the ground. Someone is waiting for you to introduce them to Jesus. 

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The Journey, part 23: Making a Way

(For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, "Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each." (Luke 9:14 NASB)

If you've ever tried to deal with a huge crowd of people, you know how disorderly they can be. Even the most docile people can be slow to follow instructions, slow to move when asked, slow to obey if others are not. When that crowd is tired and hungry, it becomes more difficult. When the crowd includes tired, hungry children, tired, hungry mothers who are frazzled from dealing with the children yet trying to listen to Jesus, and tired, hungry husbands who are frazzled, too, the task of directing the crowd becomes nearly impossible. 

Jesus had instructed the disciples to feed a crowd of more than five thousand men, plus women and children. The twelve apostles were to get the group organized and food distributed. They may have looked at the crowd and thought, "Jesus, there is no way this is going to happen if you don't do something!"

Can't you just see it? Those twelve men glanced around them and, at least for a moment, were totally overwhelmed by the task Jesus had given them. Feed the crowd? How?  Where to start? They must have looked at Jesus with eyes full of questions and, seeing, He must have smiled. "Start by getting them seated in groups of fifty," He said. 

A benefit of seating the people in orderly groups is that it made it much easier for the disciples to minister to the crowd. Distributing food to a milling crowd of thousands would have been a nearly insurmountable task. Our Lord, who with the task will always make a way, instructed the twelve to organize the people in such a way that the job of ministry was changed from impossible to possible. 

A popular song from a few years back says "God will make a way where there seems to be no way," and that is exactly what Jesus did that day. He gave the disciples a starting point that made the work possible, and our Lord will do the same for us. Are you facing an impossible task? Is there a work of ministry to which He has called you that seems insurmountable? Perhaps what you need is not every step in the process; perhaps all you need is that first step that will make everything else possible. 

When you aren't sure what to do, look to Jesus. He has the answers you need. All you have to do is ask.