Text: Luke 10:1-12, 16-20
SN: 0084 07/06/2025
Have you ever driven past a field of corn or grain that seems to go on for miles and miles? Look at the field on the screen and marvel at how many hours it must take to plow, plant, and then harvest a field like that. Now, imagine that you were given the task of harvesting that immense field by hand with just a few other workers. How would you feel about that task? What kind of attitude would you have toward your boss who gave you such an impossible task? You would probably feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and perhaps a little angry that you are not being given the necessary tools to do the job correctly.
But isn’t that a perfect picture of the task that God has given to his church? We have been called to be workers in his harvest field. But we have also been told that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Thoughts of doing the work of God’s kingdom can often leave us feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. It seems like the task is too big for us to accomplish on our own. Not to mention all the hurdles we need to overcome as we go forth to work in God’s harvest field. This is why our Gospel lesson this morning is so beautiful. It reminds us to despair of our own efforts and success and instead to put our trust in the powerful work of our Savior, who destroyed the works of the devil and wrote our names in the Book of Eternal Life.
In our Gospel lesson for last week, we heard how Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem. He knew the time of his earthly ministry was drawing to a close, and so he appointed 72 disciples to go out and prepare the towns and villages in the surrounding area for his arrival. Jesus emphasized the urgency of this outreach effort with the list of commands he gave to his disciples. He told them not to burden themselves with extra items, but to take only what was absolutely necessary for their journey. They were to journey from town to town, healing the sick and preaching the message of the kingdom of God.
However, he also warned them that they would encounter opposition from some of the towns they visited. He warned them that he was sending them out like lambs among wolves. As Jesus entered this last phase of his earthly ministry, many people would reject his Word. The chief priests and elders of the people were actively plotting against him, and many of his followers had already deserted him. Jesus told his disciples that when they encountered resistance to his message, they were to leave that town and travel on. But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust from your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come near.”
The 72 followers of Jesus knew that they would face challenges and setbacks in their ministry, yet they went forth and carried out the command of our Savior. We know what it is like to face challenges in our ministry as well. Like those disciples, we have been sent as workers into the harvest field of the Lord. We also know how, at times, this can feel like a daunting and overwhelming task. There may be times when we feel like those workers who were asked to harvest an immense field of grain without the proper tools or help. When we face these challenges, we can be tempted to doubt the wisdom of our God. We may even grow resentful that God is not giving us the necessary support to carry out the work we have been commanded to do.
As workers in the harvest field of the Lord, we face many challenges. Perhaps we often feel as helpless as lambs who have been sent out among wolves. The forces of evil in this world are arrayed against us. Many people do not want to hear the message of our Savior. The view Christians as old-fashioned and unloving. When we face opposition, we can be filled with fear and doubt. As we look at all the evil in the world, we can be tempted to wonder if God is really in control. We can be tempted to wonder if many of the wicked people in this world even deserve to hear about God’s grace.
Or perhaps we grow frustrated at the lack of results from all our hard work and efforts. We want to carry out the will of the Lord, but we seem to always fall short. After all, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. You know the frustration of this very well. As we are entering into a new era in our congregation, some of you may be wondering how God will continue to bless our work at Water of Life. You remember the frustration as a few years ago you issued call after call for a second pastor, only to have those calls returned. Now we are in that same situation, and you once again may be wondering what God is thinking. You may be filled with doubt, fear, and uncertainty about the future of our congregation.
As we face these times of uncertainty, we can sometimes lose sight of the big picture. We can get so focused on the problems and challenges of our own little corner of God’s kingdom that we forget the glorious truth of our Savior. As the 72 disciples returned from their mission journeys, they were filled with joy. They had seen the power of God in action. Jesus praised them for their efforts but reminded them of the bigger picture. They were not to focus on the success of their mission, but instead were to focus on the success of Christ’s mission. He told them, “I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Look, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing will ever harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names have been written in heaven.”
This is the glorious truth of the Gospel! By his death on the cross, Jesus destroyed the work of the devil. This is why the Son of God appeared: to destroy the works of the Devil. Jesus Christ came to this world to live a perfect life in our place. Unlike us, who sometimes grow frustrated and question the plans and wisdom of our Heavenly Father, Christ was perfectly obedient to his will. Christ lived a life free from sin so he could offer that perfect life as a ransom to pay for the sins of the whole world. Wherever the glorious message of the death and resurrection of our Savior is preached, the plans and power of the devil are cast down. Satan can no longer accuse us of our sin because we have been declared not guilty by God himself. The holy blood of Jesus Christ has washed you free from all your sins and given you the certainty of eternal life. This is what Jesus meant when he said he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Whenever the Gospel is heard and believed, Satan loses his standing in heaven. He can no longer bring accusations against us who are God’s elect.
We will certainly face challenges as we go out to work in the harvest field of the Lord. The church on earth goes through seasons of change. At times, God’s Word will flourish in one place, and the church will experience rapid and amazing growth. At other times, the Word of God may fade out in a place. This is why it is so important not to focus on our own successes and failures. God will bless our work in his way and in his time. The numbers of a congregation may go up and down. There may be times in the church when, like now, it seems like the harvest fields are massive and there are nowhere near enough workers. At those times, we remember that the things of this world may pass away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
As we go through times of change in our congregation, we cling to that truth. The Gospel of our Savior endures. As workers in his harvest field, we have been called to share the message of Christ with others. We can do this in many different ways. The first is to do exactly what our Savior himself commanded us to do, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.” Pray that God would continue to send workers into his harvest fields. You can also support and encourage those who have been led by the Lord to serve publicly in his fields. Support the called workers in our congregation and pray for them. Pray for and encourage the young people in our congregation who are considering going into the public ministry, and encourage others to do the same. Consider supporting the work of our Synod as it trains and encourages others to work in the fields of the Lord. And even if you are older, consider that calling as well.
The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Just as Jesus gave his disciples an urgent mission to preach the kingdom of God in the towns and villages of Galilee and Judea, we too have an urgent mission to share the message of the Gospel with others. The Bible is clear. We are living in the Last Days of the Earth. At any time, our Savior could return again with all his glory and power on the Last Day. Only those who believe and trust in his name will be saved. Christ wants as many as possible to be gathered into his heavenly kingdom on the Last Day. So let us go forth and continue spreading the message of the Gospel so that near and far the power of the devil may be broken and the freedom of the Gospel proclaimed.
Swift as lightning falls the tyrant from his heav’nly perch on high, as the word of Jesus’ vict’ry floods the earth and fills the sky. Wounded by a wound eternal now his judgment has drawn nigh!