Jesus' references to harvest-ready fields should fuel a passion for world evangelism.
Christian composers, including Robin Mark, Twila Paris, and J.O. Thompson, have written songs centered on the harvest theme.
To those who would say, "What's the big hurry?" and "Where's the fire?" Jesus said, "Look at the fields! They are ripe."
When Jesus used the harvest metaphor, He was saying, "This is urgent!"
World Missions: The Heart of God
Blog post: Commentary on John 4
"Don't you have a saying, It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" -- John 4:35
Across the years, Jesus' references to harvest-ready fields have fired people up about world evangelism. Sermons and songs have frequently featured the harvest idea. For
example, Robin Mark's 1994 "Days of Elijah" proclaims: "These are the
days of harvest. The fields are as white in the world."
In exhortations recorded in Matthew 91 and Luke 102, Jesus spoke
of the need for workers to gather the harvest. In John 4, our Lord's words spotlight the urgency
of the task. Delay in harvesting a ripened crop usually ends in spoilage and a sense that hours of
soil preparation, planting, fertilizing, weed control, and watering have been in vain.
Verses 4-42 of John 4 describe an event at what was then a 2,000-year-old well. Jesus and his
disciples had stopped there during a trip northward from Jerusalem to Galilee. On this particular
journey, they went through Samaria, a region whose inhabitants were shunned by the Jews as "half-breeds."
When they came to Sychar, the disciples left Jesus at the ancient water source and went to
buy food. While they were gone, a woman came to draw water. To the Samaritan woman's surprise, the Jewish man at the well asked her for a drink. Then, He talked to her about a kind of water that could satisfy thirst forever.
When the disciples showed up with lunch, the woman hurried away to call townspeople to
come meet someone who just might be the Promised Messiah. As people from Sychar "made
their way toward Him," Jesus urged His disciples to open their eyes and look at the ripening
fields. Since people were the "fields" Jesus had in mind that day, it's easy to imagine Him
gesturing at the approaching Samaritans -- whom most Jews despised -- as He said, "Open your eyes and look . . ."
Jesus referred to a common catchphrase of that time: "It's still four months until
harvest." I have never heard anyone use that saying today. However, it would fit well in the
same contexts in which we exclaim, "What's the big hurry?" and "Where's the fire?" To those
with such a what's-the-big-hurry attitude regarding Gospel proclamation, Jesus said, "Look at the fields! They are ripe."
In using the harvest metaphor, Jesus was saying, "This is urgent!" Talking about
global outreach as a harvest indicates that we face windows of opportunity that open and close.
Harvesting cannot be postponed until a more convenient time. When crops mature, they must be harvested right away.
Tens of thousands of people go out into eternity each day, never having heard about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Isn't that a ripened harvest going to waste? Oh, when will we feel the urgency?
Reflection Questions
In what ways does Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well illustrate the urgency of the task of evangelism?
How can Jesus' reference to ripened fields ready for harvest be used to inspire Christians to engage in global outreach?
Why do you think some people may have a "what's the big hurry?" attitude toward Gospel proclamation? How can this attitude be overcome?
What can Christians do to respond to the urgent need for worldwide evangelism in ways that make certain the ripened harvest of souls is not wasted?
-- Howard Culbertson,
1"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were
harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest
is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers
into his harvest field.'" -- Matthew 9:36-38
2"After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two
ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, 'The harvest is
plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers
into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.'" -- Luke 10:1-3
This blog post on a world missions Bible passage is one of more than three dozen blogs in the "Heart of God" series
published in Engage magazine. That series looks at what the Bible says about missions.
Memorable Quotes About John 4:35
“Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.” — Phillips Brooks, quoted in The Preacher and His Models by James Stalker, p. 3.
“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.” — John Stott, The Contemporary Christian
"The season of harvest is now. Rise up and take up your plow. Work while
there's still light, night draweth nigh. Enter the nations, lift up your banner high."
Seedtime and Harvest - Bill O'Brien and Dick Anthony
Seedtime and harvest, fields full of grain. . . Use me, Lord Jesus."
1977, Lillenas
Five Reasons To Use "Harvest" To Talk About World Evangelism
The metaphor of "harvest" is frequently used in Christian gospel outreach. Five reasons for that are:
The Bible uses it. The concept of harvest is often used in the Bible. One example is Matthew 9:37-38 where Jesus says, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Seasonality and timing are important. Agricultural workers have their seasons. So do spiritual harvests. There are times of readiness and receptivity among people to receive the gospel message. This harvest metaphor draws our attention to the importance of ascertaining and seizing opportune moments for outreach, evangelism, and discipling.
Labor and diligence are required. Harvesting farm crops takes effort and diligence. It can be laborious. Similarly, spreading the gospel involves intentional work, dedication, and perseverance.
The objective is fruitfulness. Successful harvests yield abundant fruit. In the context of evangelism, the "fruit" refers to people coming to faith in Jesus Christ and experiencing transformation through His Spirit within them.
Harvesting brings to mind words like unity and collaboration. Harvesting crops often involves teamwork and collaboration. Similarly, our Gospel outreach is most fruitful when believers work collectively rather than separately.
Harvest as an Acrostic
H — Hope shines bright where the Gospel is told, A — All nations embraced in His love so bold. R — Reaching the lost with truth and grace, V — Voices proclaiming in every place. E — Eternal life offered, a gift so divine, S — Sowing the seed of God's perfect design. T — Time is now—let His light brightly shine!