Word for the day day by Christian Education Forum

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                            Participation in Divine Mission

Luke 10:1-10

Once upon a time, a shoe company sent two salesmen to Africa to determine the market potential for their products. One salesman was sent to the east coast of Africa, while the other salesman was sent to the west coast of Africa. Both the salesmen completed a basic survey of the target market and called back to the office. The salesman sent to the east coast of Africa reported: “No one here wears any shoes, there is no market for us here!”. The other salesman sent a message “No one here wears any shoes, there is a huge harvest for us, send more people and inventory fast!”. Dear friends, identifying the harvest is one of the great tasks in a mission. 

Jesus often spoke to people ones in agricultural terms. In His addressal, while commissioning the ‘seventy-two’ apostles (the one who is sent), Jesus describes His mission through an allegory of farming. In Vs. 12 when He 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.”, He identifies God as a farmer and the place that they are going to be placed as His field. Three things in relation to God’s mission need to be highlighted here: 1) God as farmer; 2) the world we are placed is His mission field and; 3) we are His co-workers. Throughout the pages of the scripture, God’s character as a farmer is much evident. Paul, the Apostle, says to the Church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 3: 9), “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field.” Identifying the harvest in the field is the task of God’s mission and seeking God’s help to do this task is the process of mission. Here, Jesus who identified the fruits of the ‘plantation of God’ sending out the ‘Seventy-two’ for harvest.

Harvest is a process of reaping the fruits for the farmer; We are only the workers of the field. If we are not able to collect the fruits, it will be a great loss for the ‘Lord of the Harvest’. As the plantation of God, our life is God’s harvest. Our children, our time, technology, our skills, and all other resources are God’s abundant grace. Reaping it or making it available for God is the task of mission. Harvest is plentiful. Failure to reap/collect is the loss of the farmer.  So, like the other salesman who was sent to the west-coast of Africa, let us earnestly and sincerely seek God’s help for sending out more workers into His field. Amen.
 
Prayer
Lord, help us to believe that we are your plantation. Help us to identify the harvest of our time and to seek your help in our struggles. Amen
 
Thought for the day
Start to measure, feel the treasure
 
Rev. Sibu Pallichira

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