S158P3 – Harvest imagery: fruit from many places
Rom. 1:13-15
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
I have had some exposure to business development. Part of a previous job was to identify populations in the community from which we could derive new clients. I recall having a conversation with one of the people who worked in business development regarding her strategy for finding clients. The service our business provided was a premium service, and I expected prospective clients to be vetted accordingly. Many would come in for consultations and experience immediate sticker shock, and that was because we were not pursuing the right economic demographic. Premium services can be expensive, and it only makes sense to market these services to those with the disposable income to pay for them.
In marketing the gospel message, Paul was not nearly as discerning. He understood that he was not called to share the truth with only a specific group. He could not judge individuals based on their wealth or nationality or even their perceived intelligence. There was no group for which the gospel message would be unavailable because the gospel message is equally applicable to everyone. Christ did not die for only a select few. That is why Paul did not preach Christ to only a selective few. He shared this message of hope with anyone and everyone because anyone and everyone can obtain the gospel’s promises. Paul understood that the harvest of souls would come from every corner of the world.
I have no doubt that we will partner with the Lord to harvest souls from the unlikeliest of sources. We never know whose heart will change; we never know who will yield to the Lord’s calling. We cannot assume that the harvest will come only from certain places or groups. We cannot discount people because we expect them not to respond well to the gospel message. We must do what Paul did and expect a harvest wherever we plant the seeds of the word. If anything, our perception that the gospel might be ineffective somewhere should make us want to share it there all the more. Father, give us the hope and faith to expect a harvest from every place we preach the gospel of Christ.