Will You Be His Laborer?
“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few, so ask the Master of the harvest to send out laborers for His harvest.’ “ Matthew 9: 32-38.
As I read this scripture, I am struck by how true this remains today. We have so many people who are wandering through this life that do not know Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I can only imagine how Jesus must look out over us today and still have pity because so many people are spiritually lost. I envision Jesus turning to me (and you) and asking, “Will you labor for Me? See the harvest before you, will you be My help, My laborer?”
As I contemplate this thought, I realize how difficult or intimidating it is to try and share our Christian faith in today’s culture, which is using all means to silence Christians. Our country has become so divisive that people fear to speak out, fear to labor for the harvest. I find it intimidating to share my faith with people in person or to speak out, even though I post blog reflections, especially when I feel it will be met with opposition or will not be received well.
The objective of this intimidation is to keep us from sharing about Jesus. Yet if we succumb to it or remain quiet in the face of intimidation, we miss our opportunity to be the laborers Jesus is speaking about. God uses us to be His instruments to help others. He needs us to speak to those “sheep without a shepherd” otherwise the harvest can be lost. Our words bring hope to those in despair. Our actions bring Jesus’ love to those who feel unloved or unworthy. You must be willing to step outside your comfort zone because you never know when God will use you to share His love with someone.
I remember a time when He used me to do just that. Years ago, I attended a silent retreat and throughout the weekend my entire focus was asking Jesus to teach me to be compassionate as He is compassionate. My heart kept hearing the message, “You must feel their pain. You must feel their sorrow. You must be My joy, My light, and My smile that they see.”
After the retreat ended, I was scheduled to make an announcement at the end of mass. I arrived toward the end of the services and as I approached the church, a woman was sitting on a bench right outside the church doors. She looked very sad and as I came closer, I felt very compelled to tell her “I love you”, which is something I never just blurt out to a stranger. I hesitated briefly because I didn’t know how she would react, yet I couldn’t help myself. As you can imagine, the woman looked at me with surprise.
I then went inside the church, made my announcement, and exited the doors. The woman was sitting on the bench just sobbing. As soon as she saw me, she jumped up and immediately asked me, “Why did you tell me ‘I love you’?” I replied, “I don’t know. I just felt very compelled to say it. I’ve never told someone I don’t know, ‘I love you’ before.” I explained that I just returned from a retreat and my message was compassion for others and to feel their pain. You looked sad and I just blurted it out.” The lady looked at me with tears in her eyes and then said she had never had a good relationship with her father. She was even doubting whether her father ever loved her. She explained she didn’t go to church because she never felt loved by her deceased father or God, but she came today. She had just asked God whether He or her father had ever loved her, which she needed to know and at the end of her prayer I walked up and told her “I love you.” She cried on my shoulder saying, “God answered me with your words. My father did love me, thank you!” I told her that God loves her too and He is a compassionate Father. I explained she just needed to open her heart to Him and let Him love her. Then we prayed together. I was so thankful that I wasn’t silent for fear of rejection but boldly spoke out.
God is calling us to be the laborer in His harvest. He is calling us to be brave and not allow intimidation or possible rejection to keep us from sharing His love and compassion with others. His sheep are everywhere searching for a Shepherd who will guide them, whether they are a stranger on a bench, the person in the grocery line, or a family member.
Today let us be willing to raise our hand to Jesus and say, “I will labor for You.”
© 2023 Kendall Berry Lasseigne
