Pastor Jim submitted the following thoughts on 3/18/17…
Greetings Friends:
PLEASE READ: Matthew 9:35-38
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
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 9:35-38
Let’s consider a question which is appropriate during Lent:
- When was the last time any of us intentionally invited someone to church?
- When was the last time you or I shared our faith in Jesus Christ with someone?
There is a wonderful story about an event which took place many years ago in a small village in the
Steeple cross atop our old church building days after the fire (Dec. 2013)
Midwest. A 12-year old girl named Terri was baby-sitting her little brother. Terri walked outside to check the mail box and see if the mail had been delivered. As she turned back from the mailbox she couldn’t believe her eyes, the house was on fire! Very quickly the fire spread and the little house was soon engulfed in flames.
Terri ran as fast as she could into the flaming house only to find her baby brother trapped by a burning rafter which had fallen and pinned him to the floor. Hurriedly, Terri worked to free her brother. She had trouble getting him loose even as the flames were dancing around their heads. Finally, she was able to free her younger brother. She picked him up and quickly took him outside just as the roof of the house caved in.
By this time, firemen were on the scene and the neighbors had gathered outside the smoldering remains of the house. The neighbors had been too frightened to go inside or to do anything to help, so they simply stood by watching. They were, however, very impressed with the courage of the twelve-year old girl. They congratulated her for her heroic efforts and said, “Terri, you are so very brave. Weren’t you scared? What were you thinking about when you ran into the burning house?” You have to love Terri’s answer. She said, “I wasn’t thinking about anything. I just heard my little brother crying.”
Jesus looked down from heaven and He saw the world “a blaze” with sin. He saw the human 
family trapped, unable to free ourselves, and crying out for help and direction. Our faith reminds us that He came down from Heaven, rushed into the world, and offers to deliver us. Aren’t you as grateful as I am that He did that? Jesus wasn’t thinking about His own safety, He simply heard a sister or brother crying in need.
God’s call for His modern day disciples is the same as it was in the days of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8a)…
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
Jesus said (Matthew 9:37)…,
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few“
As we continue through the season of Lent, it is appropriate to remember that God is calling for a few more “Terri’s” to respond to the harvest. Remember Terri’s words in that story, she said,
Do we hear the cries of those in the world?
Shalom,
Pastor Jim
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