Pastoral Reflections Pastor Bruce Zimmermann, Christ Lutheran Church Gladbrook, Iowa

There is an old song that goes: “Harvest time is drawing near, Shouted Farmer Gray. Go load up the old hay truck, We’ll drive to town today.” As the farmers come to town with their trucks and tractors with the harvest of corn and beans, we can be reminded of another harvest talked about in the Bible-the harvest of souls. Jesus 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 fields.” (Matthew 9:37-38) Jesus told this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “An enemy did this,” he replied. The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” (Matthew 13:24-30) Satan is the enemy who has sown sin and death, unbelief and evil in this world. Jesus came to save the world from all that. He gave his life on the cross to forgive our sins, to rescue us from Satan and death, and give life in his kingdom. The Bible says, “God our Savior...wants all...to be saved and to come to a knowledge of truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) That truth is that “Salvation is found in no one else (than Jesus Christ) for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) So before he ascended into heaven the risen Lord Jesus told his disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) That is the harvest of our souls our Savior ask us to help bring in.