Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. – Matthew 9:37

Today's Scripture Reading (November 14, 2020): Matthew 9

Do you believe in magic? I love trying to figure out how a magician accomplishes the things they do during their stage performances. But the magicians magic doesn't exist; not really. It is all show without substance. And if you are ever watching a magician perform, don't look where he is looking: be sure to watch where he isn't because there is usually something going on there that the magician doesn't want you to see.

And real magicians acknowledge that truth. It is part of the game. And if they are good enough, fast enough, and smart enough, you can't catch them even though you know that what they are doing is just a trick. And if they are outstanding, they may even let you think that you know what is going on, only to pull out a twist in the end.

Unfortunately, Christianity has always been fertile soil for the charlatan. During the days of the apostles, Luke tells the story of the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 17) in which these sons of a Jewish priest became Christian pretenders and magicians trying to make money off of using the name of Jesus as a magic trick. But they were just one of the first. For centuries, people have continued to become nothing more than Christian magicians, using the tricks of the magician's trade to make money off of Christianity. Using radios and human accomplices planted with-in the audience, they make Christian magic appear on demand and independent of a genuine move of God.

Jesus taught his followers that the harvest was plentiful, but the workers are few. The harvest is a good thing, but only if there are workers to bring the harvest in where it can be utilized. A couple of weeks ago, I saw images of apples that had been allowed to fall to the ground and spoil because of a lack of workers in the orchard. The harvest had been plentiful, but the workers were too few to bring the crop into the stores.   

When there are too few workers for an apple harvest, the result is a sad waste of apples. But when the harvest is plentiful within the human race, the product is a deplorable waste of human resources in our society. Every person deserves to reach the full potential that God has placed inside of them. But that potential is easily wasted when we refuse genuinely to be involved with the harvest. Charles Spurgeon summed up this passage in this way.

Pretenders were many, but real "labourers" were few. God only can thrust out or "send forth labourers." Man-made ministers are useless, yet they abound all around us; but where are the instructive soul-winning ministries? Let us plead with the Lord of the harvest to care for his own harvest, and to thrust out his own harvestmen (Charles Spurgeon.)

We don't need a show without substance. We don't need the words. We need the substance represented by the authentic presence of Jesus Christ in our midst – and our lives.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 10