Workers For The Harvest by Jorge Acevedo

In the economy of the Kingdom of God, many of the ways the followers of Jesus are invited to live are counter intuitive. For example, Jesus taught his students strange things like, “If you want to be first, then be last” and “If you want to be great, then serve.”  We also see this counter-intuitive way of living in Jesus’ invitation for his apprentices to join him in Kingdom expansion work. In Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV), we read:

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming 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.”

First, notice that Jesus models a Kingdom lifestyle of teaching, preaching (proclaiming) and healing birthed from deep, gut-felt compassion. Second, notice how our Rabbi charged his disciples to partner with him in this Kingdom harvest work. And third, note that Jesus does not ask them to pray for harvest, but instead to pray for harvest workers. This seems to me to be a counter-intuitive impulse. Honestly, for most of my ministry, I’ve prayed for harvest. “Lord, please send us more people!”  Counter-intuitively, my Rabbi is inviting me to pray for harvest workers. 

Can I honestly suggest that this seems to be an absurd command from our Rabbi? I thought harvest was the goal. Isn’t making more followers of Jesus our assignment as the Church? The answer is of course “Yes,” but Jesus here couches harvest work in how we pray. He inverts our strategy. Instead of praying for more harvest, he invites us to pray for harvest workers. I think Jesus understood that the heavy lifting in expanding the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven would require more workers. The harvest is plentiful. It’s ready for harvesting. What Jesus calls for is more workers. He needs more women and men from every station and strata of life to join him in this harvest work.

John Wesley and the Power of Lay Leadership

Dr. Kevin Watson has given contemporary followers of Jesus in the Wesleyan stream of Christianity a great gift by summarizing the Wesleyan Standard sermons on his blog. His comments on the 33rd sermon, “A Caution Against Bigotry” are captivating. The message is based on the biblical text Mark 9:38-39 (CEB): John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.” Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him. No one who does powerful acts in my name can quickly turn around and curse me.” Dr. Watson remarks on this sermon:*

This sermon is written in the context of Wesley’s leadership of Methodism as a renewal movement within the Church of England and the tensions that were often just below the surface between his ordination as a priest in the Church of England and his leadership of Methodism. Wesley’s use of lay preachers, in particular, was controversial and is an important part of the background of this sermon…

As committed as John Wesley was to the Church of England and all things Anglican because of the sovereign movement of God through the people called Methodists, he refused to diminish it by sequestering the work of ministry to the ordained alone. This robust lay preacher strategy made and kept the fires of the Methodist revival stoked. This sermon defends his strategy to train and deploy lay preachers regardless of ecclesiastical pushback.

Watson also points out that Wesley’s argument for using lay preachers was the undeniable fruitfulness in the ministry of lay preachers. He comments, “…the sermon should be read in part as an appeal for not interfering with lay preachers whose ministry bears fruit [they are “casting out devils”] by leaders within the Church of England. The sermon has a variety of intriguing applications in the contemporary context.” 

Fruitfulness as the Proof of God’s Call

Watson discerns that the “key quote” in this sermon is:**

‘But what is a sufficient, reasonable proof that a man does (in the sense above) cast out devils?’ The answer is easy. Is there full proof, first, that a person before us was a gross, open sinner? Secondly, that he is not so now; that he has broke off his sins, and lives a Christian life? And thirdly, that his change was wrought by his hearing this man preach? If these three points be plain and undeniable, then you have sufficient, reasonable proof, such as you cannot resist without willful sin, that this man casts out devils. [III.3]

To quote a much-used southernism, “The proof is in the pudding.” The irrefutable personal life transformation and abundant ministry wrought by lay preachers was Mr. Wesley’s defense. But it wasn’t always this way for Wesley.

An incident in 1741 with the Assistant at the Society in London captures Wesley’s change of heart regarding lay preachers. Thomas Maxfield was a gifted young leader whom Wesley left in charge of the Society. The young, inexperienced leader took it upon himself to gather the entire Society and preach. This was beyond the scope of Maxfield’s responsibility and authority. Wesley quickly returned and scolded the young leader. Susanna, John’s mother, challenged him on his actions. Thomas Coke and Henry Moore record the incident like this:***

His mother then lived in his house, adjoining the Foundery. When he arrived, she perceived that his countenance was expressive of dissatisfaction and inquired the cause. ‘Thomas Maxfield,’ said he abruptly, ‘has turned Preacher, I find.’ She looked attentively at him and replied, ‘John, you know what my sentiments have been. You cannot suspect me of readily favouring anything of this kind. But take care what you do with respect to that young man, for he is surely called of God to preach as you are. Examine what have been the fruits of his preaching, and hear him also yourself.’ He did so. His prejudice bowed before the force of truth: and he could only say, ‘It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth good.

Upon carefully examining the preaching ministry of Maxfield, Wesley could not help but to see that God indeed had given the young leader gifts and graces for the preaching ministry. This was a defining moment for Mr. Wesley.

Raising Up Emerging Leaders for Today’s Harvest

I think we can infer from all of this that both Jesus and Mr. Wesley would affirm the need for fruitful, gifted workers for harvest work if the harvest is going to be “brought in.” Jesus modeled this with his apprenticeship of the disciples and Mr. Wesley rather begrudgingly at first, but enthusiastically later enlisted harvest workers to join in harvest work. Neither Jesus nor John Wesley embraced a caste system in their approach to leadership development.

So, what does a spiritual leader 2000 years removed from the ministry of Jesus and 275 years since the movement of the early Methodists do about enlisting, training and releasing emerging leaders? In reflecting on my experience of 40 years as a spiritual leader enlisting younger and newer leaders to join me in harvest work, I’ve noticed six common cries of emerging leaders. Wise and prayerful recruiters to harvest work intentionally hear these cries and build systems to careful harness them for harvest work. The six cries are:

1. “Perceive me. Acknowledge and see me and my potential.”
2. “Pick me. I want to be mentored and led well and honorably.”
3. “Prepare me. Pour into me. I want to learn from you.”
4. “Promote me. Give me opportunities that stretch me.”
5. “Platform me. When the time is right, push me to the front.”
6. “Pass it on to me. I need your blessing for my future.”

In enlisting, preparing and releasing younger and newer leaders for harvest work, we join in answering Jesus’ prayer for harvest workers and stand in the center of the stream of our Wesleyan tradition. The harvest is still plentiful. The cries of emerging leaders still echo. Will we be the ones who perceive, prepare, and pass on the mantle to the next generation of Kingdom workers?

*Kevin Watson. John Wesley’s Sermon “A Caution Against Bigotry: A Brief Summary.”

**Watson. John Wesley’s Sermon “A Caution Against Bigotry: A Brief Summary.”

***Adrian Burdon. Authority and Order: John Wesley and his Preachers.