6th Sunday after Pentecost, 2010

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

 

Luke 10:1-10

 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

In today’s gospel text, Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Now, I don’t know much about growing up on a farm, but I do know about the significance of having more workers to get a job done. Just watch a group of ants working together to carry off a piece of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The more workers there are the easier it is to get the job done. Thus, Jesus teaches us to pray for more workers for the kingdom for Jesus wants to get the job done.

 

Throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus teaches us how to pray. First, He gives us the example of the numerous times in which He prayed. Often times He set out off by Himself to pray. Second, He specifically, instructs us on what to pray for. Now of course, this is all summed up in the Lord’s Prayer. But, outside of that prayer, let’s look at some of the particular instructions that the Lord gives to us. 

 

For example, the Lord instructs us to pray for our enemies. Keep in mind that apart from Christ, we are all enemies of Christ. But, God loved us by dying for us even though we were His enemies. In this life, we are to pray that those who remain enemies of God would be converted and changed into friends of God. Now this is a challenging request. Human nature does not want to pray to God on behalf of an enemy; rather, human nature would rather talk to others about how bad an enemy is. But let’s think about this for a moment. What good does it do to tell others how bad an enemy so and so is? Instead, we are to tell God so that something can be done. Namely, the enemy can become a friend.

 

Likewise, we are called to pray for those who persecute us. Now, human nature would rather pray for the destruction of those who persecute us. On the contrary, we are instructed to pray ultimately for the destruction of the plans of those who persecute us and the conversion of those who do the persecuting. Again, we are taught to bear the cross placed upon us as we keep the words of the cross upon our lips. We are not praying that the persecuting would stop just so that we can be more comfortable in this life. Instead, we pray that the persecuting would stop marking that the one persecuted will be fully comforted in the life to come.

 

We are also taught to pray for the government. This means we hold the elected officials in our prayers whether or not they are believers or hold our political views. Their vocation is for the public good. They need our prayers for wisdom and guidance. When they provide civil peace, the church can provide heavenly peace. Their job is not to forgive sins. That is the job of the church. Their job is to keep sinful humans in check. They do not bring the kingdom of God.

 

In today’s gospel text, we are specifically taught to pray for more laborers who work for the kingdom. Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” These words of Jesus are recorded in both Luke’s Gospel and Matthew’s Gospel. 

 

In Matthew chapter nine, the Lord Jesus went throughout all the villages and teachings in the synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing. He then noticed that the crowds were like sheep without a shepherd. Having compassion on them He told the disciples to pray for laborers. Right after directing them to pray, in the next chapter, Jesus sends out the twelve Apostles to preach the coming kingdom. 

 

Now in the Gospel According to St. Luke, in chapter nine the Lord Jesus sends out the twelve Apostles to preach the coming kingdom. Then in chapter ten, Jesus sends out the seventy-two other disciples. Then He instructs them to pray for more laborers. In both places, Jesus makes the connection between the twelve and the seventy-two as the laborers who are sent and deserve their wages. In these passages, we see a direct connection between praying and sending workers for the kingdom. 

 

Now notices how all these things that we are instructed to pray for are tied together. We are to pray for our enemies, for those who persecute us, for the government, and for more laborers all for the sake of the coming kingdom. It is the Lord’s will that the kingdom would come to us and to many others. We ask that our wills would become His will.

 

In our day, the LORD continues to teach us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” To put this all in perspective, ever since the preaching of Jesus about the Kingdom, the harvest has been plentiful, but the laborers are few. There is nothing new under the sun. It shouldn’t surprise us when we hear that in our own beloved Synod there is a coming shortage of pastors. That has always been the case. Thus, the same solution that Jesus gave to the church in those days is the same solution that He gives to us in our days. Jesus says, “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” The answer is Jesus who hears our prayers.

 

As disciples, we continue to learn how to pray. See, if we were left to ourselves, we would end up praying like the hypocrites. We would pray, “I thank you Lord God that I am not like other people who are my enemies, who persecute the church, and especially not a politician.” The Lord shows us what we are to pray for so that we can recognize all that we have not prayed for as we should. How often do you pray that the kingdom would come to many others especially in this county? 

 

As we continue to learn what we are to pray for we learn to turn to the Lord and say, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” When we rejoice in the independence that we have for our sins, prayers flow from our lips petitioning for others saying, “God, be merciful to that person, a sinner.” Our goal is to rejoice with others in our independence.

 

 

During this Fourth of July weekend, there will be many celebrating the independence that we have as a country. There will be those who will ignite all kinds of fire works. Some will light those little itty bitty blackish cylinders that will form into a snake like shape. Such a celebration will be done in the light for the viewing pleasure of maybe one or two. On the other hand, there will be those who will light the big artillery shells in the dark of night. This celebration will light up the night sky for the viewing pleasure of many. In our prayers, let us light up the night sky for the benefit of many others so that they too may join us in our independence from the rule of Satan.

 

It is Jesus who prayed for us on the night in which He was betrayed.  It was Jesus who prayed for us from the cross saying, “Father forgive them.” It is Jesus who is our High Priest who continues to pray for us. Jesus is compassionate toward us who are sheep that are prone to wander and do not pray as we should. When we rejoice in the forgiveness that we have in Jesus, we can’t help but pray that others would share our joy. For our Lord Jesus reminds us this day, "rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”" (Luke 10:20, ESV)   Our desire is that many others would have their names written in heaven too.   Amen.