Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Jerelyn Walters
Flower guild Ministry Leader, Altar guild, Lay Reader, Restoring Eden,Lay Eucharistic Visitor

Matthew 9:35-38

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; 38therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’

Devotional

This is our call to service in Jesus’ name. I don’t think anyone has ever explained this call better than St. Theresa of Avila (1515-1582). To paraphrase her famous prayer:

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which his compassion will look upon the world. Yours are the hands and feet with which he goes about doing good. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

We are Christ’s body – if we do not serve his purpose in the world no one will. If we do not look with compassion on our suffering world, no one will. He has prepared the field for us; we have only to harvest what his love has sown. The work needs doing. We are called to the harvest.

Additional Readings

Psalm 119:57-64; Isaiah 60:4-9; Romans 8:15-23