As a member of the Pocono Photo Club I have had the unique opportunity to meet and photograph several local farmers and their beautiful farms.  I am always interested in how they ended up doing what they do.  While the stories vary in particulars, there is always one constant among them- the farmers themselves.  They are passionate about what they do and how they do it!   You can hear it in their voices as they explain what’s growing in which field and the way they plant and cultivate each crop.  The proof is in their product; every bite is delicious.  While some machines have sped up the planting and harvesting process for the farmers I’ve met, there are still some crops which are hand-picked, such as garlic.  Last year several photographers and I watched the crew at Apple Ridge Farm bring in the garlic crop.  It took a team of 5 to uproot, gather and bunch up the garlic which was then brought to the barn and hung up to dry before being washed and brought to the market.

            Farmers in Biblical times operated in much the same way as my contemporary Monroe County counterparts.  Crops were planted, cultivated and harvested.  The farmer would tend to his crop and wait for the right moment to harvest it.  When the time came, he would assemble a team to help him bring it in.  Although a farmer in ancient Israel did not have the advantage of modern technology to plant or reap, the same attention was given to his crop.  His life and the lives of those he loved depended on it.  The fact that the farmer did not have technology in his favor made him more readily recognize that the outcome of his harvest was truly in God’s hands.

            Jesus as a master storyteller knew the close connection his audience had to farming.  Many of His parables and lessons are agriculturally based (Mt. 13:1-8; 20:1-16; 21:33-44; Mk. 12:1-12;Lk. 8:4-15; 13:6-9; 20:9-18).  In Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus uses the agricultural industry as a simile to the spreading of the Gospel.  He has been traveling through the Galilee region preaching the Good News and healing the sick.  Matthew notes in verse 36, that Jesus had a tremendous amount of compassion on the people who came to Him.  The verbs which describe this multitude accentuate the contrast in the way that Jesus saw the crowd over the perception of the Pharisees.  The people are distressed; a word derived from the verb “to skin, flay, or lacerate”.  It is used metaphorically here to signify their state of being.  The multitude is also down-trodden.  This verb brings forth the picture of something that has been dropped or scattered (such as a handful of marbles; once unified every piece has rolled off in its own direction).  While Jesus had compassion toward these people, the Pharisees in previous verses have demonstrated a different view of them.  John Barclay wrote, “The Pharisees saw the common people as chaff to be destroyed and burned up; Jesus saw them as a harvest to be reaped and saved.  The Pharisees in their pride looked for the destruction of sinners; Jesus in love died for their salvation.”

            We have no record of what prompted Jesus’ admonition to His disciples in verse 37, but I can imagine what may have preceded it.  With multitudes of needy people coming to Jesus day after day, I’m sure the disciples grew weary of it at times.  I’m also sure that some of those people were looking for what they could out of Jesus without any further commitment to Him.  I’m sure the disciples noticed this.  Perhaps they reflected on what they’d left behind to follow Jesus and resented the ones who were taking advantage of Him.  And I’m sure they felt obligated to point this out to Jesus!  It’s human nature.  But Jesus sees the behavior of the multitude as a direct result of their situation.  They are a flock without a shepherd (v. 36); a field ready for harvest with no workers to reap its bounty (v. 37).  I can almost guarantee that the disciples’ response to this was, “Well, Jesus, what do you want us to do about it?!”  So He tells them!

            Jesus says that the disciples are to “beseech the Lord of the Harvest”.  Most of us do not use this word today.   It is not merely “to ask” for something.  It means to make one’s needs known, particularly in the context of an inferior to a superior.  The request here is that the Lord of the Harvest would send out (literally “thrust forth”) workers (this Greek word is directly associated with farming).  Matthew relates this lesson as a rather brief moment in the ministry of Jesus.  But the parallel passage in Luke is connected to the sending out of 70 disciples to “every place where He Himself was going to come” (Lk. 10:1-12) moving the exhortation from His immediate disciples to all who follow Him.  Barclay wrote, “If the harvest of men is ever to be reaped, then every one of us must be a reaper, for there is someone whom each one of us could, and must, bring to God”.  What does the harvest look like to you?  Or perhaps I should say, “Who is your harvest?”
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            The sun was heading toward the horizon when we boarded the boat which going to give us a short cruise around the Sea of Galilee.  With a bit of fanfare, the captain raised both the Israeli flag and the Stars and Stripes.  He explained that while his boat operated with a motor, the boats that Peter, Andrew, James and John used when they were fishermen were fairly similar in size and purpose.  In reality, the boats used by Galilean fishermen were much smaller since they didn’t have to accommodate tour groups! We often think of those first four disciples who were transformed from fishermen to “fishers of men” when we think of Jesus’ earthly ministry in that region.  We forget the other eight who came from an even broader spectrum of first century culture with the exception of those who had a few brief moments in the spotlight such as the calling of Matthew and Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.

            The Gospel writers did not provide us with a specific timetable as to how and when Jesus made these 12 men His closest companions for the three years leading up to His death and resurrection, but we do know from extra-biblical writings what that commitment looked like.  The word for disciple (mathetes) stressed the relationship between the teacher (rabbi or master) and the disciple (student).  Most disciples of Jesus’ day would separate themselves from their daily life to solely follow the teacher.  It was not enough to know what the rabbi said.  Rather, the foremost goal of any disciple was to become like the rabbi and do what the rabbi did (Lk. 6:40).  Jesus’ disciples were quite the assortment of personalities, but each chose to follow Him, and in the end, most of them lived and died just like the Master taught them.

Peter, whose Hebrew name is based on the verb “to hear” was impulsive and outspoken.  But Jesus gave him the name Peter, which means “rock” (Mt. 16:16-19; Jn. 1:42) and it came to more aptly describe his foundational role in the early church- an extensive ministry that reached from Jerusalem to Asia and Rome.  Like his brother Peter, Andrew, which means “manliness”, was a Galilean fisherman.  He was originally a disciple of John the Baptist.  According to John 1:35-42, it was Andrew who introduced Peter to Jesus.

James and John, the other brotherly pair in Jesus’ disciples, were apparently partners with Peter and Andrew (Lk. 5:1-11).  Matthew, Mark and Luke all note that their father’s name was Zebedee (Mt. 4:21-22), but it’s Mark who takes note that Jesus gave them a nick-name, “Boanerges”, which means “Sons of Thunder” (Mk. 3:17) and this ability to make noise apparently ran in the family (see Mt. 20:20-28).  While James eventually gave his life for the Gospel (Acts 12:2), John is noted as the only disciple not to see a martyr’s death.  He was exiled to the island of Patmos by the tyrannical Emperor Domitian and contributed 5 books to the New Testament including the Gospel that bears his name and the Book of Revelation.

            The most controversial disciple was Simon the Zealot.  Scholars debate over whether or not he actually belonged to the Zealots who were pledge to violently erase all Roman dominance, including Jews who were sympathetic to Rome, from society.  Many believe it is highly unlikely Jesus would call someone with such political aspirations.  Instead, they believe the tag-line describes his personality.  We have no further evidence either way, but we do know he followed Jesus.

            Judas Iscariot gets a few “scenes” as Jesus’ ministry moves forward but his actual embrace of Jesus’ teaching is questionable.  He is more known for his betrayal of Jesus and subsequent suicide than his adherence to the Gospel.  The remaining disciples, Philip, Nathanael (a. k. a. Bartholomew), Thomas, Matthew, James “the son of Alphaeus”, and Thaddaeus, range from being mentioned at their initial call to complete obscurity.  We know something about Philip, Nathanael, Thomas and Matthew, but the other two are barely mentioned except for being included any time the phrase “the disciples” is used.

            An interesting point to note is that at some point “the disciples” took on a new title, “apostles” (Mt. 10:1-2; Mk. 3:13-14; Lk. 16:13).  While a disciple is a student, an apostle is one who is sent to represent someone.   Jesus gave His disciples the task of representing Him by sending them off to continue His ministry.  Therefore, if we too are His disciples, He has done the same with us.  Although we do not have many details on most of the disciples, we know they made an impact and a difference wherever they landed because the Good News spread.  The question before you today is the same?  If you are His disciple, where has Jesus sent you to be His apostle?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/

            The synagogue of Nazareth was filled with expectation.  The son of Joseph had come home and was about to read from the Prophets.  Word had spread of the wonderful and intriguing events which had taken place since He left the village.  The people stood anxiously as He ascended the platform and unrolled the scroll.  The words of Isaiah poured out of His mouth and flowed over the people like the Latter Rains on parched ground.  Such a great promise of the Messiah!  He would have God's Spirit on Him, bring good news, liberate the poor, set free the captives, give sight to the blind, and proclaim a year of Jubilee to God's people.  Their hearts, heavy as the Roman rule over them, dared to dream that such a Messiah would come, but the hope of this promised Deliverer, could never be fully torn from them in spite of the Romans' persistent attempts to do so.  They listened and watched Jesus, recognizing that there was something amazingly different about this Man, and not yet understanding what it was.  Jesus completed the reading, rolled the scroll closed and took the Seat of Moses, the place where visiting rabbis would sit and teach.  The room was quiet; not a soul dared to breath.  "Today," Jesus said with authority, "this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."  (Lk. 4:16-21)

            I'm sure we can imagine that a number of reactions were present that day when Jesus spoke those words.  The hope for a Messiah had a lengthy history in the Jewish mind, beginning with the promise to Eve in Gen. 3:15, on through the calling of Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3, and through the lineage of Judah (Gen. 49:8-12).  The identity and work of the Messiah took further shape and purpose in the words of the prophets, and while Matthew’s Gospel may not include that momentous day recorded by Luke in his, Matthew underscores Jesus’ fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Is. 61:1-2) by recording a lengthy description of Jesus’ healing ministry in the Galilee region (Mt. 8:1-9:35) and continues to make note of this aspect of the Messiah throughout the remainder of his Gospel (Mt. 12:9-14; 15:21-28; 17:14-20).  Matthew will often write, “This happened in order to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet,” (Mt, 2;15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17) but in these chapters he demonstrates to us that it did.

            There are 30 specific prophecies concerning the first advent of the Messiah.  Some of these prophecies include: that He would be born of a virgin (Is. 7:14), that He would be a descendant of Jesse (Is. 11:1-2), that He would be born in Bethlehem (Mi. 5:2), and that He would be God's Son (Ps. 2:7).  When Jesus stood before the congregation in the synagogue that day, He claimed that He fulfilled these prophecies.  But the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words concerning the healing ministry of the Messiah was perhaps the place where Jesus made the most impact during the initial days of His earthly ministry.  From a man with leprosy, the sickness of Peter’s mother-in-law, demoniacs whose oppressors were cast into a herd of pigs, to the healing of a paralytic, the revival of a synagogue ruler’s daughter, the healing of a hemorrhaging woman, and the restoration of sight and voice to the blind and mute, Matthew proves time and again, Jesus was indeed, The Messiah.

            Responses to this revelation were as varied as the healings Jesus performed.  Some were eager to experience healing for themselves (Mt. 8:16-17).  Some were amazed by His authority (8:27, 33).  But others, doubted and criticized the miracles because their own power and authority were threatened by Jesus (9:3, 34).  Jesus continued His ministry in spite of this (9:35) and demonstrated great compassion toward the crowds because He saw them as “sheep without a shepherd” (9:36).  He then informed His disciples there was a large task set before them- a harvest that was plentiful, but a workforce that was few (v. 37).  “Ask the Lord to send out workers,” Jesus compels His disciples.  He is asking the same of you and me. 

            There are many roads to healing today.  I have experienced both the advantages of modern medicine and the miracle of prayer as a survivor of one of the worst cases of Covid 19 in my county.  And I can tell you this with no hesitation or doubt, Jesus the Messiah still heals today.  Sometimes it is a physical ailment that He touches and cures, but at other times, He heals sorrow and heartbreak through workers like you and I, who speak love and compassion into the world of a lost and lonely sheep. Jesus is calling for workers and He is asking you to go into the field.  Are you ready to respond with the words, “Here I am.  Send me,”?  (Is. 6:8; Mt. 9:38; Jn. 21:15-17)

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            It is a captivating painting even though the bulk of it is in dark chocolate and sepia tones.  A group of five men are gathered around a table and two stand across from it on the right.  One man at the table is intent on counting out some coins, another looks on and one has his back to us but he is looking at one of the men who is standing as if in conversation with him.  A swath of light falls dramatically across the group.  The fifth man at the table is pointing at himself and the other man who is standing is pointing at him too, but you barely see him when gazing at this painting.  Your eyes are constantly drawn to the man pointing at himself.  The look on his face is one of disbelief and surprise.  The Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio perfectly captures what the moment when Jesus said, “Follow Me!”  and one could truly believe it may have looked like this but there’s one glitch- it’s not set in Capernaum circa New Testament times, it’s set in 16th century Rome.

            Sometimes we dive into a Bible study and get right into the verses- especially in the Gospels where the focus is on Jesus and His teaching ministry.  We want to know what He said and what He did so that we can live the way He taught us.  We never give much thought to who compiled that information and wrote it down because, after all, the Gospels are not autobiographies.  But the Gospel of Matthew contains one autobiographical moment that is both compelling and surprising in its brevity and simplicity.   One would also think this moment would be one of the first things Matthew records, but it doesn’t show up until chapter 9.  One would also think that Matthew would include a little more detail about himself but only Mark’s Gospel includes the name of his father (Mk. 2:14).  With the lack of specific information that our 21st century minds are accustomed to the focus remains solely on the action- that is the moment when Jesus called Matthew and how Matthew responded to that call.  However, that doesn’t mean some of those details are lost to us.  It just means we have to do a little research. 

            It is noted that Jesus comes upon Matthew working at a tax collector’s booth in Capernaum (either at the dock collecting customs or on the international road which ran through the city taking tolls).  Jesus sees him and gives a simple but direct command, “Follow Me” (Mt. 9:9).  There are no deliberations or excuses to put off a response as previously demonstrated by two would-be disciples in Mt. 8:18-22.  Matthew immediately gets up and follows.  There are two amazing aspects concerning this.  First, tax collectors were not welcome in most circles.  They were considered to be traitors working for the oppressive Roman government.  They were also distrusted as most added exorbitant surcharges on to the taxes they collected to pocket for themselves.  They were generally ostracized and barred from the synagogue and the Temple so it was a rather lonely life in many ways.  So, Jesus’ call to a despised tax collector should definitely raise a few eyebrows.  The second aspect which holds a great surprise is Matthew’s willingness to walk away from what might have been a very cushy lifestyle.  There was something so compelling, so inviting about Jesus’ invitation that Matthew knew then and there that Jesus was the answer to whatever he’d been searching and hoping for in life. 

            It probably took some major attitude adjusting for the other disciples to see Matthew as part of Jesus’ inner circle.  But Jesus was always stretching their comfort zone!  However, the talents and skills Matthew had as a tax collector (not the unlawful ones!) made him an accurate and detailed observer of Jesus’ ministry and a precise record-keeper.  And in spite of being distanced from the synagogue and Temple worship, he was a wealth of Scriptural knowledge, often recognizing the connection between Jesus and Scriptures pointing to the work and ministry of the Messiah.  His call and response was indeed, dynamic but so was his brand of discipleship.

            Matthew’s moment of decision is also ours.  No matter where we are or what we are doing, there is a point where Jesus says, “Follow Me!” and He waits for our response.  The Lord has given each of us the ability to be His servant and He invites us to join Him on an amazing adventure called discipleship.  Matthew didn’t know beforehand that the very skills he had used as a tax collector would become assets when it came to recording the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, but Jesus did.  The same is true for you and I.    So, how will you use your skills and abilities for Him today?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            In 2009 I was teaching Bible at a small Christian School just outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania.  Every Fall the High School volunteered their services at nearby camps.  We cleaned and painted cabins, cleared trails, and helped with some minor construction projects.  Apparently I made quite an impression on the students the first time I was able to participate in Service Week.  During one of the work sessions one of the students made a comment about my involvement with the job at hand.  “What do you mean?” I asked.  “Well,” she said, “The other teachers don’t usually help.  They just watch us work and tell us what to do.  We really like it that you work too.”  The students were not necessarily critical of the teachers who didn’t join in, they just liked it that I did.  It was one of those moments when I realized how much I loved my job and how my actions as a teacher taught lessons I wasn’t even aware of.

            The best teachers are always the ones who demonstrate what they teach.  My thought was if I wanted my students to be giving and helpful Christians, then I should demonstrate that for them by picking up a paintbrush too.  The best teachers are also people who demand excellence and commitment from their students.  In its day the movie To Sir with Love embodied this kind of teacher-student relationship.  The inexperienced Mr.Thackeray abandons a traditional teaching style after a confrontation with the raucous and undisciplined class he is assigned to teach.  Instead of textbooks, his lessons will now be based on life and from that point on he demands and expects his students to be the grown-ups they will be once they graduate.  The road to adulthood is a rocky road and some of his students seem destined to never grow-up but he never loosens his expectations or demands and it pays off.

            Jesus was that kind of teacher.  He expected complete and total dedication from his “talmidim”, disciples, that demanded the highest level of commitment from them.  Matthew takes note of two “talmidim" in Matthew 8:19-22 who initially express that kind of commitment, but eventually fall short of actually “going all-in” as we like to say.  The first is notable in that he is described as a “scribe” (teacher of the law).  In previous chapters of Matthew the scribes, like the pharisees, have not ranked high in Matthew’s opinion, so you would expect this person to also be an object of dissatisfaction, and he proves to fall short as all the others before him did. 

            He addresses Jesus as Teacher (didaskale)- a title given to Christ in Matthew only by those who do not fully believe in Him (cf. 12:38; 19:16; 22:16, 24. 36).  The scribe professes that he would like to fully commit to following Jesus, but Jesus realizes he does not really know what that means.  Jesus responds to his statement by explaining that following Him would mean a life even more austere than the lives of birds and foxes.  So, the unrecorded question put to the scribe is, “Are you willing to live like this?” 

            Matthew describes a second follower as “another disciple”.  The “official 12” won’t be introduced to us until 10:1-4 so at this stage the term “disciple” must be taken more loosely as anyone who follows along with Jesus and shows some kind of interest in Him.  He is in strong contrast to the previous disciple- the first, was overly eager; the second is quite lackluster!  In fact, he begins by telling Jesus what he must do first, before he follows Him!  His statement “Bury my father” implies at the very least that the man wishes to postpone discipleship until some sort of funeral takes place.  Some commentators say right away; others look at the grammar and say this phrase is an idiom which means the man’s father hasn’t died yet and he’d like to remain with the family until that happens.  One can’t tell either way- but the point is this- the man’s actual priorities lay elsewhere and not with Jesus.  Jesus’ reply to this would-be disciple could be taken as bitingly sarcastic if He is taken literally.  “Let the spiritually dead take care of the physically dead,” Jesus tells the man, “Are you really willing to put all that aside and follow Me?”

            Matthew does not record how either of these men reacted to Jesus’ response to their desire to follow Him.  Some have idealistically assumed they responded in faith, but without specifying any positive action, Matthew seems to imply that they refused Jesus’ terms.   It’s popular to call Jesus a “Good Teacher” these days.  But we tend to define that role as someone who merely imparts knowledge (as in a list of facts or mottos to live by).  Jesus the Master Teacher is not interested in you knowing a fact or two.  He is not interested in mottos.  He is interested in your level of commitment.  He demands to be first and foremost in every area of your life.  Are you willing to do that?  Your response will determine what kind of “talmid” you truly are.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/