The world today is much more complicated than the world into which Jesus entered as a babe and grew up as a man. His world, we often say, was agronomic, meaning that it was largely understood in terms of the production of plants and animals for the purpose of sustaining life.

Today we live in a world controlled by many powers: electrical, nuclear, communications, hydrocarbons . . . resulting in all we see around us including high-speed modes of transportation, computing, television and radio and the list goes on and on.

Jesus’ world was basic . . . farming and fishing. I have recently been around farmers and fishers. It has brought my mind back to thinking that no matter how far we move from the basics, they are still the foundation of our world. Here in Oklahoma, the last of the wheat crop is coming into harvest time. Farmers really do live by faith, because they don’t know what the weather will bring. In one day hail, fire, and tornado could wipe out the whole crop. A few weeks ago I was in Washington with my dear friends there. Many of them are farmers, orchardists to be exact. If the frost comes too late, the blossoms will be ruined, and the apple and pear crops will not develop. One more failed crop, and you’re out of business!

Jesus knew about farming and fishing. They were more than the backdrop of His message; they were centerpieces of His daily life. It is no wonder that He could say to His first disciples, "Boys, drop your nets, lay it all down, because from now on you will be fishing for men." Later He would say to them, "Look at the fields, white unto harvest, but the laborers are so few." So much of what Jesus said was formed in the messages from the fields and the sea. The growing Kingdom of God must have workers. In this information age, it is easy to lose sight of the reality that the harvest of souls takes work and workers.

One of my friends invited me to an antique tractor and steam engine show. In this part of the country, they have a number of these. I loved seeing that old "iron" do its thing, filling the air with black soot. The EPA must love it! They hooked up one of those old steam engines to a threshing machine, brought in wagons of wheat with the crews . . . what an operation! It was a team effort. Some driving, some pitching it off the wagons onto the conveyor belt. I did a count of all of the team, and it was close to twenty people. This did not include the others who would prepare food for the crew. When harvest time arrives, it is a big non-stop job until it is all in.

So it must be with the Kingdom of God. His harvest must come in. There can be no stopping or becoming distracted by lesser goals. The harvest is the all-consuming passion. It is no wonder that Jesus said to those fishermen that their consuming passion would now be the ingathering of the harvest of souls.

Farmers and Fishers. Yes, it is the basics of what the Church has always been. You have a part in His harvest. If you have decided to follow Jesus, there is no place in the bleachers. Your place is in the boat, on the fields of action. Truly the fields are white unto harvest. Some places the planting is now beginning, and harvest day will come. Pray, as Jesus said, to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth reapers into the fields. The great need that we daily pray is, "Lord, send forth more laborers into the field." As we have just graduated another class from BFBC, we are thrilled with the prospects of what God will do with these farmers and fishers. Does God want you to be in the next class of BFBC missionary candidates? Don’t delay. Don’t rationalize staying home. Don’t think about a better day. The harvest won’t wait, and many people are praying for laborers to go into the harvest field. You may be someone’s answer to prayer.