The Harvest is Plenty (11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, sermon)

Before our Biblical reflection, let me share with you an image, perhaps, my earliest memory of school, which I regard as one of the most influential events in my life. It is seemingly insignificant, as I attended a preparatory class before year 1 in primary school. We children were given the task of building a tower from a big building block set. We managed to build a really tall tower. The head teacher liked it so much that she invited all the other teachers to see it. We were taken to her office, where all the teachers praised us and congratulated for building such an outstanding tower! Why am I mentioning this? For that positive confirmation, I am convinced, was the most decisive moment on my outlook on the world. This has granted my interest in art thinking creatively in solving problems.

I imagine that when Jesus set the scene of the ‘harvest’, as it were, the task of building ‘a tower’ from the building blocks of the Kingdom of God, he did something similar than my head teacher. You can do it! ‘You yourselves have seen what I did when the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself. From this you know that now, if you obey my voice and hold fast to my covenant, you of all the nations shall be my very own from all the earth. I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation.’ Every Eucharist we celebrate on a Sunday echoes this positive confirmation, now, in the words of Jesus. And indeed, just let us have a look at what we have built since last Sunday, as a community. Our lunch-club, our exhibitions, a concert, a community garden, youth activities, contribution to the life of Colindale Gardens, our coming retreat for families, the hoped installation of our tapestry. And, what you have done, the efforts to prove good in situations…Yes, the building blocks of the Kingdom are there, it is up to us, to put them together. But who is the builder?

Today’s Gospel takes us to the motive that lay back of all Jesus’ work, the Lord’s great compassion. But this is fascinating. In our Lord’s compassion, when he sees our world, our lives as ‘unbuilt’, when the pieces of the Kingdom of God are scattered, not in place, he is not only that ‘his heart was stirred’. Oklagseisonai, the verb, which is translated ‘being compassionate’ indicates not only a pained feeling at the sight of suffering. But in addition a strong desire to remove the suffering. It is a sympathy which feels the other’s suffering and means to show mildness and kindness. And this is the moment of creativity. He tells us: you ‘can build this tower of healing’, the church. You can build and create a healing environment which heals through its nourishing beauty and order. So, whenever suffering and sorrow of body or soul met his eyes, his heart was moved with compassion. This compassion of Jesus is one of the deepest, richest, most comforting of all his Saviour qualities. And the same should be said of us. Whenever suffering and sorrow meets our eyes, our heart is moved with compassion.

‘When Jesus saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.”’ (Matt 9:36) This is the commissioning of the apostles. ‘Build my Kingdom!’ We also see how his compassion is at once manifests itself in action, in creativity. The situation is never a problem for him, but a creative task of healing. ‘The harvest is abundant’, the workers are few.’ Jesus does not say, ‘the field is large, it is too big to till and to sow.’ No. He views only the harvest. The harvest has already been produced – Jesus sees it!

But what is this harvest? What are the building blocks of the Kingdom which we have to find, and put into its right place? There are many answers, and many concrete pieces, which only you can find and put to its place, or we, as a community. Let us pray about it, let us be ready. But let us have this personal vision, too as our horizon for mission. The harvest represents the seekers after God. Jesus’ invites us to suppose that even among the ‘lost’, who are deeply lost, who at present don’t seek after God, they can come to their true shelves.

And this is the moment of being ‘creative builders’. For the task is exciting, but even more that Jesus is working by our side. This positive confirmation of our work generates a very special energy. It is like the joy of the joy of the head-teacher, who summoned all the other teachers.  The remarkable thing is that Jesus asks the disciples, ‘we are to ask the Lord of the harvest to throw works into the harvest.’ Jesus has already brought into the harvest his atoning death and resurrection. Without him, the harvest could not be brought in. (‘Our tower could not be built’). But on this Sunday, however, he trains us so that we can join in his concern, and to see the need for more workers, and we are moved to pray for them.
 
18.06.2021