Even Now the Reaper Draws a Wage

The context is Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman about eternal life at Jacob's well. In short, it's evangelism. He said the reaper draws or gets his "wage" or pay or reward. The reaper is the one  guiding the unsaved to finally and actually receive eternal life by surrendering fully to Jesus as Lord and Savior. 

Photo by Brienne Hong on Unsplash.

When you reap or harvest a soul, you're given a "salary," as it were, by heaven. From the same passage, we see how this is something spiritual when Jesus said "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work," [John 4.34]. Obviously, he was talking of spiritual food, not physical. From that, we also safely deduce that the "wage" (pay or salary) that harvesters get is something spiritual. It's not a salary in the form of fiat money.

What's the "wage" for?

It's connected to what Jesus said about storing up treasures in heaven, particularly about the "purses" (plural) he said we need for storing treasures. The word "purses" suggests storing small amounts which we later transfer to our heavenly account [Philippians 4.17] where we amass Kingdom wealth. The small amounts are the wages given us each time we harvest souls or obey other instructions in the Word.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [Luke 12.33-34]

Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. [Philippians 4.17]

In the Philippian passage above, Paul was referring to church giving and financial support, clearly showing that our obedience gets "credited" to our "account." There is an account in heaven where "credits" from our spiritual investments here get deposited (and, I believe earns residual interests as people we disciple also disciple others or plant churches). In fact, Paul said the Holy Spirit is the initial deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. 

What's the Kingdom wealth or treasure for? It's for furnishing our mansion in heaven. Jesus said he will prepare a place for us in his Father's place (or "house") where there are many mansions. As he "prepares" our mansion, he uses the treasure we have accumulated in our heavenly account for the materials and furnishings. The more treasures you store, the grander your mansion will be. This is why some will be called great in the Kingdom, some will be called least. There will be a hierarchy in heaven, a citizenship status in the New Jerusalem and on the New Earth, and we need to invest spiritually now.

Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5.19]

The Hard Work

Not many believers and church pastors understand that the hard work is done by the sowers who do not get to reap the harvest themselves. They do the plowing and sowing but seldom get to take part in the spectacular activity of harvesting. The reapers do that glamorous part and enjoy the limelight. They are the ones seen in public with the membership increase, church growth and mega churches. Everyone congratulates them and have them as authoritative speakers on church planting and church growth.

Sad part is when the reapers become myopic, thinking it's all due to their brilliance, programs, strategy and hard work and look down on the sowers because they very seldom get to have a harvest, if any. They often have small churches and stay behind the scenes, their "hard work" almost never recognized. A lot of reapers fail to see that what they thought was their hard work from start to finish is really just a harvest from somebody else's earlier work.

Some unknown, faceless, low-profile individual or church had planted the seed in people's hearts a long time ago and prayed for it. That was reinforced further by others, also unknown and low-profile, who shared testimonies to them or shared a Word from their hearts. This happened a lot more times until these people's hearts had become ripe for the harvest, and then a reaper-church was sent by God to harvest. But most reaper-churches don't see this. All they see is their efforts and achievements and think they alone did the hard work and are therefore greatest in the Kingdom.

Jesus said, it's the sowers that quietly do the hard work in the dimly lit corners, not the harvesters, and he stressed that reapers should realize this, probably foreseeing how some reapers are prone to get all the glory for themselves and belittle the sowers.

"I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” [John 4.38]

Jesus said, sowers and reapers should realize that they are both part of the one body of Christ. The effort and gains of one is the efforts and gains of the other. 

...that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. [John 4.36]

Does the Sower Get Paid, Too?

It's not indicated in the John 4 passage, but we know how GOD is just and fair. If he gives harvesters their wages, he will surely give sowers their wages. This ensures that both of them "may be glad together."

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SURRENDERING TO JESUS

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord. Then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion or church), but because of God's grace and mercy through what Jesus Christ did on the cross. 

In Jesus alone is salvation. Jesus is: 

‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4]

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His Word in the bible.