[Sermon] The Harvest Is You

Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo & Mary Springer

Conversations on the Road

June 14, 2026 + Third Sunday after Pentecost

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4TdNylEymY

Jesus tells the disciples to pray for laborers, then immediately tells them they are the laborers. Pastor Hector and Mary Springer sit with that reversal in this week's Conversations on the Road, asking what it means when the prayer and the answer turn out to be the same thing. From Jethro's advice to Moses to the crowds Jesus encounters in Matthew, the thread is consistent: God's work in the world has always moved through ordinary people who said yes.

Sermon Transcript

From YouTube's automatic captions, lightly edited by AI for readability.

PASTOR HECTOR: Grace to you and peace from God — Abba, father, mother, creator — and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our savior, our lord, our friend, and the one who sent us with a message. And we say amen.

CONGREGATION: Amen.

PASTOR HECTOR: So, let's spend a few minutes — if that's okay with you — reflecting on the passages that we read today. As you know, we have been doing these "Conversations on the Road" as a practice, as an opportunity for us to remember that the scriptures that we read are to evoke in us questions, to help us to remember that we need not be afraid of asking questions, and to reflect together, knowing that the Spirit is going to guide us and eventually help us to understand, or to have a better idea.

Today we have two texts. As I was saying to our young worshippers, two texts that I believe are evoking some questions in your hearts already, because these passages are so interesting. On the one hand, we have stories that remind us of the role that you and I have in the unfolding of God's reign in the world. In Exodus, the passage that we read — in the previous chapter, chapter 18 — is talking about Moses talking to Jethro, his father-in-law, who has advice for Moses. He says, "Are you crazy, trying to do everything by yourself? Find other people to help you, Moses." And Moses did. And then we hear the story that our sister Evelyn read.

And in the Gospel according to Matthew, the evangelist describes the journey and the growth of the disciples as they are following him. If you notice, in the Gospel according to Matthew, we see that Jesus teaches — as Jesus asked them to observe what he's doing — and after that he sends them. And this is a way of life: a learning on the go, a learning about being dependent upon God and depending upon people in the community.

So, Mary, you and I have been talking for about two weeks and discerning together what these passages have been — maybe are trying to teach us in these days. You looked at them and made some very interesting observations about this passage, and also about how these passages speak to you. But before we get into the passages, maybe you can tell us a little bit of who you are, for those of you who do not know you. And then you can tell us why these passages caught your attention.

MARY: So, I have — my faith has always been important to me, my whole life, and part of that has been the church community. Before I came to Trinity, I was going to St. [——] in the central area of Seattle. I went there mainly because they have a gospel choir, and it's very diverse. Then, when the pandemic happened and I had some health issues, I found that I couldn't make the trek there.

I had been aware of Trinity, actually, because I worked in public health and we were right down the street when the fire happened. And just hearing about — I think there was a Hispanic women's group here — and the community involvement, which interests me, because that's important to me. And then my friends and neighbors Rob and Kim Palmer — Kim and I started talking about that, and she said that they were coming here. She was raised Catholic, so for me that was like, "Catholics go to a Lutheran church?" That felt —

But I started listening to the service online on Zoom, which was so well done. I really liked the service, and I liked your sermons. And we have a connection in Mexico, which is another conversation. Connections are always interesting. Then I started coming a couple years ago — I'm not sure exactly when. And I was just blown away by the welcomeness: coming in the door, being welcomed, people reaching out. Getting a phone call after I filled out the connection card — from Joan Jolly, the next day — and I thought, this has never happened to me in any other church I'd gone to. "We're so glad you're here." So that is what brought me here.

PASTOR HECTOR: And then I got to know you, and one of the ways that I started to learn about your reflections on the scripture was when you started to participate in the Wednesday Bible study. And that's what really prompted me to say, maybe it would be good to have a conversation with my sister Mary here, with the congregation, and reflect together on the passage. So thank you for being here today.

So, we have the passages today — famous passages, very common passages, passages that are used in the Bible, that are loved by many people. But what came to your mind when you started reading these passages? What caught your attention — which was, I think, the Gospel passage — the one that you and I were discussing?

MARY: Well, I think the one that I picked was Matthew, and I've always been really interested in Jesus's ministry and the healing and the crowds. And I was thinking: wouldn't it be wonderful to be a fly on the wall and watch what is going on? And I was thinking about Zacchaeus — you know, in the Bible, when Zacchaeus is up in the tree, and he's kind of hanging out, and then Jesus sees him and says, "Come on down." I think it's been a while since I've read that. But that passage really meant something to me. And I'm kind of curious — or fascinated — about the healing aspect. You know, that immediate healing, which sounds like a tent preacher, you know, somebody's got something. But as we talked more, and we did in the Bible study, it seemed deeper than that.

PASTOR HECTOR: In which way do you think it's deeper?

MARY: So, I think that, you know, first of all, I always think of the physical healing. And so you know, Jesus heals all these people. And then: could he heal everybody? Did you have to be there to be healed? Did you have to be in the room, or could it be throughout the world? So that's a question.

And then I thought — it says he cured every disease and sickness. We talked about: what's the difference between disease and sickness? Physical, or mental, or emotional. And then I love the term that he used: he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless. I just like that. We can identify with that so much, when we're feeling harassed and helpless.

But then he says to his disciples — he charges them with doing it. And I'm thinking: would I rather be healed by Jesus or by a disciple? Well, kind of a no-brainer, you know. I'll wait for the real guy.

PASTOR HECTOR: The real guy.

MARY: So, the disciples go out in healing. And then — he gave them authority. So he didn't give them a class or teach them. He just said, "Okay, you can do it." And I'm thinking, that's kind of bold. And then he had authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and cure every disease and every sickness, again. And then I was thinking — it says, "Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with a skin disease, cast out demons." So I was thinking: what is the reception by the lost sheep? If you're a lost sheep and somebody comes up and says, "I'll cure you" — well, maybe you haven't even asked for that. So, you know, that made me think of all the proselytizing, where someone says, "I'm going to go out and tell you that you're leading the wrong life and you need to be cured." Which is another conversation.

PASTOR HECTOR: I think the passage per se is so rich that we can go in many, many directions. But one of the things that you and I were also talking about was: what did Jesus have to do? Go to all the villages, go to every place to heal — and what is going to happen with the healing? Is it only the people who are willing to receive it, or is it everyone who is present, just for the fact of being present?

And when you were talking about that, it also made me think about the prayer. Remember we were talking — I was thinking: it's interesting that Jesus says, "The harvest is plentiful, the laborers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to provide." And then, right away in the next verse, "Oh, by the way, you are the laborers." So, no even chance to pray for laborers. So the question becomes: is the prayer, then, a way to realize who we are, and whose we are, and what we are expected to do, rather than to expect that somebody else will come? Clarify that for me. Talk a little about that.

MARY: Yeah. Because what I'm thinking is: you pray, "Lord, send people to the harvest, which is plentiful. I'm waiting for you to send them." Or, when we are praying and we are asking — "Lord, the harvest is plentiful" — am I one of them?

PASTOR HECTOR: So I'm thinking of what you were saying about being healed also: who are they, and who are they expecting to be healed by — by Jesus, by the disciples? And I'm challenged to think about how this is calling us, as disciples of Christ, to be apostles, to be people who are sent. I'm thinking about how this passage is challenging us to that. Have you thought about how this passage maybe is inviting you to see yourself, and to understand your sense of call?

MARY: Well, to me, it's a — I was thinking about that. It's a message of hope, because it feels like we have the opportunity to share the word. But I think to share the word in our actions, rather than in our talk of telling people what they should do. I think by — well, what do they say? "They will know we are Christians by our love."

And you mentioned also that in your service at Neighbors in Need, you were wondering what it means to proclaim that the kingdom of God is near, and you gave me an example of how you're going to talk to a person who comes on a Saturday.

PASTOR HECTOR: Yes.

MARY: Well, you know, I worked in maternal and child health, so I did not have — other than my schooling — any work with folks with mental illness and drug and alcohol use. So it's been really interesting for me, when we hand out burritos, what that ministry is. And a lot of people are unhoused. So sometimes I would want to say, "Oh, isn't it a beautiful day today?" And then I think — ah, if you're living in your car or in a tent, that may not be appropriate.

So, just over time, it's been such a gift to learn how to interact. And now what I do is I just say, "My name is Mary. What's your name?" It's a way of seeing people, because I think a lot of people feel like they're invisible. And I had this — I think it was a beautiful experience. I went to the Lynnwood Library, and there was a bunch of people standing outside. I didn't realize it was closed for an in-service day. So I started to go in, and somebody said, "The library is closed." And then one of the gentlemen there said, "Hi, Mary." And I was like, "Oh." I was surprised. And then he said something about, "I'll see you at Trinity on Saturday." And I said, "Great." It was just a way that we had connected, and it made a difference.

PASTOR HECTOR: So to conclude, Mary — how does this passage invite you, or invite us as a congregation, to live our lives as disciples who are sent into the world?

MARY: Well, I think: to keep praying, and to keep trusting, and to keep believing. And to ask — for me, it's to ask God for direction.

PASTOR HECTOR: Through the conversation that we've been having for the past two weeks, some of the things that I gather are this: I believe that Jesus is challenging us to focus on who we are, and whose we are — not on what we have or what we have accomplished. We are learners who are sent without an agenda, but to do what Mary just mentioned in this moment. We are willing to receive the charge and to see ourselves as an extension of the Lord's divine compassion.

It is a gift that is intrinsically given to us, of who we are. From the beginning, God said, "Be fruitful and multiply, produce fruit." And this liberating word, my siblings in Christ, is what liberates us today — to be the church not only when we gather in this space, but when we are sent into the world of the daily life.

Richard Rohr says that there is a paradox: that God's gifts are totally free and unearned, and yet God does not give them except to the people who really want them, choose them, and say yes to them. And this is the symbiotic nature of grace with God — that this divine loving is so pure that it never manipulates us. This love never shames us. This love waits to be invited and desired. And only when this love is welcomed does it rush into us and work in us and through us, to be the sent people of God.

We are the postal workers — men and women — here today, called to bring a message of hope, as you said, Mary, into the daily world. Thank you for being willing to journey and to wrestle together with this passage. I think there are more conversations to come, and I hope that maybe at the end of the service you can come and talk with Mary, and see where the conversation keeps going. Thank you.

MARY: Thank you.

PASTOR HECTOR: And thanks be to God. Amen.

CONGREGATION: Amen.