The Harvest is Jesus's metaphorical and symbolic reference to the vast numbers of doomed humanity who have yet to hear of this offer of grace and life. "And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (Matt. 9.35-38) Jesus described the multitudes who needed the grace of our God as a harvest field, and the Gospel proclaimers who go to them with the Good News of life as workers in that field. The concepts of the Gospel and the harvest are integrally connected; the Gospel is God's message of life designed for the lost, those dear folk who desperately need to hear and respond to God's Good News offer of salvation in Christ. The Harvest painting was designed by Tim Ladwig, a twenty-two-year urban missionary and graphic artist who has distinguished himself as an illustrator of children's books, designing them to accurately depict urban culture and spiritual truths.
