Matthew 9:37
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Matthew 9:37 is part of a larger passage in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus is instructing and commissioning his disciples for ministry. To understand the verse fully, let's look at the context starting from verse 35:
"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"
In this passage, Jesus is actively involved in teaching, preaching, and healing throughout various towns and villages. As he observed the crowds, he felt compassion for them because they were lost and in need of guidance, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus recognized the spiritual hunger and openness of the people to hear the message of the kingdom of God. He saw the great potential for a spiritual harvest, representing people who were ready to receive the good news and be transformed by it.
When Jesus says, "The harvest is plentiful," he means that there are many people who are ready to respond to the message of the kingdom of God, to be saved and become followers of Jesus. However, Jesus also acknowledges that "the laborers are few." In other words, there are not enough workers or disciples actively engaged in sharing the message and bringing people into the kingdom.
By saying this, Jesus is highlighting the need for more people to join in the work of spreading the good news and ministering to those in need. He wants his disciples to understand the urgency and the vastness of the task ahead. Jesus instructs them to pray to the "Lord of the harvest" (referring to God) to send out more workers into the harvest field, indicating the need for more people to join in the mission.
This passage serves as a call to action for Jesus' disciples and for all believers throughout history. It emphasizes the importance of actively participating in sharing the gospel, bringing healing and restoration to people's lives, and leading them to a relationship with God. It reminds us that there is a great need for laborers in the kingdom, and we should pray and be willing to respond to that need by engaging in God's work of reaching out to others with compassion and love.
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