“Workers for the Harvest”
By Adam Swenson
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.”
Matthew 9:37 – 38
Traveling, healing, forgiving sins, taking on Pharisees, and raising the dead is all in a day’s work for Jesus in Matthew 9. Jesus was (is) a force to be reckoned with—when he came to your village it was a happening!
At every turn the Pharisees and teachers of the law acted petty, impugned his character, and questioned his motives. Jesus answered them and showed his power. By chapter’s end Jesus is touring through “all the towns and villages teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” He has compassion on the crowds who “are like sheep without a shepherd.”
It is then that he says “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
A plentiful harvest is a beautiful image. I garden some years—I remember one year I worked very hard on my garden. I carefully chose what to plant, composted, made raised beds, and pulled weeds. After months of weeding, shooing bunnies, and generally helping the garden along I had a bumper crop of kale, and I was delighted! Not willing that any of it should go to waste I asked my wife and daughter to come help me harvest. After all that hard work I wanted to make sure we got it all.
I think it’s the same with God. I think this is what He’s telling us here. God does the work of ministry. He cares for the lost like the shepherd cares for his lost sheep. He cares for the harvest like I cared for all that great kale, but He wants us to go and participate in the harvest. He wants us to welcome new believers into the family of Christ and to call back those who have gone astray.
Belize has many villages where God is at work, many villages full of people who need to hear about Him. Will you come help with the harvest?
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