Matthew 9:35-38  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.”

The marines are looking for “The Few and The Proud.” The army is looking for those who are willing to “Be All That You Can Be.” The Navy is looking for those who want “Not Just A Job, but An Adventure.” The Air Force is looking for those who want to “Aim High!” Jesus is looking for “Laborers”—laborers willing to go out into the fields of the world. 

“The harvest is plentiful.” Ask any farmer what those words mean and you will hear words like “urgency,” “immediate,” and “no time to waste.” When the fields are “plentiful,” there is a window of opportunity for harvesting the crop. Wait too long and the crop is in danger of being lost either to over ripening or a storm destroying it before it is harvested.

Jesus saw the potential for a great spiritual harvest. Yet, there were not enough laborers to send into the fields. Two things impress me about Jesus in this particular moment: His passion and His priority. First is His passion, which is rooted in love. His love reminds me of what a former Jehovah’s Witness, now a Christian, once said about witnessing: “Do not attempt to witness to a Jehovah’s Witness at your door unless you have love within your heart for that person.” That makes sense. Our most effective witness is the love of Christ within our hearts. If our witness is not born out of compassion for the person we witness to, then we run the risk of merely engaging in a debate. 
 

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus’ heart went out to the crowd. That is no small thing when you read the verses or even the chapters that precede this. One gets the sense that the calendar of Jesus was pretty full. The crowds were pressing in on a daily basis. It would have been enough to cause anyone to crave a little space and time to self. Jesus’ reaction, however, was one of great compassion. He was moved by their situation. They were “sheep without a shepherd.” Sheep are not only fairly dumb animals; they are defenseless. Without a shepherd, they stand little chance against attack. These people were no different. They were without direction or defense.
 

The second thing that impresses me is His priority. His fi rst thought is to ask us to pray. “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest fi elds” (Matthew 9:38). While prayer is too often my last resort, it is the fi rst thing Jesus thinks of. That speaks to my heart in many ways. First, it convicts me. If Jesus depended so much on prayer, certainly I need no less. It also humbles and even perplexes me. Jesus connects the spiritual harvest of the world to the people of God falling on their knees in prayer. This raises the bar extremely high for me as to prayer being one of the most important works that a believer can do as a mission response. If Jesus attaches such importance to prayer, why don’t I?
Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Rev. Dr. Brent L Parrish