Laborers for the Harvest

Matthew 9: Enlarging the Harvest (6)

Pray Psalm 28.1, 2.
To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Sing Psalm 28.1, 2.
Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised
I cry to You, our Savior, O, be not deaf to me! 
LORD, speak to me with favor, lest I should dying be. 
Hear now my supplications when for Your help I cry;.
Receive these, my oblations, before Your throne on high.

Read Matthew 9.1-38; meditate on verses 35-38.
What moves you to compassion?

Prepare.
1. What two metaphors does Matthew employ in these verses? How is each appropriate?

2. What did Jesus say about the harvest?

Meditate.
Notice how proactive Jesus was in bringing the Kingdom to the people of the land: “all the cities and villages”, “teaching” and “preaching”, “healing every sickness and disease” (v. 35). He had come for this purpose, and He was not going to waste any time. He shows us what it means to seek first the Kingdom and righteousness of God. As Jesus was sent, so He sends us (Jn. 20.21). What can we learn from these two metaphors about working our own Personal Mission Field?

Jesus worked so hard because He was compassionate toward people. He saw them as “weary and scattered” and having no one to shepherd them to safety and health (v. 36). We are all like sheep to Jesus, and He is our Good Shepherd (Jn. 10). The image of a shepherd is one of God’s favorites in referring to Himself and His relationship to His people. Matthew applies that image to Jesus, drawing on this Old Testament trope (cf. Pss. 23, 28) to describe Jesus’ motive and method in ministry. As Jesus served to shepherd the Lord’s flock, so also must we.

Then Matthew records Jesus’ own words regarding this situation. Jesus saw a great harvest of souls to be gathered into the Lord’s barn (vv. 37, 38). There was more work here than He and the disciples together could accomplish. The harvest is always plentiful, and there are never enough people willing to go among the lost like Jesus did, doing good and sharing Good News. We need more laborers for the harvest, so let us ask the Lord to send such laborers—literally, to “thrust them out”—who will follow Jesus’ example in gathering the Lord’s harvest and flock.

And as we pray, let us pray that God would use us, in our own part of His field, to care for His sheep and reap the plentiful harvest that is even now ready to be gathered.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9.37, 38).

King Saul’s son Jonathan was a brave and noble warrior, but also a compassionate friend—David’s best.
During one battle with the Philistines there was a bit of a stand-off and lull. So, unbeknownst to his father, Jonathan suggested to his armor-bearer that just the two of them deal with the problem at hand. 
He then said, 
“Come let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; 
it may be that the LORD will work for us. 
For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.” 
To that word of problem-solving enthusiasm, the armor-bearer replied, 
“Do all that is in your heart. 
Go then; here I am with you, 
according to your heart” (1 Sam. 14.6, 7).
God did bless their effort with an astonishing victory (1 Sam. 14.14), 
which then gave courage to the rest of the troops and changed the outcome of the battle. 

Indeed, nothing keeps the LORD from saving by many workers or by few.
But Jesus has told us to prepare ourselves for Personal Mission Field work; 
and pray for enough additional laborers to do all the work that needs to be done.

It is why we have all repented, to be redeemed, to do works of revival and renewal.
However, being happy, fulfilled, healthy, wealthy, and overly entertained is not on God’s bucket list for us.

Yes, He gives us peace beyond all expectations, and joy in abundance.
He fills our lives with good things—His Holy Spirit.
And He gives us a future and a hope incomparable.
Just give me Jesus—He is enough.

Imagine if all God’s people had the attitude of Jonathan and his armor-bearer.
Laborers for the Harvest: courageous, bold, single-minded, obedient, and dedicated.

Emboldened to fight against all the “uncircumcised enemies” around us.
And as David, Jonathan’s best friend, said when contemplating fighting the Philistine giant Goliath,
“For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
“Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17.26, 32).

In a weaker moment of uncertainty, David wrote:
“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”
“In God (I will praise His word),
in the LORD (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?” (Ps. 56.3, 10, 11).

Jesus is moved with compassion for the human condition—our weakness, our fear, our sickness, our sin.
Compassion that led to His death, His separation from God, and His resurrection—for our restoration.

“Here I am with You, Lord Jesus, your fellow-worker (1 Cor. 3.9), ready to go harvesting.
Do all that is in Your heart (Matt. 6.10). Go then; and I’ll follow. Just like Jonathan’s armor-bearer. 
And let our success encourage others into Your Kingdom work.”

Reflect.
1. Is there a “harvest” waiting in your Personal Mission Field? Explain.

2. What do the “weary and scattered” people in your Personal Mission Field need most?

3. Where does compassion come from? How can we be more compassionate people?

Clearly the Lord has pity on these people held in the sway of an unclean spirit and burdened by the law, because no shepherd was about to restore to them the guardianship of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of this gift was indeed potentially abundant but not yet harvested by anyone. The bounty of the Spirit overwhelms the multitude of those who take hold of it. For no matter how much it is gathered by everyone, it abounds in fruitfulness. Hilary of Poitiers (315-367), On Matthew 10.2

Pray Psalm 28.6-9.
Praise Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and seek His strength, help, and protection for the work of the harvest today.

Sing Psalm 28.6-9.
Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised
Blessed be the Name of Jesus, for He will hear our prayer. 
His strength protects and shields us with mercy and with care. 
In You our heart rejoices; You help us by Your Word. 
To You we raise our voices to praise and thank You, LORD. 

Our strength are You, O Savior, our strong defense and sure. 
Anointed with Your favor, we rest in You secure. 
Save us, and bless us, Jesus, upon us turn Your face.
With shepherd’s care, LORD, keep us forever in Your grace.

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.

Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column addresses the question, “How to Church?” Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.

Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.