Scripture

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into the fields.”

Observation

After raising from the dead a synagogue leader’s daughter, Jesus returns to the home where He is staying. Two blind men follow Him right into the house and ask Him to heal them.

Jesus asks them if they believe He can heal them. They respond positively, so Jesus heals them.

Jesus also heals a demon-possessed man who who couldn’t speak. The Pharisees say that Jesus casts of demons because He is empowered by the prince of demons.

As Jesus ministers around that region, He has compassion on the people because they are like sheep without a shepherd. He tells His disciples that the harvest is great, but the workers are few. They must pray for the Lord to send more workers.

Application

Where I live, farmers are reaping a bumper crop of every kind of cereal and legume you can imagine – wheat, barley, faber beans, and much more. The farmers are desperate to get their crops into storage before they can be spoiled by rain, fire, or other disaster. Because of the size of the harvest, there is a shortage of harvesters, truck drivers, silo operators, and so on. Therefore people are working long hours and enduring long delays.

Jesus saw people who needed salvation and a relationship with the Father. He tells the disciples to pray for God to send out more workers into the fields. Of course, after Pentecost, the number of workers multiplied, and the church has continued to grow ever since.

The harvest is still great. People are still lost. We still need to pray for the Lord to send more workers.

Jesus was moved by compassion, not by ego. He saw the needs of the people and urged us to pray. Our prayers and actions must be directed by compassion for people.

Prayer

Lord, there are so many hurting, lost people in my town. Please send out the missionaries, evangelists, and disciples to reach them. Amen.