Praying for Kingdom Workers

In Matthew 9 Jesus heals a paralytic brought to him on a mat and forgives his sins. He calls Matthew and other sick sinners to follow him. His disciples learn to enjoy their fellowship with him, the bridegroom. He heals a woman who is sick and touched his garment, and gives life to a young girl. He gives sight to two blind men and then casts a demon out of a man and gives him the ability to speak. Throughout this passage the workers or leaders of Israel question him as one who can forgive sins, one who eats with tax collectors and sinners, one who does not require his disciples to fast and accuse him of casting out demons by the power of Satan. It is at this point that Jesus says to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Mt.9:37-38). It appears to me that the workers in Israel are many, in God’s harvest fields among his harvest, but they are few.

How can there be many workers but few? The many workers in this passage are the teachers and leaders of Israel who do not recognize the Lord of the harvest. They question the connection between Jesus’ mercy in healing, his authority to forgive sins and send him forth into life. They question his relationship to the “sinners” in society. They question him about the tradition of fasting and do not see the blessed relationship the disciples have with the Lord of the harvest. They do not see his mercy, justice, wisdom and power toward sinners and those being destroyed by the results of sin and living in a fallen world. These workers of Israel are many but because they do not see their need for Christ and how God is working in his harvest fields to reap his harvest they are few.

Therefore Jesus tells his disciple to pray for workers. But what kinds of workers are needed? First, workers that know God has a certain harvest. Jesus says explicitly here that laborers are needed for his harvest. Jesus went among the people and found those who put their faith in him, crying out to him for mercy. These were those of God’s harvest and they were recognized by their coming unto Jesus by faith. God has a harvest and the workers of that harvest know that certainty and trust in God to bring all who belong to the harvest to Jesus by faith through his grace. Second, workers are needed that know they are sick and dead in sin and that Jesus can heal that sickness. In this passage Jesus heals the sick, calls the sick, the sick call out to him and others call out on behalf of the sick. The sick are those who can do nothing for themselves, and Jesus makes it know that the sick are sinners who he came for. Therefore the workers of his harvest fields must be those who are sick calling upon Jesus for mercy and in finding mercy from him will go to sick sinners proclaiming grace for sin and mercy for misery. The third characteristic of a worker for God’s harvest in this passage is a laborer. In our culture today people aspire to positions where they will be free from labor. The aim is to reach a position where there is rest from hard labor. But Jesus came not to be served but to serve and give his life in that labor. And the rest he promises is a rest that is found in knowing and delighting in him now and in the life to come, but in the now that rest in him is found in the context of labor. Jesus demonstrates in this text that those who work in God’s harvest field must labor among those who are sick and sorrowing, those who are wrestling with sin and the misery of living in the fallen world. Therefore kingdom workers are called to suffering labor resting in Christ.

In Matthew 9 we see the Lord of the harvest working in his harvest field and reaping fruit from his labors. He labors where he knows his Father has sent him to pluck the fruit that his Father has chosen. He labors among the sick that need a physician, among the sorrowing who need mercy, among the dying who need life. He works as a laborer among the people. Those whom God calls to labor by his grace in Christ Jesus will trust the Lord of the harvest that he has a harvest, they will labor as those who have been shown grace and mercy toward those who need grace and mercy, and they will suffer in the way of suffering labor. Let us pray diligently that he will make us his kingdom laborers and that he will raise others up who will go among his harvest for his glory and others good.