And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith He unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. (Matt. 9:35-38)
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, one soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. (John 4:34-38)
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. (John 9:4)
Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walks in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. (John 11:9)
We shall begin our study by considering three issues our Master spoke about as it touches the matter of labouring for the harvest.
1. THE ENORMITY OF THE TASK (…the harvest truly is plenteous…)
The task our Master committed to us in Matt. 28:18-20 (the great commission) is truly an enormous one. It is the greatest and ultimate task of the church as His body. This is immediately apparent in the fact that it covers EVERY nation, EVERY tribe, EVERY tongue and ALL people. Hence we see our Master in the first verse above, going about ALL the cities and villages, teaching and preaching.
The prize for which Christ died is the entire world. We cannot select who is qualified or not. It covers all – the educated and uneducated; the rich and the poor; the villager and the city dweller; the young and the elderly; the least and the greatest.
The gravity of this task kept our Master working always. By his own lips he said:
… My Father has worked [even] until now, [He has never ceased working; He is still working] and I, too must be at [divine] work.(John 5:17 (AMP))
And again:
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring… ( John 10:16 )
He spared no time for anything else apart from this divine work. The task was so great, it demanded all of His time, all of His energy, all of His thoughts and all of Himself. His father’s work was a must for Him.
Some of ev’ry land and race, Souls redeemed by Jesus’ grace
Now are in the Shepherd’s fold, Bought with neither gems nor gold;
Saved from endless death and shame, Saved to grace the Saviour’s name;
Other souls are still to win – More must yet be gather’d in!
Oh may the gravity of this matter and the enormity of the task given to you and I rest on our hearts. May we come to the point where like our Lord our daily desire would be to finish His work.
2. THE NEED FOR LABOURERS (…but the labourers are few…)
Men are indispensable in the work of God, and so our Master cried: ‘…the labourers are few.’ He recognised that not only are men indispensable, but that a few men were not adequate to complete the task. He pointed out that labourers must be recruited into this work.
Beloved, our Master needs men. He needs labourers. He needs labourers posing as students, doctors, bankers, teachers, politicians and men in every profession; but who know their primary call is to work in the master’s field. He needs pastors to tend his flock; he needs intercessors; he needs missionaries; he needs disciple makers; he needs those to give; he needs all kind of labourers.
Whom therefore was Jesus speaking to? His disciples and to stakeholders in the work. The Bible says we are labourers together with God. And so this need comes to you and me. To all who have decided to follow the master, there is labour for all.
Hark the voice of Jesus crying “Who will go and work today?
Fields are white, and harvest waiting: Who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and strong the Master calleth, Rich rewards He offers thee:
Who will answer, gladly saying? “Here am I; send me, send me!”
To the work! To the work!
There is labour for all
3. THE SPAN OF TIME (…for the night cometh)
We are drawing nearer to the close of the age (the harvest). But for us now, a lot of other things represent our span of time. To start with, the number of our days here on earth limits the span of time we have to finish our task. The opportunities we have now represent our span of time.
Are you young and energetic? You won’t always be so. Youth is fleeting. All what you could do during your youth may never be done again by you once you’re old. Are you in secondary school now? You won’t always be there. Are you on campus? You won’t always be there. Any labour you must undertake for the master that is not done with this opportunity may be lost forever. Are you living in a house, environment or neighbourhood now? You may not be there for long. Maximize your opportunities there while it is day. Are you rich now? Engage your money in kingdom labours; for money can develop wings and fly. Jesus evaluated the length of a day by the time He could use for work (i.e twelve hours). The rest of the day (i.e night) was not regarded by Him. Evaluate your life and opportunities as He did. Anything of ours that cannot be engaged for kingdom labours is not to be counted as something.
The work is so great that much will be lost should the harvest wait.
Ho! Reapers of life’s harvest, why stand with rusted blade,
Until the night draws round you, And the day begins to fade?
Why stand ye idle, waiting for reapers more to come?
The golden morning is passing, why sit ye idle, dumb?
4. LIFT UP YOUR EYES, AND LOOK
There was a popular saying in the time of Jesus: “There are still four months and then comes the harvest.”
This is an attitude of procrastination. It is a mind-set that postpones work that is to be done now to a later time. It is an attitude that favours each one to take his/her rest in doing nothing but waiting. It separates sowing from harvest by four months. Our Lord attacked this mentality with His command:
“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields…”
Dear one, all it takes is a little lifting up of your eyes and looking, and you would see. Take a little time to meditate and you would see what you never thought was there. You will see opportunities for kingdom labours in your family, in your class, in your neighbourhood, in your campus, in your church, in your work place and indeed in whatever place you are. There are demands for labourers everywhere and at every point in time. Procrastinate no further. Presume no more. Our master says the fields are white, and true to his word, they are.
In case you see nothing of what we’re saying, ask the Lord to open your eyes and you shall see. You shall see souls waiting to be harvested; you shall see work to be done wherever you turn. You shall see the work that has been left undone for many years because many of us have taken the attitude of waiting – waiting for time and waiting for who will take up the work. May our blindness not be reason why it would be the lamentation of some:
“…the harvest is past, and we are not saved.”
Oh! May God open our eyes to see!
Leave not for tomorrow the work of today,
For time, like an arrow, is speeding away;
The harvest is ready, look out on the plain;
Go, thrust in the sickle and gather the grain
5. A COMPASSIONATE HEART (…he was moved with compassion…)
As Jesus went about teaching and preaching, He saw multitudes and was moved with compassion towards them. Why? Because:“…they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
But were there no synagogues? Were there no Pharisees, scribes, Sadducees or priests to teach and care for these people? Why were they as sheep having no shepherd with all these in place?
And as I look at our state today, it is no different. There are many church buildings but people go unfed. Many are being fed week after week with chaffs and not the pure, undiluted word of God. And so they go on without strength. Many have pastors in name and yet have no one to teach and disciple them in the way of Christ. It is as though the multitude of church buildings, ministers and programs are not meeting the needs of the people of God. Many are genuinely seeking God, but there’s no one to lead them to Him. Many are tired of what they receive every week, but there’s no one to provide something better. In fact, some innocent ones are even exploited! These were the things that provoked compassion in the heart of Jesus. He did not begin to blame the religious system of the time; but turned around and presented the need for labourers: labourers who will feed them with the wheat of God’s word; who will present God to the many thirsty hearts around; who will provide something better than what the people of God are being fed with week after week.
A compassionate heart is indispensable for labouring effectively. A compassionate heart does not pass the buck, but would sacrifice for God’s heart to be satisfied regardless of if another man or denomination takes the glory. A compassionate heart looks beyond its needs and comfort to satisfy that of another and that of God. Such a heart made Jesus to continue in Samaria that some may also be saved even though He was physically exhausted.
A compassionate heart moves to great sacrifices for the sake of the kingdom.
To the work! To the work! Let the hungry be fed,
To the fountain of Life let the weary be led
6. THE CRY TO GOD (Pray ye…the Lord of the harvest…)
After realising the enormity of the task as well as the few labourers available, our Lord did not despair. He did not fret. He did not give up saying: “I am the only one who seems to be bothered about the things of God here. What can my efforts as but a man produce?”He turned towards God.
Every need for kingdom labours – whether it be men or material resources – must be turned to the Lord of the harvest. And the prayer was simple: Lord of the harvest, send labourers into your harvest. And it can be so for every other need – time, opportunities, strength, money, etc. How easily we faint in the face of the demands of the task God has given us and we forget to pray to the owner of the work. How easily we sometimes even murmur to God like Moses and Elijah did as though God placed a huge burden on us and let us alone to bear it by our strength and resources. Brethren, let our attitude always be Godward – to send the men needed; the money needed; the facilities needed; the opportunities needed. Such a prayer usually issues from a heart that is first committed to accomplishing the task given (that is why Jesus asked His co-labourers, and not spectators to pray). The replacement of prayer with excuses and complaints about lack may just indicate the coldness and unwillingness of our hearts to have the Master’s work done.
Beloved, stop asking how things would be done; how needs would be met; how men would respond; how sinners would be saved;how situations should change…. It is not given to you to understand all these. Ask and it shall be given.
Pray! Pray! Pray!
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labour the Lord will provide
7. THE REWARD (…And he that reapeth receiveth wages…)
God owes no man. He is not unfaithful to forget your labour of love. He will surely reward each one who gives his/her life as a kingdom labourer. You can set your eyes on the sure reward of God, rest assured that He cannot go back on His words.
But even more will be our joy when we will rejoice together with God and with those whom as co-labourers, we toiled in the fields for God.
Loud and strong the Master calleth
Rich rewards He offers thee…
After having read thus far, what is your resolve? May God find a labourer for His kingdom in you.
Let none hear you idly saying, “there is nothing I can do,”
While the souls of men are dying, and the Master calls for you.
Take the task He gives you gladly, Let His work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when He calleth: “ Here am I; send me, send me”
