“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.” -Matthew 9:37-38

This is a puzzle passage. In the preceding verses Jesus points out to his disciples the condition of the people, “they were harassed and helpless.” One expects the leader to say to his staff team, “See the problem! Go and do something about it. Don’t just stand there as if you don’t see it.

Jesus responds to the problem in two ways.

First, Jesus clearly states the root of the problem. It is harvest time. There is a small time frame when you must reap the harvest or the crop will wither and die. The crop cannot harvest itself. This requires an outsider to come and separate the plant from its roots. There are only a few workers.

Second, Jesus says that our first action is to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Here is the puzzle. Given the urgency of the task, most of us would leap into action. The need is there. The time is now. Do something! Why does Jesus state that the priority is prayer?

  1. It is the Lord’s harvest
  2. The harvest must be done in the Lord’s way and with His power.
  3. The requirement for our participation in the harvest is that we are “sent out with His authority.

Do you see the harvest, “the harassed and helpless”? Are you praying? Will your prayers today be longer than a TV commercial, a 60 second interruption to your regular programming?

Categories : Upper Loft Meditation