Luke 10:1-12: a reflection

1Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come. 2Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way. 5Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house. 8Into whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you. 9Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’ 10But into whatever city you enter and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’ 12I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

When Jesus sends out the seventy, he tells them that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, and calls them to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send out more laborers. The harvest is indeed plentiful, Jesus says, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. Jesus sees the great need, a plentiful harvest of people ready to be gathered to God, and the shortage of laborers to gather it; and rather than merely lamenting the shortage, he directs his disciples to pray that God, the Lord of the harvest, would send out more laborers. The need is great, the workers few; and the call is to pray for more. This shows the call to pray for laborers for God's plentiful harvest. Pray for laborers, for the harvest is plentiful but the workers few. The need is great; ask God to send more laborers. Jesus directs us to pray for workers for his harvest. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers.

Notice what Jesus says about the harvest and the laborers, and what he tells the disciples to do. He sees a plentiful harvest: many people ready to be gathered to God, a great work to be done. But he also sees that the laborers are few: not enough workers to gather so plentiful a harvest. And his response to this shortage is striking. He does not merely lament it, or tell the disciples to work harder, or organize a recruitment drive; his first direction is to pray: pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. The sending of laborers is God's work, and Jesus directs us to ask him for it. This is instructive for us. We can see the great need, the plentiful harvest of people who need to hear the good news and be gathered to God, and the shortage of laborers to reach them; and our response should include, first of all, prayer, asking God, the Lord of the harvest, to send out more laborers. And notice: those who pray this prayer, like the disciples, may find themselves sent out in answer to it. To pray for laborers is often to make ourselves available to be laborers. We do well to pray earnestly for laborers for God's plentiful harvest, and to be willing to be sent ourselves. Pray for laborers for the plentiful harvest, as Jesus directs. The need is great; ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers. Praying for laborers may make us available to be laborers ourselves. See the harvest, and pray for workers to gather it.

That is worth taking to heart, for Jesus calls us to pray for laborers for God's plentiful harvest, seeing the great need and the shortage of workers. We can see the great need, the plentiful harvest and few laborers, and merely lament it; but Jesus directs us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers. Prayer is the first response to the need. See the plentiful harvest and the few laborers, and pray earnestly for God to send workers, being willing to be sent yourself. Pray earnestly for laborers for God's plentiful harvest, being willing to be sent yourself, as Jesus, sending out the seventy, told them the harvest is plentiful but the laborers few and called them to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest; for Jesus sees the great need, a plentiful harvest of people ready to be gathered to God, and the shortage of laborers to gather it, and rather than merely lamenting the shortage or telling the disciples to work harder, his first direction is to pray that God, the Lord of the harvest, would send out more laborers, since the sending of laborers is God's work and Jesus directs us to ask him for it, which is instructive for us, since we can see the great need, the plentiful harvest of people who need to hear the good news and the shortage of laborers to reach them, and our response should include first of all prayer, asking God to send more laborers, and those who pray this prayer may find themselves sent out in answer to it, so that to pray for laborers is often to make ourselves available to be laborers, and we do well to pray earnestly for laborers and to be willing to be sent ourselves.

Lord Jesus, when you send out the seventy, you tell them that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, and call them to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send out more laborers. The harvest is indeed plentiful, you say, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. You see the great need, a plentiful harvest of people ready to be gathered to God, and the shortage of laborers to gather it; and rather than merely lamenting the shortage, you direct your disciples to pray that God would send out more laborers. The need is great, the workers few; and the call is to pray for more. Show me what you say about the harvest and the laborers, and what you tell the disciples to do. You see a plentiful harvest: many people ready to be gathered to God. But you also see that the laborers are few. And your response is striking. You do not merely lament it, or tell the disciples to work harder; your first direction is to pray: pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. The sending of laborers is God's work, and you direct us to ask him for it. This is instructive for me. I can see the great need, the plentiful harvest of people who need to hear the good news and the shortage of laborers to reach them; and my response should include, first of all, prayer, asking you, the Lord of the harvest, to send out more laborers. And those who pray this prayer may find themselves sent out in answer to it. To pray for laborers is often to make myself available to be a laborer. Take that to my heart, for you call me to pray for laborers for the plentiful harvest. Help me see the plentiful harvest and the few laborers, and pray earnestly for you to send workers, Lord, being willing to be sent myself in answer to my own prayer.