Harvest Plenty and Laborers Few - Luke 10:2

The beloved physician Luke wrote how, “ the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, where he himself would come”, and in chapter ten and verse two of his book Luke shared how Jesus says, “the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few” where we read:

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.

The verse reads, “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few:” Luke began with the word, “therefore” or “wherefore, accordingly, consequently and on this account” “said he unto them” which means “Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed to His disciples”, “the harvest truly is great” or “the time of reaping or gathering of men into the Kingdom of God surely, certainly and indeed is massive, large and abundant”, “but the laborers are few” which means “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover the workers are little or small in number”. Luke shared how the “reaping” of the “gathering of people into the Kingdom of God” is huge, however, there is a very small number of people who are working in the fields.

The verse continues, “pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.” Luke added the words, “pray you therefore” which means “disciples and followers of Jesus make orations, desire, beg and ask” “the Lord of the harvest” or “the One to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, and the title given to God the Messiah”, “that he would send forth laborers” which means “that the Lord would compel, bid and thrust forth workers” “into his harvest” or “into the Lord's gathering and reaping of people into the Kingdom of God”. Luke shared how Jesus instructed His disciples to “pray” to the “Lord” or “master” over all the “harvesting” to “assign” “workers” into His field.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus knew the number of people available to receive Him as their “Savior and Lord”. His concern was that there were very few “workers” who were going into the “fields” to “gather” them into His Kingdom. God desires to “save” every person from their “sins” through His Son Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and when they “give” their lives to Him, He will assign them to be part of His “harvest” of other souls. Some people will be called to “full time ministry” where they will work in the church or as a missionary in the world, and others will use their positions and vocations as their part of the “harvest”. Whichever way God decides, those who are wise will “pray” that He sends more workers into His fields who are willing to be used by Him to gather people into His Kingdom.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “I send you forth as lambs among wolves”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".