Matthew 9:27-38

“Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” (Matthew 9:37–38, NKJV)

Jesus was having a successful ministry. In every city that He went, He taught in their synagogues, preached the gospel of the kingdom, and healed every sickness and disease among the people. Most people would have been content with such achievements. But Jesus always had His eyes on the horizon. He saw many people who were weary, dejected, and scattered—like sheep without a shepherd. He did not see them as masses of humanity but as individual souls. He was moved with compassion for them, meaning that He felt pity for them in the deepest part of His being.

He wanted to open the eyes of His disciples to see the same needs that He saw. On another occasion, He told them:

 “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35, NKJV)

Now He said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Indeed, as we look at the needs around us, we can become overwhelmed. No one can do everything, but each of us can do something. And most of us can do more than we are doing. But Jesus did not tell them to work harder to bring in the harvest. He told them to pray. This is something each of us can do. Some of us may feel more confident than others to go out and tell others about Jesus. But we can all pray that God will send out more laborers into His harvest field. The more we see the need and feel compassion for those who do not know Jesus, the more we will pray. And as we pray, God will give us His burden. He may even prompt us to do more. We may even care so much that we say with Isaiah, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). Maybe we cannot go out ourselves, but we can support others who are willing to go.

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Do we share His burden?