Ask the Lord of the Harvest

Matthew 9:35-38

Key Verse 38

 “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field”

1. Read verse 35. Where does Jesus go through? (35a) What does Jesus do? (35b) Why do people need ‘teaching’, ‘proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God’ and ‘healing’? 

2. Read verse 36. When Jesus sees the crowds, what arises in Jesus’ heart? (36a) What’s the reason for this? (36b) Who do you think are ‘sheep without a shepherd’?

3. Read verse 37. Who does Jesus address here? (37a) What does Jesus say to them? (37b) What is the meaning of  ‘the harvest is plentiful’ and ‘the workers are few’?

4. Read verse 38. What does Jesus ask them to do as a step of action? (38a) What’s the Lord’s relationship to the harvest and fields? (38a) Where are his workers sent? (38b) Where could His plentiful harvest fields be for each of us?

ASK THE LORD OF THE HARVEST

Matthew 9:35-38

Key verse Matthew 9:38

"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

The title of today's message is, "Ask the Lord of the harvest." It is a special message in preparation for the international conference next week where we will hear about the work God is doing through the people he has sent out around the world and in preparation of the coming school term. Just as Jesus prepared his disciples, we also want to be prepared.

Let's look at the key verse, verse 38. "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus gave the direction to ask. However, we know that it is difficult to ask for something if we don't understand what it is we're asking for or why we are asking for it. To help his disciples ask for the specific thing, he helped them to see the people and their need as he did. He says two things: like sheep without a shepherd, and a plentiful harvest which we can learn about more today do that we can ask accordingly. 

First, like sheep without a shepherd.

Sheep are cute. We like to go up to them and pet them, touch their wool, and feed them. We might have compassion on sheep without a shepherd.

But how are the people described here? Look at verse 35.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Jesus was teaching the word of God to them, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. They were people who needed to be taught the word of God. They were largely ignorant of the word of God. How do you think they lived? They were sinners. It was unpleasant. They were stealing although the Bible says do not steal. They were fighting with each other, although the Bible says to love your neighbor.

They didn't have the good news of the kingdom. They didn’t hope in the kingdom. They were worldly. Some of them were depressed and they walked as if in darkness. 

And they were physically diseased and sick. 

They were so needy in every way, in their minds, soul and body. This was not just a few people. Jesus went through "all" the towns and villages doing these things. They don't look like the cute sheep that you want to go and hug and pet and take care of. Rather, you'd want to avoid them. One reason it’s hard to see people as Jesus does, is because we find fault with the sheep.

How did Jesus see them?

Let's look at verse 36.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 

Harassed and helpless. He didn't see all the bad things about them and complain. He didn't see them as a burden.

Jesus did not say, "Oh no, here they come. More crowds of people."

"They're so needy. When will they stop being so needy?"

Maybe he saw the same person again. "Oh no. It's you again. Didn't I just teach in your town? Weren't you listening?" 

He was not afraid of getting sick and he didn't complain about being tired from taking care of all of them. 

He saw them as sheep without a shepherd. He had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless. 

The phrase, "like sheep without a shepherd," means that he saw them with compassion and responsibility. He saw that someone should take care of them. 

Jesus had done so well to take care of them. He went through "all their towns and villages." He didn't leave any place unvisited. He tried to help all of the people. And he helped them fully. He taught them the word of God.  He preached the good news of the kingdom. He healed all their diseases and sicknesses. It is because he made himself responsible for them and had compassion on them. Compassion without action is useless to the one in need.

We can see something so positive and good. When sheep have a shepherd, everything is taken care of them by their shepherd and they grow well and enjoy a good life under his care. They're well fed, protected, healthy, happy, clean, and their wool is good. Through shepherding the sheep, Jesus saw the vision of all the needs of the needy being met and them growing well as children of God.

Having a shepherd doesn't mean that sheep don't have any problems. They do. But their problems are always taken care of by the shepherd. That's why it's so good to have a shepherd if you're a sheep. If you go the wrong way and stray, he goes to find you and brings you back. If you're sick, he heals you. He provides everything for you. He knows you and cares for you. He helps you to clean up. Jesus was helping the people in the very same way.

Jesus has also helped me like a shepherd. He even helped me to be clean and dress better, like getting nice looking wool. One person told me, "Wow, you know, you've really changed since I first met you 13 years ago." I asked, "Really? That's great. What's changed?" She replied, "Your clothes." I was thankful. It's so good to have a shepherd.

One man grew well because of Jesus’ shepherding. He was called “Trash” when he was a kid. If you are called Trash, you will surely be treated like trash. But because of Jesus’ shepherding, he was changed. People started to call him “Shepherd” just like Jesus. He is also called, husband and father and friend. His employer said that he is like having two employees at once. He made disciples and is very useful to God’s work.

Although there were so many people, and each had their own unique needs and problems, Jesus saw them as "sheep without a shepherd." They all needed someone to care for them.

The passage says that sheep without a shepherd are harassed and helpless. We know very well what this means. Without the teaching of the word of God, we don't know what is right or wrong, what to do or not do. Without the good news of the kingdom of God we experience depression, loneliness and meaningless of life. Without healing we remain sick.

How about us? How do we see people?

Here's a picture of students on campus on a typical day. What do you see when you see the people?

Sometimes we might feel afraid. It doesn't make sense, but we might feel timid and be afraid of them. They're not trying to scare us. They don't look scary, but we're afraid to approach them or tell them about Jesus. We don't want to be rejected. or some people may be intimidating to us.

Sometimes I was afraid to invite blonde people. I never really had blonde friends growing up, all my friends had black hair. So I felt intimidated a little bit. But if someone has black hair, I had no problem to talk to them.

Sometimes we're lonely when we see all the people.

Sometimes we're angry because on one cares to listen to our invitation. Then we say to ourselves that there is no one who needs to hear about Jesus. They're all fine and okay. Then we go off and eat something.

Sometimes we look down on some of the people we see. Wow, look at how he's dressed. Or, wow, that person looks really bad.

And at times we see them as a burden. Wow, you're so needy. When will you be changed and not so needy anymore? And then we tell other people, "Oh, that guy is still so needy. He hasn't changed at all." 

We spend a lot of time analyzing our generation and determining what's wrong with it. We talk about postmodernism and being connected to the internet and broken families, etc. There's some value to this research so we can understand and help each other better. But Jesus helps us to see that it is fundamental that people are needy. The problem is not just what is wrong with their generation, but that they need shepherds. If they have shepherds, then they can be taken care of. But without shepherds, they will continue to be harassed by this or that ism and all kinds of attacks to which they're helpless. When we look at the needy, we can learn to see them as Jesus did, rather than seeing them with our own interpretation or despair or burden.

Shepherds to teach the word of God, to proclaim the good news of the kingdom, and to heal. If sheep have a shepherd, they would follow and go the right way. The sheep were not the problem, the problem was no shepherds.

Jesus wasn’t burdened by the sheep. He saw them with responsibility and compassion. He saw that they were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." 

Another reason we have a hard time to look at people as Jesus does, is because we're so busy looking at ourselves. Now, we are usually good at seeing our own problems and needs. But this passage is very relieving because it tells us that we don't need to look at our problems and focus on ourselves. We may have problems now. If you followed along with daily bread recently, Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33). 

But we have a shepherd, Jesus Christ. And he appoints his servants as shepherds over us, with him as the chief shepherd. So we are fully taken care of. He knows our weakness, our straying, our sickness, when we need discipline, etc. He knows what we need and takes care of us. And he lays down his life for us. That's why he calls himself the "Good Shepherd" who came to give life to the sheep. We are no longer harassed or helpless. But we have help. He continues to help us as much as we need. When we have a problem, it is okay because we also have a shepherd who helps us. 

Jesus wants us to turn our attention to those who do not have a shepherd for they are the one who are really harassed and helpless.

What really helps is to think about how Jesus has helped you. You know personally how he has helped you, so you know how good it is to have a shepherd. When we think about how Jesus has helped us and how his help has benefited us, we can begin to understand his compassion and responsibility for others. 

Second, a plentiful harvest. 

Jesus didn't just see a bunch of sick and needy people. He saw a plentiful harvest. 

Look at verse 37.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Here's a picture of a field ripe for harvest. At harvest time, if it's really plentiful, we can imagine the owner would be very excited and happy and full of anticipation. He would be so thankful.

But a field doesn't harvest itself. It's right there, but it needs workers to harvest it. 

Jesus saw a great vision when he saw the people. He saw a plentiful harvest. He saw them with great expectation and joy. He saw so many people being gathered and brought to the fellowship with him and with God the Father.

The word "harvest" means that they were ready for picking and gathering. All of those crowds of needy people, he saw as ready to be harvested. This tells us further that the people were not the problem. They are ready for harvest! And the word "plentiful" tells us that it is much more than we imagine. So, "harvest" is a good word. It's great! Wow, a harvest! And, the word "plentiful" is very good! It's really great! Wow, a "plentiful" harvest! We are not just gathering a few, but many!

Our situation is no different from Jesus' day. Still, people are so needy and sick. Still, Jesus wants us to see that they are actually a plentiful harvest.

Do you know how many campuses we are going out to regularly? How many more colleges and universities do not have shepherds? Yet, we are so few. What shall we do?

Here is a picture of what CSULA looks like often when we go out fishing for people. Does it look like a plentiful harvest? Yes! (At certain hours.) 

How do you see the campuses? Sometimes the campus looks empty. We blame budget cuts. When students don’t respond well we blame them and their changing attitudes. If you think a campus is not a plentiful harvest, go to Cal State LA. We need more workers.

Here Jesus pointed out that the workers are few. The workers themselves were not the problem. As much as criticize sheep, we also tend to criticize fellow workers. They are not good enough in this way or that way, or they do this wrong.

Jesus only mentioned that the workers were few.

Look at verse 38.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Look at the harvest picture again. 

Can only a few people harvest the crops? Even if they were very skilled, they cannot. You would not be able to harvest that ripe field. So many would be missed. 

This analogy tells us that the work of harvesting people is not for just a few people. Having only a few is a problem. 

 There are many people and need workers.

Jesus' solution is to ask for workers. It was not the disciples' responsibility to send out the workers. Their responsibility was to ask. They were not lords of the harvest, but God is. And the field belongs to him.

Learning to ask like this is good for us. It reminds us that God is the Lord of the harvest. And the harvest field is his.

He didn't say, "Ask that I can visit everyone."

He didn't say, "Work harder!"

But he said, "Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers." "Workers" is plural. This work was not just for Jesus and a few people to do.

Jesus says that asking is the way to get more workers into the harvest field. That is the disciples responsibility. 

The Lord of the Harvest sends out workers into his field. He is in control. He can raise them up and he sends them out. Our part is to ask. 

For example, the Lord rescued and sent the apostle Paul out to preach to the Gentiles. He was the fruit of the believers' prayer. But God sent him out. 

Sometimes I felt so condemned. I asked myself, "How come I worked in the field for so long but didn't send anyone out? How come those I did send out did not remain in the field working?" But I realize that that is not my job. The Lord of the Harvest sends out.

One summer I stayed in Chicago and worked at the UBF center. One of my jobs was doing maintenance and construction during the day. My supervisor became a good friend. He asked me to send another worker to him after I returned to Downey. It's been 9 years but I haven't been able to send someone to him. He asks me every time I see him. If anyone wants to go to Chicago, please let me send you to him and I will be free.

Once I complained to John Kwon why he didn't send out actively (including sending me). But it's not his job. He also has to ask the Lord of the Harvest.

If you are going to the International Summer Bible Conference, please don't go as just an audience member or a listener. Go with a sense of responsibility and the spirit of prayer. How you can participate in the harvest?

Once, the prophet Isaiah heard the Lord's call. Isaiah 6:8 says,

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? ” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

When he said, "Here am I. Send me!" It was his way of asking the Lord to send out harvest workers. He volunteered as the first one. Surely, it is what the Lord wanted. 

Based on today's passage, we have a few prayer topics:

Let's earnestly pray for the pioneering of all the college campuses, beginning in our area that God may send out workers into his harvest field. Let’s pray that God may send out workers from among us in Downey.

Let's pray that God may bless the international conference and use it open eyes and send out workers into the harvest field. 

Let's also help each other practically and build each other in teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and in healing. We are all workers in the field together. We should not neglect the care people need. Some times people need to be taught. Other times they need to hear the good news of the kingdom. And others need healing.

Let's read verses 37-38 again.

[37] Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. [38] Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

One word: Ask the Lord of the harvest

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