Matthew 9:37
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus highlights not just a large number of people ready to hear, but that the "harvest" is specifically ripe—meaning God's timing is perfect for gathering them. He calls them "laborers" because this work requires effort and dedication, implying that the task of sharing the good news isn't passive, but an active, urgent mission.
Jesus had just healed two blind men and a mute man, demonstrating his incredible power and compassion to the crowds. Seeing the immense need and the eagerness of people to follow him, he turned to his disciples and used the powerful image of a vast, ripe harvest with too few workers to illustrate the urgent spiritual condition of the people and the need for more laborers. This statement directly precedes his commissioning of the twelve disciples to go out and minister to Israel.
Jesus uses a striking image to describe the spiritual need around him. It wasn't just a few people; it was a vast, ripe field.
When Jesus says, 'The harvest is plentiful,' he's using a powerful metaphor drawn from ancient agriculture. The 'harvest' represents the people who are ready and receptive to hearing the message of God's kingdom. Think of a field of grain, perfectly ripe, just waiting to be gathered before it spoils. Jesus saw the crowds following Him, the earnest questions, the genuine need for hope and healing, and recognized that a massive opportunity for people to turn to God was present. It wasn't a small mission field; it was an immense, ripe opportunity, filled with souls ready to be brought into God's care.
It's one thing to see a ripe harvest; it's another to have enough hands to gather it. Jesus highlights a critical shortage.
Immediately after declaring the vastness of the harvest, Jesus states, 'but the laborers are few.' This isn't just a neutral observation; it's an urgent call. The 'laborers' are those called and equipped by God to share the message of His kingdom and help people find spiritual life. The original language carries a sense of being 'thrust out' or powerfully sent into the work. Jesus wasn't looking for just anyone; He needed dedicated individuals willing to face the 'reproach, labour, danger, and temptation' inherent in this mission. It points to a constant challenge throughout history: the work of God's kingdom is vast, but the willing, equipped, and sent workers are always in short supply.
Understand the original words
therismos · Greek Noun
A metaphor for the time of gathering the spiritual fruit of God’s redemptive work. It represents the urgency of evangelism and the gathering of souls into the kingdom of God.
ergatēs · Greek Noun
Workers or those who toil. In a spiritual sense, it refers to those whom God calls and sends to actively participate in the work of spreading the Gospel and gathering souls into His kingdom.
This declaration by Jesus highlights the immense spiritual need and opportunity in Galilee during his ministry, while also pointing to the limited number of dedicated workers available to share the Good News.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Galilean Ministry
Jesus actively preached, taught, and performed miracles throughout Galilee, drawing large crowds and attracting numerous followers.
c. 28 AD
Calling of the Twelve Apostles
Jesus specifically chose and commissioned twelve men to be his closest disciples and apostles, empowering them for ministry.
c. 28 AD
Mission of the Twelve
Jesus sent the Twelve out to proclaim the kingdom of God, heal the sick, and cast out demons, preparing them for future ministry.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Ascension
After his resurrection, Jesus commissioned his followers to make disciples of all nations, expanding the scope of the mission.
c. 30-33 AD
This passage repeats Jesus' exact words about the plentiful harvest and few laborers, but in the context of sending out the seventy, highlighting the ongoing need for more workers in God's mission.
John 4:35Jesus uses the same harvest imagery here, telling his disciples to 'lift up your eyes and see that the fields are already white for harvest.' This reinforces the idea that the 'harvest' refers to receptive people ready for the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 3:9Paul describes believers as 'God's field' and 'God's building,' connecting the idea of a cultivated harvest with the spiritual growth of people under God's care and the work of those who labor in ministry.
Acts 1:8This verse gives the disciples a commission to be witnesses 'to the end of the earth,' which is the ultimate goal of gathering the harvest; it shows that the disciples are being prepared for a worldwide mission where laborers are desperately needed.
2 Thessalonians 3:1Paul asks the believers to pray for him and others so that 'the word of the Lord may speed on and triumph,' which directly relates to the need for more effective 'laborers' to spread the Gospel message effectively.
barnesMatthew 9:37: "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;"
The harvest truly is plenteous ... - Another beautiful image. A waving field of golden grain invites many reapers and demands haste. By the reference to the harvest here, he meant that the multitude of people that flocked to his ministry was great. The people expected the Messiah. They were prepared to receive the gospel; but the laborers were few. He directed them, therefore, to pray to…
bensonMatthew 9:37: "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;"
Matthew 9:37-38 . Then saith he to his disciples — To quicken their devotion and zeal, The harvest — Namely, of souls to be gathered in, is plenteous — The multitudes that followed Jesus, and expressed so earnest a desire of receiving his instructions, gave him occasion of making this reflection. He compared Judea and the neighbouring countries to fields covered with ripe corn, where not…
Jesus highlights not just a large number of people ready to hear, but that the "harvest" is specifically ripe—meaning God's timing is perfect for gathering them. He calls them "laborers" because this work requires effort and dedication, implying that the task of sharing the good news isn't passive, but an active, urgent mission.
Jesus had just healed two blind men and a mute man, demonstrating his incredible power and compassion to the crowds. Seeing the immense need and the eagerness of people to follow him, he turned to his disciples and used the powerful image of a vast, ripe harvest with too few workers to illustrate the urgent spiritual condition of the people and the need for more laborers. This statement directly precedes his commissioning of the twelve disciples to go out and minister to Israel.
Jesus had just healed two blind men and a mute man, demonstrating his incredible power and compassion to the crowds. Seeing the immense need and the eagerness of people to follow him, he turned to his disciples and used the powerful image of a vast, ripe harvest with too few workers to illustrate the urgent spiritual condition of the people and the need for more laborers. This statement directly precedes his commissioning of the twelve disciples to go out and minister to Israel.
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Early Church Growth
Following Jesus' ascension, the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles and early believers, leading to rapid growth of the church.
"Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;" — Jesus highlights not just a large number of people ready to hear, but that the "harvest" is specifically ripe—meaning God's timing is perfect for gathering them. He calls them "laborers" because th…
