Matthew 9:37-38
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Jesus uses the vivid image of a ripe harvest, not just to show the abundance of people ready for God's kingdom, but to highlight the urgency—a harvest waits for no one, and the scarcity of workers means precious souls could be lost. This isn't just a statement about numbers; it reveals the deep concern Jesus has for those who are "ready" and the critical need for willing hands to be sent out.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just after Jesus had miraculously healed two blind men and a demon-possessed man, he saw the crowds following him and felt a deep compassion for their spiritual need. He then turned to his disciples, highlighting the immense opportunity before them: vast numbers of people were ready to receive God's message, yet there weren't enough dedicated people to share it. This sets the stage for his instruction that they should pray for more workers to be sent out into this plentiful spiritual harvest.
Jesus uses a vivid picture of a field ready for gathering. What does this imagery tell us about God's heart for people?
Jesus compares the people ready to receive His message to a vast field of ripe grain. This isn't just about a specific time or place; it's about the immense number of people throughout history and across the globe who are open to God's truth. The 'harvest' represents the souls God is calling to Himself, and Jesus sees this potential everywhere. It's a picture of God's incredible love and His desire to gather everyone into His kingdom.
If the harvest is so abundant, why does Jesus emphasize that the 'laborers are few'? What does it mean to be a 'laborer' in God's eyes?
The core of Jesus' concern is the shortage of people willing and equipped to do the work of gathering. Being a 'laborer' isn't about having a title or status; it's about actively participating in God's work. This involves compassion, dedication, and a willingness to face challenges for the sake of others' souls. The original language even suggests a forceful 'thrusting out' into this work, highlighting that it's often against our natural inclinations and requires divine empowerment. It's a call to step out of comfort zones and into service.
Jesus doesn't just point out the problem; He gives a direct command. What is the crucial action He calls for?
Faced with a vast harvest and too few workers, Jesus' instruction is clear: 'Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.' This isn't a passive wish, but an active command to intercede. It underscores that the mission belongs to God, and He is the one who calls and equips workers. Our role is to partner with Him in prayer, asking Him to raise up and send forth people who are willing, capable, and empowered for this vital task. True spiritual progress depends on God's initiative, fueled by our persistent prayers.
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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.
deomai · Greek Verb
A command or intense petition directed to God. It involves persistent, earnest seeking of His will, acknowledging that all spiritual results are ultimately dependent on Him.
This saying comes from Jesus' observation of the massive crowds responding to his ministry in Galilee. It highlights the urgent need for more dedicated followers to share the Good News, framing the mission as a critical, time-sensitive task.
c. 28 AD— this verse
Jesus begins public ministry
Jesus starts his public teaching and healing ministry in Galilee, attracting large crowds.
c. 28-30 AD
Jesus teaches and heals in Galilee
Jesus travels throughout the region, performing numerous miracles and drawing immense popularity, preparing the people for a spiritual harvest.
c. 30 AD
Jesus commissions the Twelve Apostles
Jesus formally appoints his closest disciples as apostles, preparing them to be the primary 'laborers' to spread his message.
c. 30 AD
Jesus sends out the Seventy
A later event, described in Luke 10, where Jesus sends out a larger group of disciples, echoing the urgency of the harvest message.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' words, presenting the same image of a plentiful harvest and a shortage of workers, but in the context of sending out the seventy, highlighting the urgent need for more laborers in God's kingdom.
John 4:35Jesus uses the harvest metaphor here, telling his disciples that the fields are already white for harvest, which speaks to the readiness of people to receive the Gospel, mirroring the 'plentiful harvest' in Matthew 9:37.
1 Corinthians 3:9Paul uses the farming imagery of 'God's field' and 'God's building,' emphasizing that believers are God's work, and ministers are coworkers in this spiritual cultivation, aligning with the idea of laborers in a divine harvest.
Acts 13:47This verse quotes Isaiah, stating 'I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth,' which directly connects to the mission of spreading the harvest to wider fields beyond the initial disciples.
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 uses the vivid image of a ripe harvest, not just to show the abundance of people ready for God's kingdom, but to highlight the urgency—a harvest waits for no one, and the scarcity of workers means precious souls could be lost. This isn't just a statement about numbers; it reveals the deep concern Jesus has for those who are "ready" and the critical need for willing hands to be sent out.
Just after Jesus had miraculously healed two blind men and a demon-possessed man, he saw the crowds following him and felt a deep compassion for their spiritual need. He then turned to his disciples, highlighting the immense opportunity before them: vast numbers of people were ready to receive God's message, yet there weren't enough dedicated people to share it. This sets the stage for his instruction that they should pray for more workers to be sent out into this plentiful spiritual harvest.
Just after Jesus had miraculously healed two blind men and a demon-possessed man, he saw the crowds following him and felt a deep compassion for their spiritual need. He then turned to his disciples, highlighting the immense opportunity before them: vast numbers of people were ready to receive God's message, yet there weren't enough dedicated people to share it. This sets the stage for his instruction that they should pray for more workers to be sent out into this plentiful spiritual harvest.
"Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”" — Jesus uses the vivid image of a ripe harvest, not just to show the abundance of people ready for God's kingdom, but to highlight the urgency—a harvest waits for no one, and the scarcity of workers…
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Last reviewed October 2026
