What does Matthew 9:38 teach about God's role in sending workers? Setting the Scene Matthew 9 records Jesus traveling through Galilee, teaching, preaching, and healing. Seeing the crowds, He is “moved with compassion” because they are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 36). Out of that compassion comes a call to prayer and action in v. 38. Key Verse “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:38) God’s Role in Sending Workers • Lordship: He is “the Lord of the harvest,” the absolute Owner and Overseer of the mission field. • Initiative: The command is to ask Him to “send out” (Greek: ekballō, to thrust out, propel). God does not merely invite volunteers; He actively commissions and propels them. • Supply: The workers are His provision for His harvest; their number, placement, and timing originate with Him. • Compassionate Motivation: His sending flows from the compassion of Christ (v. 36); God’s heart for the lost drives the deployment of workers. • Sovereign Strategy: Because He alone sees the entire field, He alone determines where each laborer will be most fruitful. Our Response • Pray first. The directive is to “ask” (imperative). Prayer is not optional preliminary talk; it is the ordained means through which God releases workers. • Expect God’s answer. The same Lord who commands the prayer fulfills it, often by moving those who pray to become the very workers He sends (cf. Matthew 10:1-7). • Submit to His placement. Since He is Lord of the harvest, believers yield to His call, trusting His wisdom in assigning fields of service. Supporting Passages • Isaiah 6:8 — “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send?’ … ‘Here I am. Send me!’” The Lord initiates; the servant responds. • Acts 13:2-3 — The Holy Spirit says, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul.” The church prays and sends them off. • 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 — “We are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field.” God gives the growth; laborers serve under His direction. • Ephesians 4:11-12 — Christ “gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers” for equipping the saints. Christ Himself distributes the workforce. Takeaway Truths • The harvest belongs to God; He alone knows its readiness. • Prayer aligns our hearts with His compassion and unlocks His provision of laborers. • Every worker is God-sent, God-placed, and God-empowered. • Obedience begins on our knees and continues in the field where He assigns us. |
    |