Matthew 9:38 Meaning and Explanation
“Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus calls his disciples to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his field.
What Does Matthew 9:38 Mean?
Having shown the disciples the ripe and waiting harvest, Jesus now gives them the response it calls for: prayer. He bids them ask "the Lord of the harvest" himself to send out, even to thrust out, laborers into his ready fields. The harvest belongs to God from first to last, and so too does the sending of those who will gather it; the work begins on its knees.
The first task for the few is to pray earnestly for the many more who are needed. Yet those who sincerely pray for laborers soon find themselves numbered among the sent; in the very next chapter Jesus sends out these same disciples into the work. Compassion that begins in prayer becomes, in God's hand, hands and feet that go, as the Lord of the harvest answers the prayer by sending the very ones who first dared to ask him.
Matthew 9:38 in the Original Language
ergatas (ἐργάτας), 'labourers' -- workers who do the hard, hands-on toil of the field.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 9:38
What does Matthew 9:38 mean?
Jesus calls his disciples to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his field.