Pray Earnestly

Text: Matthew 9:35-10:8

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

          “Then [Jesus] 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.’” Farming is hard work. There’s always going to be a challenge. Or two. Or more. Not enough rain in the spring. Too much rain. The tractor used to till the ground broke down. Once the crop is in it’s too dry. Or too wet. And then at the end of the season, the harvest wasn’t as plentiful as we’d hoped. Or…there was an abundant crop but not enough workers to bring it in.

That last challenge is what Jesus addresses in today’s Gospel lesson. A plentiful harvest, but a lack of laborers in the field. The challenge is evident in our church today. Every time I attend a gathering of pastors, we’re updated on the vacancies in churches all across the country, and even in our own backyard. The statistics are staggering. We have just under 6,000 churches in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod and over 600 of those are without a shepherd. What’s more than that is the number of pastors serving multiple parishes and those being served part-time or by retired pastors. And we’re not alone. The numbers are similar in most other Christian denominations as well. And yet, the harvest is ripe. The world is filled with people who need to hear of the love of Jesus. Truly, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Which is why

JESUS COMMANDS US TO PRAY EARNESTLY TO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST.

          To pray for those who are actively preparing for ministry within the church. We are blessed here at Emmanuel to know some of these people personally and to be able to pray for them by name. For four years we’ve been supporting and praying for Luke Konkel, who has completed his seminary studies and received a divine call to serve the people of Christ Lutheran Church in Clinton, WI. For four years we had Andrew Harrill worshiping and serving with us and now we support and pray for him as he works through his seminary studies. And as close to home as it can get for me, we now pray for Jonah as he’ll be starting his pre-seminary course of studies this fall.

And we’re also called to pray for those whose vocations might not put them in the pulpit, but do allow them to bring the same Gospel message to their churches and communities in various ways. For teachers, directors of Christian education, musicians, and missionaries whose witness and service share the Gospel in ways and in places that the local church might not be able to. We’re blessed to have a Lutheran schoolteacher in our midst in Aaron, and we pray that God would bless the work he does among the high school students he teaches. We’re blessed to have a fabulous musician to lead our praises and we pray that Terry would be strengthened in her resolve to continue beautifying our worship.

And we’re also commanded to pray for everyone, everywhere who is called to spread the life-changing message of salvation through the work of Jesus Christ. Because although Jesus was speaking to the disciples (to Peter and Andrew and James and John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, and James and Thaddeus and Simon and Judas) and eventually sent them out to be the shepherds of the church, He’s also speaking to you. Maybe it’s because He’s calling you to be a pastor, or a teacher, or a musician in the church. Or maybe a missionary. But more likely, He’s calling you to be a disciple. And a disciple listens and learns, but he or she also follows. And sometimes leads. But following is your primary calling. Following the Good Shepherd who leads and guides you exactly where He wants you to be.

And so, we pray earnestly that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers out into the harvest. Whether that’s another pastor, teacher, missionary, or you right here in our community. And we do pray. But do we pray earnestly? Or are our prayers more pointed than they ought to be? “Lord, raise up workers for your kingdom, to do the hard work of making the Gospel known. Raise them up form over there, and over there, but not over here.” Maybe it’s not quite that obvious, but I know there have been times when each of you has felt a calling to do something. To say something. And what was your response? When Isaiah was called, he saw a vision of God’s glory and heard “the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’” And Isaiah boldly said, “Here I am! Send me.” How often is our response not, “Send me!” but rather “Who, me?” or “Not me!”

To pray earnestly means to expect that God will hear our prayer and answer it. And so, we pray earnestly that God will strengthen and support Luke, and Andrew, and Jonah, and Aaron, and Terry, and all others who are preparing for, and serving in, the church. But we also pray earnestly that He will also raise up the next group of servants to do His work in the world, recognizing that if we’re praying earnestly for this, that God’s answer to our prayer may just point right back to us. And if it does, may He give you the fortitude to discern that call and answer it with a joyful “Here I am! Send me.” Because “the harvest is plentiful.” There is much work to be done.

Which is why Jesus makes this prayer request of His disciples. “Pray to the Lord of the harvest.” I think this may be the only time in all of Scripture that we hear of Jesus making a specific prayer request of His disciples. We do it all the time. We ask others to pray for us and for others. And rightly so. But Jesus says, “Pray earnestly.” That word is also the same word used to describe what a beggar does. Plead with me, Jesus says. Beg me to send out laborers into the vineyard. He knows how great the need is and He wants desperately to raise up workers for His kingdom. Why? Because even today, He looks down at all those who don’t yet know Him and He feels the same compassion He felt for the crowds as “[He] went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.” He sees the “harassed and the helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” and His compassion is poured out for them. For you and for me. So just as then when Jesus sent out the 12, the 72, and eventually many more to share the Good News, now He sends out you and me to do the same. To preach the Gospel. To teach your children. To play an instrument. To balance the books. To reach the lost. Wherever and however you are called, your witness in that place and to those people is exactly what we are earnestly praying that God would strengthen you for.

No more, “Who, me?” or “Not me!” Only “Send me!” Because “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.