OUR FATHER WHO IS THE LORD OF THE HARVEST

Reaching the last section of Mathew chapter 9, verses 35 - 38, we  learn of Jesus' itinerary and the activities that He carried out at each port-of-call as he traversed the country to visit the big and small settlements of people.

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 

36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 

37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 

38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

As he travelled among the people and healed them of their diseases, He was moved with compassion for them as He perceived their listlessness and directionless lives.

Jesus pointed out to His disciples that people in this condition were ready to hear the message of the kingdom and that the harvest was truly plentiful  in the territory at that time.

The Lord directed His disciple to pray that the Lord of the harvest sends laborers to assist with the great work of bringing in the harvest.

The lord of the harvest is the in command and control over the operations of the harvest.

Harvesting has many dimensions that fall under the responsibility of the lord of the harvest and once the decision is made to begin the harvest, these components are given into his control.

He will call the shots on hiring, training, firing, workplace policies, wages, quality control, tools and supplies, optimization, processing, transportation, storage, pest control, theft control and delivery of the harvest.

Below are some examples from scriptures reflecting different lords of the harvest looking after different aspects of the harvesting operation.

The parable Mathew chapter 20 verses 7 - 8 captures the lord of the harvest hiring and arranging for wages to be paid and setting the policies of renumeration.

7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

Another lord of the harvest is Boaz in the book of Ruth and we see his adminstration of his authority in helping Ruth in chapter 2 verses 8 - 9;

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

Here we see Boaz setting work policies against harrassment and administrating access to company supplies.

These and many others descriptions of the management of the harvesting operation in scripture reflect the realities and requirements of the harvest of the souls of men into the granaries of the kingdom of God.

God is the Lord of this harvest and He is in charge of hiring, training, firing, workplace policies, wages, quality control, tools and supplies, optimization, processing, transportation, storage, pest control, theft control and delivery of the harvest.

In the time frame of the narrative, in the face of a huge harvest, the Lord indicates that hiring of workers is the priority.

38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Amen.

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