When Christ sees the crowds following him, weary and distressed and hungry for the gospel of the kingdom, he gives his disciples a charge: pray for laborers. Later in Matthew’s gospel, he calls them to be laborers themselves, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt. 28:19). But here he just calls them to pray. The disciples do not know it yet, but they are praying for themselves, those whom they will disciple and send out, and those who will labor for the same goal across the world and throughout the history of the Church that they will never meet. Here in 2020, the harvest is still plentiful, and we are still commanded to pray for people across the world, including those in our own church, serving to bring the gospel to people around them.
Matthew 9:35-38
35 And Jesus 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. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?
+ Why does Matthew compare the crowds to sheep?
+ What is the harvest?
+ Who are the laborers?
[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?
+ Is there a sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What would it mean to be a laborer in the harvest?
+ How is this passage calling us to pray for missions in our city and all across the world?
[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?
+ What is my next step?
STUDY GUIDE [ WWW.ESV.ORG ]
+ Lev. 8:1–10:20 The Establishment of the Priesthood. The book of Exodus ends with the construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 35–40), and Leviticus 1–7 provides a manual for sacrifice in the tabernacle. Now, ch. 8 records the installation of the priesthood; ch. 9 describes the first services in the tabernacle; and ch. 10 tells about an occasion when priests did not obey the Lord’s words, and also gives instructions on worship.
+ Lev. 10:1–3 Nadab and Abihu, the eldest of Aaron’s four sons, took censers of their own, put incense in them, and offered unauthorized fire (see ESV footnote) to the Lord. That is, they did the offering in their own way instead of in the way authorized by the Lord, and for this they died. Their sin probably also involved entering—or trying to enter—the Most Holy Place (see 16:1–3, 11–17; compare Heb. 9:7) after drinking alcohol (compare Lev. 10:8–11). Aaron held his peace. He apparently agreed that God was justified in killing Nadab and Abihu for their sin.