Matthew 9:38

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. PRAY YE THEREFORE THE LORD OF THE HARVEST - the great Lord and Proprietor of all. Compare John 15:1 - "I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Husbandman." THAT HE WILL SEND FORTH LABOURERS INTO HIS HARVEST. The word [ ekbalee (G1544)] properly means 'thrust forth;' but this emphatic sense disappears in some places, as in Matthew 9:25, and John 10:4 - "When He putteth forth His own sheep." (See the note at Matthew 4:1...

38._Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest _As no man will of himself become a sincere and faithful minister of the gospel, and as none discharge in a proper manner the office of teacher but those whom the Lord raises up and endows with the gifts of his Spirit, whenever we observe a scarcity of pastors, we must raise our eyes to him to afford the remedy. There never was greater necessity for offering this prayer than during the fearful desolation of the church which we now see every where around us....

35-38 Jesus visited not only the great and wealthy cities, but the poor, obscure villages; and there he preached, there he healed. The souls of the meanest in the world are as precious to Christ, and should be so to us, as the souls of those who make the greatest figure. There were priests, Levites, and scribes, all over the land; but they were idol shepherds, Zechariah 11:17; therefore Christ had compassion on the people as sheep scattered, as men perishing for lack of knowledge. To this day vast multitudes are as sheep not having a shepherd, and we should have compassion and do all we can to help them. The multitudes desirous of spiritual instruction formed a plenteous harvest, needing many active labourers; but few deserved that character. Christ is the Lord of the harvest. Let us pray that many may be raised up and sent forth, who will labour in bringing souls to Christ. It is a sig...

Verse Matthew 9:38. _THAT HE WILL SEND FORTH LABOURERS_] οπως εκβαλλη εργατας, _that he would thrust forth labourers_. Those who are fittest for the work are generally most backward to the employment. The man who is forward to become a preacher knows little of God, of human nature, or of his own heart. It is, God's province to _thrust out_ such preachers as shall _labour_; and it is our duty to _entreat_ him to do so. A minister of Christ is represented as a _day-labourer_: he comes into the harvest, not to become _lord_ of it, not to live on the labour of others, but to _work_, and to labour _his day_. Though the work may be very _severe,_ yet, to use a familiar expression, there is good wages in the harvest-home; and the day, though _hot_, is but a _short_ one. How earnestly should the flock of Christ pray to the good Shepher...

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 9:1 _The_ _paralytic forgiven and healed. _Parallel passages: Mark 2:1; Luke 5:17. (For connexion of thought, cf. Matthew 8:18, note.) In the parallel passages this narrative follows our Matthew 8:1. Matthew's account is shorter, as usual. MATTHEW 9:1 AND HE ENTERED INTO A SHIP; _boat _(Revised Version). So completely did he grant the request of the Gadarenes. Obs

PRAY YE THEREFORE THE LORD OF THE HARVEST,.... By "the Lord of the harvest" is either meant God the Father, whose are all the elect, who has a hearty concern for them, and will have them all gathered in, not one of them shall be left; or the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who has the care and charge of the whole election of grace; and who as he must, he will bring them all in; and who has power of sending forth labourers, as the following chapter shows; and so this is a proof of prayer being made to Christ; THAT HE WILL SEND FORTH LABOURERS INTO HIS HARVEST. This is the petition the disciples of Christ were put upon making to the Lord of the harvest, on consideration of the present condition multitudes of souls were in: they could not make, qualify, and send out ministers themselves; this is not man's work, but God's: he only is able to furnish with ministerial gifts, to work upon, and powe...

Matthew 9:1. _And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city._ Our Lord had given these Gergesenes an opportunity of becoming his disciples, the kingdom of God had come very near to them, but as they accounted themselves unworthy of it, and besought him to depart out of their coasts, he did not force himself upon them. Take heed, dear friends, if you do but hear the gospel once, that you do not reject it, for you may never have the opportunity of hearing it again. Matthew 9:2. _And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee._ He saw the faith of the one man who was brought to him, and also the faith of the four be

CHAPTER 9 1. A Man Sick of the Palsy Healed. (Matthew 9:1 .) 2. The Call of Matthew (Matthew 9:9 .) 3. With the Publicans and the Sinners. (Matthew 9:10 .) 4. The Question of John's Disciples. (Matthew 9:14 .) 5. The Ruler's Request.(Matthew 9:18 .) 6. The Woman Healed of an Issue of Blood. (Matthew 9:20 .) 7. The Maid Raised from the Dead. (Matthew 9:23 .) 8. The Two Bli

MATTHEW 9:36 TO MATTHEW 10:4. THE SENDING OF THE TWELVE. Jesus sees the people distressed and scattered better, mishandled and lying helpless utterly unprepared, through lack of spiritual guidance and succour, for the Advent of the Kingdom. It was the hour of opportunity, and if there were enough heralds of the Kingdom, the flock could be folded, the ripe harvest garnered (_cf._ Luke 10:2 the charge to the Seventy; John 4:35). He has already chosen twelve disciples (Mt. assumes Mark 3:14), a number corresponding to that of the tribes of Israel ...

PRAY YE THEREFORE THE LORD OF THE HARVEST. The Lord of the harvest is Christ. When we pray the Lord for anything we must work to fulfill our own prayers. If we pray for laborers we must be willing to become laborers ourselves, or to send and sustain other laborers.. prayer is hypocritical if we do nothing to fulfill it. The sequel to these words, and the answer to this prayer, is in the sending forth of the Twelve, as narrated immediately. _They_ were bidden to pray for laborers, did no doubt pray, and their prayers were answered, for the Lord of the harvest sent _them._ Do you pray the same prayer with an entire willingness to do his will, and perhaps he will send you....