Morning Bible Study: Jesus' Teaching on Prayer, Matthew 9:35-38

Matthew 9:35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 

36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 

38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Commentary
(the following is from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, 1706 -- www.christianity.com)

"The case of those people is very pitiable, who either have no ministers at all, or those that are as bad as none; that seek their own things, not the things of Christ and souls. He excited his disciples to pray for them. His pity put him upon devising means for the good of these people. It appears (Luke 6:12, 13) that upon this occasion, before he sent out his apostles, he did himself spend a great deal of time in prayer. Note, Those we pity we should pray for. Having spoken to God for them he turns to his disciples, and tells them,

(1.) How the case stood; The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. People desired good preaching, but there were few good preachers. There was a great deal of work to be done, and a great deal of good likely to be done, but there wanted hands to do it. 

• [1.] It was an encouragement, that the harvest was so plenteous. They who needed it, desired it, and were forward to receive it. It is a blessed thing, to see people in love with good preaching. The valleys are then covered over with corn, and there are hopes it may be well gathered in. That is a gale of opportunity, that calls for a double care and diligence in the improvement of it. 
• [2.] It was a pity when it was so that the laborers should be so few; that the corn should shed and spoil, and rot upon the ground for want of reapers. It is ill with the church, when good work stands still, or goes slowly on, for want of good workmen; when it is so, the laborers that there are have need to be very busy.

(2.) What was their duty in this case (v. 38); Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest. Note, The melancholy aspect of the times and the deplorable state of precious souls, should much excite and quicken prayer. When things look discouraging, we should pray more, and then we should complain and fear less. And we should adapt our prayers to the present exigencies of the church; such an understanding we ought to have of the times, as to know, not only what Israel ought to do, but what Israel ought to pray for. Note,

• [1.] God is the Lord of the harvest; my Father is the Husbandman, John 15:1. It is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, Isaiah 5:7. It is for him and to him, and to his service and honor, that the harvest is gathered in.  He orders every thing concerning the harvest as he pleases; when and where the laborers shall work, and how long; and it is very comfortable to those who wish well to the harvest-work, that God himself presides in it, who will be sure to order all for the best. 
• [2.] Ministers are and should be laborers in God's harvest; the ministry is a work and must be attended to accordingly; it is harvest-work, which is needful work; work that requires every thing to be done in its season, and diligence to do it thoroughly; but it is pleasant work; they reap in joy, and the joy of the preachers of the gospel is likened to the joy of harvest (Isa. 9:2, 3); and he that reapeth receiveth wages; the hire of the laborers that reap down God's field, shall not be kept back, as theirs was, James 5:4. 
• [3.] It is God's work to send forth laborers; Christ makes ministers (Eph. 4:11); the office is of his appointing, the qualifications of his working, the call of his giving. They will not be owned nor paid as laborers, that run without their errand, unqualified, uncalled. How shall they preach except they be sent?
•  [4.] All that love Christ and souls, should show it by their earnest prayers to God, especially when the harvest is plenteous, that he would send forth more skillful, faithful, wise, and industrious laborers into his harvest; that he would raise up such as he will own in the conversion of sinners and the edification of saints; would give them a spirit for the work, call them to it, and succeed them in it; that he would give them wisdom to win souls; that he would thrust forth laborers, so some; intimating unwillingness to go forth, because of their own weakness and the people's badness, and opposition from men, that endeavor to thrust them out of the harvest; but we should pray that all contradiction from within and from without, may be conquered and got over. Christ puts his friends upon praying this, just before he sends apostles forth to labor in the harvest. Note, It is a good sign God is about to bestow some special mercy upon a people, when he stirs up those that have an interest at the throne of grace, to pray for it, Ps. 10:17. Further observe, that Christ said this to his disciples, who were to be employed as laborers. They must pray, First, That God would send them forth. Here am I, send me, Isa. 6:8. Note, Commissions, given in answer to prayer, are most likely to be successful. Note, Not the people only, but those who are themselves ministers, should pray for the increase of ministers. Though self-interest makes those that seek their own things desirous to be placed alone (the fewer ministers the more preferments), yet those that seek the things of Christ, desire more workmen, that more work may be done, though they be eclipsed by it."