"The Harvest is Plentiful, the Laborers Few"
Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Text: Matthew 9:35-10:10 (Primary); Genesis 12:1-4a, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Psalm 73 (Supporting)
Introduction
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today’s Gospel presents us with a scene both urgent and
tender: Jesus looks upon the crowds with compassion, seeing them as “harassed
and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). He then
tells His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are
few” (v. 37). This text reveals to us our helplessness under the
Law, Christ’s mercy in the Gospel, and our calling as His laborers.
I. The Law: Helpless Sheep Without a Shepherd
Jesus sees the crowds and recognizes their true
condition—lost, weary, and oppressed. They are like sheep without a
shepherd, vulnerable to the wolves of sin, death, and the devil.
This is not just a description of first-century Israel—it
is a mirror of our own condition apart from Christ. The Law exposes
our helplessness:
- We
cannot free ourselves from sin.
- We
cannot escape death.
- We
cannot find true peace on our own.
Even in our modern world—with all its technology, wealth,
and self-help programs—the human heart remains restless, harassed by guilt,
fear, and emptiness. The Law leaves us with no illusions: we need a
Savior.
II. The Gospel: The Compassion of Christ and His Sending
of Laborers
But Jesus does not leave us in our helplessness. He has
compassion (v. 36)—not just a feeling, but action. He does three things:
- He
preaches the Gospel of the Kingdom (v. 35)—the good news that God has
come to save.
- He
heals every disease and affliction (v. 35)—showing His power over
sin’s curse.
- He
sends out laborers (10:1-10)—first the Twelve, and now His Church—to
proclaim the same message.
This is pure Gospel: Christ does not wait for us to
come to Him—He comes to us. He sends His Word, His ministers, His
Sacraments to gather His scattered sheep.
And how does He send His laborers? Not with worldly
power, but with His Word and authority (10:1, 7-8). The disciples are to
go empty-handed (10:9-10), showing that the kingdom comes not by human
might, but by God’s grace alone.
III. The Imperative: Pray, Go, and Trust
What, then, does this mean for us? Jesus gives us both
a promise and a task.
- Pray
for Laborers (v. 38)
- The
harvest is still plentiful—souls are perishing without Christ.
- We
must pray first, because only God can raise up workers for His
harvest.
- Go
as Laborers (10:1-10)
- Every
Christian is sent—not just pastors.
- We
go not with our own wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18-25) but with Christ’s
Word.
- Like
Abraham (Gen. 12:1-4), we go in faith, trusting God’s promises.
- Trust
Christ’s Provision (10:9-10)
- The
world says, “Take security with you.”
- Jesus
says, “Freely you have received; freely give.” (10:8)
- Like
the Psalmist (Ps. 73:23-26), we learn that God alone is our
strength.
Conclusion: The "Foolishness" of God’s Mission
The world will always mock the way of the Gospel. It seems
foolish to:
- Trust
a crucified Savior (1 Cor. 1:18).
- Preach
repentance and forgiveness to a self-sufficient world.
- Give
generously when the world hoards with no expecting return or recognition.
But this is the way of Christ—the way of compassion,
sending, and faith.
So, dear Christians, you are the laborers He sends
today. You may feel weak, unprepared, even foolish—but Christ’s Word is
your authority, His cross your power, and His promise your certainty.
The harvest is still plentiful. The Lord still has
compassion. And He still sends. Let us pray, go, and trust—for His kingdom
is at hand.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Lutheran Distinctives Emphasized:
- Law
& Gospel: The Law shows our helplessness; the Gospel shows
Christ’s mercy.
- Means
of Grace: The kingdom comes through Word and Sacrament, not human
methods.
- Vocation: All
Christians are sent, not just clergy.
- Theology
of the Cross: God works through weakness, not worldly strength.
"The
Kingdom Comes Through Christ’s Word, Not Our Strength"
Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Text: Matthew 9:35–10:10 (Primary)
| Genesis 12:1–4a, 1 Corinthians 1:18–25, Psalm 73 (Supporting)
Introduction
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
When Jesus looks at the crowds, He doesn’t see a problem to
be managed—He sees sheep without a shepherd, lost in sin and death (Matthew
9:36). His response? Not a program, not a self-help strategy, but the
preaching of the Gospel and the sending of laborers with nothing but His Word (10:7–8).
This is how God’s kingdom comes—not by power, not by
wisdom, but through the foolishness of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18) and the
weakness of preaching. Today, we see:
- The
Law’s diagnosis – We are the helpless sheep.
- The
Gospel’s remedy – Christ has compassion and sends His Word.
- The
Church’s mission – We are sent in the same weakness, trusting His
promise.
I. The Law Exposes Our Helplessness (Matt. 9:36; Ps.
73:2–3, 16–17)
Jesus sees the crowds as “harassed and helpless”—not
just physically weary, but spiritually lost, trapped under sin’s
tyranny.
- Like
sheep without a shepherd, they (and we!) are vulnerable to false
saviors—money, pleasure, power, self-righteousness.
- Like
the Psalmist (Ps. 73), we are tempted to envy the wicked,
thinking, “Does it even pay to follow God?”
- Like
Abram (Gen. 12:1), we are called to leave behind false
securities—yet we cling to them, proving we do not truly trust God.
The Law’s verdict? We are incapable of
saving ourselves. Left to ourselves, we wander into destruction.
II. The Gospel Reveals Christ’s Compassion (Matt.
9:35–38; 10:1, 7–8)
But Jesus does not leave us in our lostness. He
acts.
- He
Preaches the Kingdom (v. 35)
- Not
moral advice, but a royal announcement: “God is here
to save!”
- This
is the same Word that called Abram (Gen. 12:1–4)—a Word
that creates what it commands.
- He
Heals the Broken (v. 35)
- His
miracles are signs of the coming restoration—forgiveness for
the guilty, life for the dead.
- He
Sends Laborers with Nothing but His Word (10:1, 7–8)
- The
disciples are told to take no supplies (10:9–10)—why?
- Because the
kingdom doesn’t come by their efforts, but by Christ’s
authority alone.
- This
is the "foolishness of God" (1 Cor. 1:25)—salvation
by a crucified Savior, delivered through weak preachers.
The Gospel’s promise? “Freely you have
received; freely give” (10:8). Forgiveness, life, and
salvation are gifts—not rewards.
III. The Imperative: Sent in Weakness, Sustained by
Christ (Matt. 10:5–10; 1 Cor. 1:18–25)
What does this mean for us?
- Pray
for Faith to Trust the Shepherd (Matt. 9:38)
- We
are still prone to wander—pray that Christ would keep us in
His Word.
- Go
as Those Who Have Been Given Everything (10:8)
- You
are sent not because you are strong, but because Christ is.
- Like
Abram, you go with only a promise—but His Word is enough.
- Preach
the Cross—Foolishness to the World, Power to Save (1 Cor. 1:18)
- The
world will mock: “How can a crucified Jesus help me?”
- But this
is the very power of God—for only in dying with Christ do we
live.
Conclusion: The Shepherd Still Sends
Dear Christians, you are the weak, foolish laborers Christ
sends today.
- You
will feel inadequate—good! The kingdom depends on His
strength, not yours.
- You
will face mockery—rejoice! You bear the cross, which is the
power of God.
- You
will doubt—but the Lord who called Abram, who sent the Twelve, still
speaks: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor.
12:9).
So go—not in your name, but in His. Preach—not
your wisdom, but Christ crucified. And trust—not your worthiness,
but His promise:
“The harvest is plentiful… The kingdom of heaven is at
hand.”
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Key Lutheran Emphases Strengthened:
✅ Law/Gospel Dialectic –
Sharp contrast between helplessness under sin and Christ’s
free mercy.
✅ Means of Grace – The kingdom comes only
through Christ’s Word, not human methods.
✅ Theology of the Cross – God works through
weakness, suffering, and foolish preaching.
✅ Vocation – All Christians are sent, but always
as receivers first, then givers.
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