The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 18 October 2024 — Labourers Are Few
TOPIC: Labourers Are Few
READ: Luke 10:1-9 (KJV)
1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
THE MESSAGE:
Today we commemorate the ministry of Luke the Evangelist. He was a physician, a notable evangelist, and a very close companion of Paul in his missionary exploits. At a point in Paul’s missionary outreaches, many of his close associates abandoned him – Demas, Crescens, Titus – and he testified that only Luke was with him (2 Timothy 4: 10-11). Luke is said to be the instrument that assisted Paul to establish the newly converted disciples at Philippi.
In today’s passage, we see the burden in the heart of Jesus for the need for genuine labourers in the harvest field of the Lord. He lamented, “The harvest is truly great, but the labourers are few.” It is a great concern to any true Christian leader today that there are too many hirelings in the ministry whose belly is their God and their mind is on earthly things, as Apostle Paul lamented (Philippians 3:18-19). Jesus called such ministers hirelings (John 10: 12-13) working for their pay; they are not ready to labour or sacrifice for God’s kingdom.
The likes of St. Luke the Evangelist, are very scarce. The Lord admonished that we should pray for God to send labourers into the harvest field. Are you a hireling, labourer or spectator?
PRAYER: Father, send labourers into the harvest field and make me one of them. Amen
