Fellow redeemed in Christ,

This morning we are considering a fourth reason why the public ministry is a good work, a noble and excellent work, in the sight of our God. The ministry of a Christian pastor and teacher is good also because it carries out its work in fields which are ripe for the harvest. Our text is Matthew 9:35-38:

And Jesus went about all the cities and

villages, teaching in their synagogues, and

preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and

healing every sickness and every disease

among the people. But when he saw the

multitudes, he was moved with compas-

sion on them, because they fainted, and

were scattered abroad, as sheep having no

shepherd. Then saith he unto his disci-

ples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but

the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore

the Lord of the harvest that he will send

forth labourers into his harvest.

As Jesus went about the cities and towns of Israel, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, He was moved with compassion. For how miserably the priests and rabbis of Israel had been caring for the spiritual needs of the people. Instead of bringing them the Gospel of a Savior sent from God, who would free their consciences from the guilt of sin and would make them once more God's own sons and daughters--instead of bringing them this Gospel, the spiritual leaders had burdened their consciences still more by giving them hundreds, and even thousands, of man-made commandments, which aimed at regulating their lives to the smallest detail. The result was that the people were like sheep without a shepherd, whose souls were torn by the thorns and thistles of false doctrine, who were laid low from exhaustion for lack of proper spiritual nourishment.

Jesus' Savior-heart could not permit this sad condition to continue without remedy. He therefore turned to His disciples and said: "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore [literally, beg therefore] the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."

The situation is not much different today. What our Savior sees still cuts deeply into His heart. For how miserably the vast majority of the spiritual leaders in America are caring for the needs of the people. Instead of the Gospel of Christ, which is able to save men eternally for heaven, they feed them a so-called social gospel, which aims at improving society and raising the standard of living, but which leaves unanswered the great problems of sin and death and hell! And what of those many other places in the world where the people are captives of non-Christian religions--Hinduism, Mohammedanism, and the rest? Without Christ there can be no forgiveness of sins and eternal life, for as Scripture says: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4: 12).

Jesus' Savior-heart cannot permit this sad condition to continue without remedy. He therefore turns to such as us, who still have His Gospel in its saving truth, and says: "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore--beg therefore--the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."

Do you see from these words of Christ why the public ministry is such a good work in His sight? It is good because the fields are ripe for the harvest, the laborers are few, and it is His earnest desire that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. To put it simply, the ministry of Christian teachers and pastors is a good work because there is an on-going need for laborers in the harvest fields of Christ's Kingdom!

In the past the Lord has mercifully answered the prayers of His Christians for such laborers. While the members of some congregations in our CLC may have feared that the day would come when their pulpit or classroom would stand empty, God has provided continuously for all the pastoral and teaching needs.

But what about the future? According to those people who have made surveys in our church body, the need for laborers among us will become even greater as time goes on, for many of our called servants are approaching the age of retirement.

Surely when we recognize in our text the compassionate heart of our Savior towards those many in our country and beyond who lie bruised and prostrate like sheep without a shepherd, surely when we remember that great love of His whereby He has made us His own sheep and heirs of eternal life, we will be prompted to pray day by day that the Lord of the harvest would continue to send forth laborers into His harvest. We can be confident that He will answer such prayers--and in answering them He may move also some of you young people sitting here today to desire the pastoral or teaching ministry as a needed work and therefore a good work in His sight.

Well might we pray day by day with the hymn writer:

Preserve this ministry

While harvest-days are keeping;

And since the fields are white

And hands are few for reaping,

Send workers forth, O Lord,

The sheaves to gather in

That not a soul be lost

Which Thou art come to win. Amen.