The need of labourers for the harvest is very forcibly brought to our notice when the Lord has so recently removed one of His labourers from our midst. The removal of any of the Lord’s people is a matter of solemn concern to those who have the good of Zion at heart. It means that another praying person has been taken from the earth and this is no small consideration. How much more should we be solemnly affected when the Lord takes away His own servants who declared the gospel of His grace. In both instances we have every reason to search into the question of why the Lord is doing so. Why is He removing so many of His people from our midst? Why has He taken away one of His servants almost before he had finished his course? One answer to the question is, of course, ‘It is the Lord, let Him do as seemeth good in His sight’. Divine sovereignty is one way of accounting for these unusual events.
We are not allowed to rest, however, in this explanation alone, satisfying as it may be when viewing matters from God’s side. We are accountable creatures, and therefore human responsibility cannot be overlooked. Have we not to ask then, from our own side, in connection with these solemn events, ‘Is there not a cause?’ May not an undervaluing of our privileges often account for the removal of spiritual blessings. A faithful pastor is a precious gift from the Lord and to despise such a gift may provoke the Lord to withdraw that blessing from us. If we fail to wait upon our pastor’s ministry as we ought, or forget to pray for the divine blessing upon his labours, then we are being neglectful of our duties with respect to him. In such circumstances, if the Lord take him away, what grounds have we for complaint? If, on the other hand, we have waited on the ministry of our pastor, and endeavoured to pray for a blessing on that ministry, could it be that our hearts were not fully opened to receive a blessing from it? We may put our ‘Amen’ to the gospel we hear and yet never put into practise the duties which it teaches.
We may be hearers of the Word and not doers of it. Or we may only fulfil those duties which are pleasing to ourselves. Son, give me thine heart, is the divine command. This calls for a life of devoted service to the Lord — a following of the Lord fully at whatever cost. When we heard the gospel did we say, rather, Yes, I will follow the Lord, but in my way, and at my pace, and to the extent that I deem prudent. Did we really take up the call of Christ — “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” — when the gospel was preached to us? Did we really part with the world when we took up with Christ, or did we embrace Him with a divided heart? If so, then we have still to embrace Him, and no wonder if the Lord should remove our pastor if we have dealt so freely and loosely with the Gospel he declared. There are many other avenues also that we could search into to establish the cause of the Lord having brought a Gospel ministry to an end.
But to return to the need for labourers. The Lord of the harvest while present in this world saw that need and was moved with compassion towards the multitudes because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. The compassionate Redeemer knew the needs of men better than men knew it themselves. He knew what was in man. He knew what remedy alone would suffice to meet that need. He came to meet that need by giving Himself a ransom for many, in order that He might reconcile sinners to God. Men needed to hear the truth — the truth concerning themselves, concerning God and His claims, and concerning the salvation which He was to provide. He Himself had gone about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. But He was soon to leave them and there was still a great harvest of souls to be gathered in — “the harvest truly is plenteous”. It was to be gathered in through the preaching of the Word — so the wisdom of God had decreed. But the labourers were few. There were not sufficient labourers available at that time for the great work that had to be done. How was this to be remedied? Christ gives the answer: “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.”
To this duty then we are called — not only the duty of prayer generally, but of prayer particularly for more labourers for the harvest. Christ’s servants are God’s gifts to His Church on earth and while they are procured primarily in virtue of the intercession within the veil of Christ, the great Head of the Church, yet they are to be obtained secondarily by the believing application for these blessings at a throne of grace and through the persevering intercession of the people of God. “I will yet be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them” is applicable in this as well as in other connections. Let us then come boldly to the Throne of Grace to ask mercies of the God of heaven and, in particular, this special mercy of faithful servants to declare His truth. The eventual result would be that we could then hopefully and expectantly look forward to the ingathering of a great harvest of souls to Jesus Christ and that by the power and blessing of His Holy Spirit.