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Luke 10:2
ESV And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
NIV He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
NASB And He was saying to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
CSB He told them, "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.
NLT These were his instructions to them: 'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.
KJV 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.

What does Luke 10:2 mean?

As Jesus prepares seventy-two disciples to heal and preach that the kingdom of God has come, He tells them to pray for even more messengers. Jesus is not just looking for students; He wants emissaries who will invite others into a relationship with Him. John the Baptist's work was true, but only a preparation. Despite having gone from one—Jesus—to twelve, to more than seventy, the kingdom message needs even more couriers. Like their food, shelter, and clothing, only God can provide partners for the mission (Luke 10:4–7). Many will reject their message, but the message needs to get out to those who will hear and understand (Luke 10:13–15; Romans 10:14).

As Israel was largely a nation of farmers, Jesus often used parables that referenced plants and crops. The most well-known is probably the parable of the sower, where Jesus compared the gospel to seed and the hearts of the hearers to different soils (Luke 8:4–8). Other agriculture-driven parables in Luke include the tree and its fruit (Luke 6:43–45), the barren fig tree (Luke 13:6–9), the mustard seed (Luke 13:18–20), and the wicked vine dressers (Luke 20:9–18).

Jesus' metaphor here reflects the nature of harvest. Crops are ready for harvest at specific times. At that time, extra workers are needed. Jesus' short earthly ministry is nearing its end, and messengers are needed to encourage people to respond. We experience this today; when a natural disaster or other tragedy occurs, people are often more open to the gospel. Believers need to be ready to give hope when people are ready to receive it.

Matthew 9:37–38 parallels this verse but in a section that gives an overall summary of Jesus' ministry in Galilee.
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