Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. 36 At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; 38 so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
1 Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
As Jesus continued his ministry of proclaiming the Gospel, teaching, and healing throughout the towns and villages of Galilee, he felt compassion for the crowds. Teaching in synagogues highlights his fulfillment of Jewish expectations for the Messiah (Luke 4:16–21). His proclamation of the "gospel of the kingdom" (cf. Mt. 4:23) is connected to God’s eschatological promise, His ultimate plan for the fulfillment of history. Jesus’ proclamation of the “gospel of the kingdom” points to the fulfillment of God’s ultimate plan for creation, as seen in these eschatological promises.
God’s eschatological promise, revealed through numerous passages in both the Old and New Testaments, encompasses several profound elements:
The Full Realization of the Kingdom of God: The reign of God will be complete, as all creation acknowledges His authority and dominion (cf. Rev. 11:15).
The Renewal of Creation: All of creation, currently "groaning in labor pains" due to sin and corruption (Rom. 8:22), will be liberated and transformed into a new heaven and a new earth (cf. Rev. 21:1–4; Is. 65:17).
The Resurrection of the Dead: Both the righteous and the unrighteous will rise. The righteous will be glorified and share eternal life with God in resurrected bodies (cf. 1 Cor. 15:42–49; John 5:28–29).
The Final Judgment: All humanity will stand before Christ as the righteous Judge, who will separate the righteous for eternal reward from the unrighteous for eternal punishment (cf. Mt. 25:31–46).
God’s Eternal Presence with His People: God will dwell with His redeemed forever, bringing ultimate joy, peace, and fulfillment (cf. Rev. 21:3–4).
The Defeat of Satan, Sin, and Death: The forces of evil, including Satan, sin, and death, will be completely and definitively conquered (cf. Rev. 20:10–14).
Jesus’ compassion for the crowds enhances his mission to gather the lost into the eternal kingdom, fulfilling the promises of the Good Shepherd. He was deeply moved because their spiritual leaders had failed them. They were like lost sheep without a shepherd and his ministry fulfills Moses’ prayer for a shepherd to lead Israel (cf. Num. 27:16-17). The metaphor of sheep without a shepherd (cf. Ezek. 34:5–6) critiques the religious leaders who have failed to guide Israel spiritually, and it was his responsibility as the Good Shepherd to nurture and care for them(cf. John 10:1–15).
The "harvest" symbolizes the vast number of people who are ready and in need of receiving the message of salvation which ties to the mission of gathering souls into the kingdom of God before the final judgment. While many are spiritually ready to receive the good news, there are few who are actively engaged in proclaiming it. God is depicted as the “master of the harvest,” which belongs to Him so He alone sends laborers. In commanding the disciples to pray for laborers, Jesus highlights that their mission begins with prayerful dependence on God. Yet, this prayer also calls them to readiness, as they themselves are sent forth as the first laborers in the harvest. There is a sense of urgency because there is a limited window of time when crops must be gathered before they are lost (cf. John 4:35–36).
Jesus formally commissions the Twelve, a symbolic number representing the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Mt. 19:28) which connects the new covenant community to the old, signifying the restoration of Israel. Giving the Twelve “authority” over unclean spirits and illness signifies a delegation of divine power (cf. Mt. 28:18–20), which aligns with Old Testament examples of God empowering His prophets (cf. Ex. 4:15–16; 1 Kings 17:19–24). The authority Jesus grants to the Twelve not only mirrors His divine power but also establishes the foundation for the apostolic mission of the Church, which continues His ministry to this day. The disciples’ authority over demons reflects the kingdom’s advance against Satan’s dominion (cf. Luke 10:18–20). Their ability to cure diseases mirrors Jesus’ own miracles, emphasizing their role as extensions of his ministry (cf. John 14:12).
Heavenly Father, You are the Lord of the harvest, and in Your compassion, You see the needs of Your people. Send forth laborers to proclaim Your kingdom and to bring healing to a broken world. Open our hearts to answer Your call, so that we may share in Your mission with faith and love. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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