The Founder of Christianity not only thought deeply of his great mission, but he also thought of the vast harvest that the seeds of Truth which he was planting would produce—a harvest that would be garnered by his followers in the years and centuries to come. On one occasion, as he looked out upon the multitudes who followed him, "he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few." Then came his meaningful counsel, as applicable to us today as to his disciples then. Imperatively he said, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."
The Master saw the need for "labourers"—alert, capable workers in the harvest of Soul. He saw that the argument that there were too few to take care of the need was not true, and could be met and overcome. And he saw that the way to do this was through prayer. Prayer to the Lord of the harvest, specific prayer that "he will send forth labourers into his harvest." It is "His" harvest, Jesus tells us—not yours or mine. Every day let us know it is "His," and that He is able and willing to provide everything needed for its accomplishment. But we have something to do, something very important to do, something that unless we so do, the harvest will be delayed. That something is to pray—pray to "the Lord of the harvest."
How quickly we turn in prayer to God if confronted with a bodily ill or a perplexing personal problem! We realize that the Christ Science is here to preserve our health, normal relationships, and activity, and that it is our privilege and duty to use it to do this. But the Christ Science is here to do something far greater than keeping us in good health, maintaining pleasant human relations, and smoothing out our dispositions. It is here to harvest the ripening thought of the human race, to separate the tares of materiality from the wheat of spirituality. Laborers, armies of them, are needed to carry on the harvest that extends through all the seasons of time and joins hands with eternity.
