Help Wanted! – June 23, 2023

Read: Matthew 9:35-10:8

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:37,38

Help Wanted!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You often see it tucked in the corner of the window right next to the entrance to the business. The “Help Wanted” sign that is displayed lets everyone walking by know that the owner is looking to hire help.

It could be for a variety of reasons. Perhaps a former employee has moved away or moved on to another job opportunity. Maybe business has been so good that more employees are needed to stay on top of all the work. Whatever the reason, the sign communicates that inside this building, there is work that needs to be done and workers are needed to help carry it out.

While Jesus didn’t display the “Help Wanted” sign in the window of some business, his words from our verses today said the same thing: there is work to be done and workers are needed to help carry it out.

But Jesus wasn’t talking about work that involved providing a product or a service to help a company stay in business. He was talking about the most important work there is: ministry. While every believer has different opportunities to serve in ministry, there is a specific type of ministry that Jesus was referring to. We call it public ministry.

Public ministry refers to the work some believers carry out with the Bible on behalf of other believers. Pastors, teachers, and staff ministers are the kinds of workers that believers ask to serve them with the Bible. This is the kind of ministry for which Jesus needs workers.

Their service is important because they deal with souls and spiritual matters. They use God’s Word to tell unbelievers about Jesus. They use God’s Word to point out sin and its damage and consequences. They use God’s Word to point sinners to their Savior who has paid for and forgiven their sins. Their service is important because it deals with things like hell and heaven and eternity.

The next time you see a “Help Wanted” sign in a store window, think also of Jesus and his work of saving souls. On the one hand, Jesus already did all of the work—he lived, died, and rose to forgive sin and guarantee heaven. On the other hand, there is still much work to do in telling others all about his work so that they might be saved!

Closing Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for sending workers into our lives to minister to us with your Word. Help us to see how we can pray for them, serve with them, and support them as we do your important work together. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• What kind of work can you do for Jesus in your life right now?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Share how you have been blessed by someone in the public ministry.
• How might you encourage someone to consider being a pastor or a teacher in the public ministry?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Agree or disagree. Jesus doesn’t need our help to save souls.
• Discuss how we train and prepare workers for public ministry in our church body.