The Laborers are Few

Before getting started, I would like to emphasize some very important points. This reflection is not meant to be a call out or a judgment. It is not meant to shame or embarrass anyone. The purpose of this reflection is to motivate people to action on behalf of Christ, and to help them experience the joy of a godly purpose. I am a sinner, just like you and everyone else in this world, and I have made my fair share of foolish and detestable comments on social media. I have improved, but I am always a work in progress. With that being said, let us look at chapter 9 of the Gospel according to Matthew, where Jesus gives us some critical information that we absolutely must act on. In verses 37 and 38, he declares the following: “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ”” As far as parables and teachings go, this stands as one of the easier lessons that Christ provides. He's not talking only about farming - rather he is talking about all good works. It is an unbalanced equation; there are simply not enough people doing good works in the world to glorify the Lord, especially when these works are so desperately needed. One of the things I truly find to be troubling and sad is how so many people utilize social media, particularly platforms like Facebook and X, but do not take any tangible action in the real world. People will "doom scroll" for hours, taking in massive quantities of political bickering and poorly researched opinions. So called "influencers" will post bold statements, sewing discord among readers to help further monetize their pages. And worst of all, people will endlessly post opinions and memes, usually along political lines, without ever having taken tangible action to combat the injustices they see in society. As we are called to do good works, that is to "labor into his harvest, " a “good work” could encompass many things. It could mean helping the poor or homeless. It could mean raising a family. It could mean showing love to your neighbor on a daily basis. It could mean being active in your Church. I suppose it could even mean running for political office, granted you are doing so in true service of others (and God). And I will be entirely fair here and say that there are a decent number of people I know who use Facebook as a tool for advocacy, which is great, but they are far outnumbered by those who are comfortable in a bubble. When a person sits behind the safety of their phone or computer monitor, and incessantly complains about how bad the world is without lifting a finger, it is tantamount to throwing a temper tantrum or ranting. Solomon would call it "meaningless. " Paul would call it "rubbish, " "dung," or "garbage. " Jesus might even call someone a "hypocrite" for doing this, as they have turned their faithfulness and mercy inward, and only appear to be righteous in an outward manner, with words and not deeds. But again, let us be clear. This isn't written to shame people, embarrass people, or call them out. It is meant to promote a service-oriented mindset, dedicated to Christ. I am one of the greatest sinners of all. I have said things (sometimes quite horrible), and did not take action to improve the situation. So I absolutely have no room to judge, only to warn and correct on this matter. This world and its people have so much potential. Imagine how much we could achieve it we turned our complaints into actions. I've been reading through the book of Exodus lately - imagine how much more these people could have grown in their faith and improved their situation if they weren't constant complaining to Moses about leaving Egypt? There are so many evils in this world. We do have the power to tackle these problems, but it is going to take a lot of us to do it, and the truth is that Christ was right when he spoke to the notion of there being too few laborers. Don't like abortion laws in your state? Protest them, raise awareness, or pray outside of an abortion clinic. Don't like a certain politician or a certain group of politicians? Start vetting and encouraging people to run against them. Or if you are able, run against them yourself. Sick of people not taking action on the Epstein files? Three million additional pages were just released. Research through them and expose what you find. That's an all hands on deck type of situation. There’s already a project in the works to recreate Jeffrey Epstein’s email inbox based on the contents released for investigative purposes. Whatever the problem, there is a solution, and that solution could lie within you. The condition of this country (and the world), will not be corrected by angry words. Celebrating someone's death, mocking a widow, mocking a protestor, or mocking people for their hardship is not an acceptable way to live your life if you desire a relationship with Christ. Equally as exhausting to listen to is the number of people who immediately jump to calling a person “Hitler” whenever they face a disagreement. Referring to everyone you disagree with as the Gestapo or something comparable will not change anything, except continue the dark cycle of hatred. It will only leave you more angry and bitter. And Satan wants us to sit there, in a bubble, satisfied that we have shared our opinion for the day. This gives us the illusion of action, when in fact nothing has been done. The phrase "an idle mind is the Devil's playground" is derived from Proverbs 16:27. Again, I am not trying to call anyone out, or shame anyone, but we as a society can do better. The absolute true joy I experience when I am fulfilling my vocational work is a gift I wish to share with the world. And none of it is possible without God, so don't think for a second that I am boasting. I wouldn’t trade it for any worldly satisfaction. I am simply obeying. So go. Labor in the harvest. Find purpose. Live your life. As Father Mike Schmitz once said, "your vocation is where your skills intersect with the needs of the world. " Now go and meet that need my friends. God Bless, and I am praying that you find your increased happiness and increased purpose in 2026!