9:37 harvest. Often a metaphor for the end-time activity of God. That the harvest is “plentiful” indicates that the “harvest” is not the harvest time but the crop (as in Luke 10:2). The emphasis here is on the proclamation of the gospel, the eschatological announcement that precedes judgment and urges people to repent and have faith. The “laborers” are not the angels sent to gather for judgment (13:49) but disciples who imitate Jesus by proclaiming the coming of the kingdom (10:7). Jesus does not yet command His disciples to go into the harvest as laborers, but to pray to God to send workers. No one can do the work of harvest without being called to it and equipped for it by God.