Mt 9:32-38
32As [Jesus and his disciples] were going out, a demoniac who could not speak was brought to [Jesus], 33and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”
35Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. 36At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; 38so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Reflection:
So ask the master of the harvest. We experience scarcity in different forms: so many expenses, but very meager budget; so many tasks with so little time; so many responsibilities, yet we are alone; so many places to see with inadequate funds; so many possible experiences with so limited opportunities; abundant harvest, yet very few laborers. Pray that God send more laborers? Resources will always look meager before the needs. So what can we do?
First, minimize the negativism. The Pharisees always see something wrong in everything that Jesus does, attributing his healing of a demoniac to the devil. Second, we do what we can and make the most of what we have. Jesus goes around all the towns and villages, preaching and healing. And third, amid the lack and the busyness, do not set aside the humbling act of asking the Master for blessing: pray.
When I was a little kid, one of my favorite cartoons was called the “Wacky Races.” A funny character in that crazy race, a dog named Muttley, had only one line: “We’ll never make it, we’ll never make it.” This negative attitude should not have a place in our own race to fill in the scarcity we experience.