In Matthew 9:35–38, Jesus is not celebrating the labor movement.  Rather, He is making a sobering declaration about the scarcity and inadequacy of qualified workers in the Kingdom His presence had ushered in.  The rule and reign of God were not merely imminent; they were immediate, because the Son of God was present among us.  The eternal Word of God had become flesh and was dwelling with His people.  Yet His mission to the downcast, the downtrodden, and the disinherited appeared imperiled by a shortage of laborers.  This message examines that shortage and explores its implications for the church today.