Why So Few?

"Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.' "(Matthew 9:35-38)

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and confined (difficult) is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
(Matthew 7:13,14)

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the work of my Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "

(Mt. 7:15-23)

Is Jesus rebuking those who would prophesy, cast out demons and do wonders in His name? If He is, He contradicts Himself just a couple minutes later, when He gives His disciples power to do these very things. (Mt. 10:7,8) He is not an author of confusion! He is warning the original twelve disciples, and those disciples to follow, not to get caught up in these supernatural works, but to learn from Him what it means to practice righteousness, not lawlessness. Paul writes, "and we know that all (these) things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose...” (Romans 8:28)

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."    
(Mt. 7:24,25)

The gospels are filled with supernatural acts by Jesus Christ, and a blessing those acts are, but it was still necessary for Him to go to and through the cross; practicing righteousness. Now, pray therefore, to be sent into His harvest!