At that time Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.
With these words Jesus addresses his disciples, using a comparison. “The harvest is plentiful” means that there are many people who are ready to hear and receive the Gospel, but the phrase “the workers are few” means that there are few who are ready to labor in that mission, leading people toward the kingdom of God. These words encouraged (and encourage) that the disciples (future believers) should be ready to serve and help people, so that they may understand and receive the word of God.