“Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.’” —Matthew 9:35–38
In these verses Matthew concisely summarizes Jesus’ threefold earthly ministry—teaching, preaching, and healing.
This summation was to demonstrate, particularly to his Jewish readers, that Christ was indeed their long-awaited Savior. All of Jesus’ actions were intended to convince the Jewish people that God’s hand was moving at this time in history to accomplish His purposes. Yes, the time had fully come. His hearers were in turn each held responsible to repent—to turn from their sin—and believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
It is no different today! Each one of us is called to turn away from our sin and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior! God was and is the giver of repentance and faith. He never changes.
Jesus demonstrated compassion to the harassed and helpless. It is not a pretty sight when sheep are left without a shepherd. They are bothered by wolves, bothered by parasites, and bothered by their own thick coats. They wander and are unable to help themselves. We are quite like them. Jesus looked at the human suffering before Him and felt deep compassion. He hurt because His people hurt. Never subscribe to the theory that the Lord Jesus does not care about our pain, problems, or predicaments. Even when He is silent, even when the wind keeps blowing, He cares and He cares deeply. He rises to show us compassion.
Jesus describes the great sea of human need by saying in Matthew that “the harvest is plentiful.” In every generation it is so. We are to open our eyes and ears to those around us. We too live in a time of a plentiful harvest. Jesus tells us to pray, asking the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into the fields!
He not only asks us to pray, He also commands us to “Go!” Go to your neighbor, go to your co-worker, go to the waitress, go to the classroom. Go to the furthest ends if God is leading. Go to your neighbor. If He sets before your eyes a need, you are the one to reach out to fill that need, or at the very least, to do your part. If you have two feet and a heartbeat, there is a plan for your life in God’s harvest field.
Become More
Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18–20
Further Reflections
“When a person sees the excellence of the gospel, he senses the beauty and loveliness of the divine scheme of salvation. His mind is convinced that it is of God, and he believes it with all his heart. The light of the gospel is the glory of Christ, his holiness and beauty. Clearly, it is this divine light, shining into our hearts, that enables us to see the beauty of the gospel and have a saving belief in Christ. This supernatural light shows us the superlative beauty and loveliness of Jesus, and convinces us of His sufficiency as our Saviour. Only such a glorious, majestic Saviour can be our Mediator, standing between guilty, hell-deserving sinners such as ourselves, and an infinitely holy God. This supernatural light gives us a sense of Christ that convinces us in a way nothing else ever could.” —Jonathan Edwards
“While I regarded God as a tyrant I thought my sin a trifle; But when I knew Him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against Him. When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good.” —C.H. Spurgeon