December 13, 2012
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 9:35-38
OBSERVATIONS
1. I am trying to imagine what it must have been like for Jesus travelling through the towns and villages, facing both the excitement of the crowds and the rejection of the religious leaders. If I think about how tired I am after one visit with someone, what must it have been for Jesus? So many people, so much need, it must have been overwhelming. And yet also exciting to see people hopeful, healed, happy…
2. Jesus sees the crowds, His heart goes out to them. He knows that the majority of people usually end up on the bottom of the pile, harassed and helpless, while a small minority use and abuse them. We live in a relatively safe, healthy, wealthy and peaceful time, but at that time (and through most of history, and maybe through most of the 2/3rds world) people live with suffering, sickness, poverty, hunger, inequity, injustice everyday. Do we see people with compassion like Jesus does?
3. Jesus urges us to share His burden for those who suffer. He urges us to pray (ask) for more workers, which assumes that we are already working with Him. Are we? Or are we absent shepherds, people who could and should care and share and help, but who don’t? Are we good shepherds who help the sheep, or bad shepherds who primarily help ourselves? Jesus sees the harassed and helpless as ready and eager for His message.
What do you notice in this passage?
APPLICATION
1. Do I share Jesus’ compassion for the harassed and helpless? Do I see and feel the need like Jesus did? Is my heart moved by it, am I working with Him, am I praying with Him for more workers?
2. Who are the harassed and helpless in my context? I see many people in the community where our church serves as harassed and helpless, struggling under burdens of unemployment, financial strain, marriage challenges, health concerns, loneliness, depression, addictions, unhealthy relationships, abuse, bullying, etc.
3. What kind of shepherd am I? One that cares or one that hides? One that sees or one that ignores? One that goes the extra mile, or one that drags my feet in service to others? Jesus wants followers (workers) who share His heart. Do I?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, You really care about people. When I think of your time spent each day with needy people, giving yourself and your time and energy to help others… I am amazed and humbled. I want to be a worker like you, an answer to someone’s prayer.
WWJD
What did Jesus do? This section sums up how Jesus went about his ministry. He went from town to town, he spoke often in the synagogues, he told people of the good news of the kingdom, and he healed the sick. Is this what we are to do? Am I to go from town to town? I don’t really like to travel? But I can tell people what I know. I can talk about the good news of the kingdom. Perhaps I should delve deeper into what this means. What is the good news of the kingdom? It is easy to gloss over this and say that this means to become a Christian, but I don’t think that this is what it means. We see this phrase regularly, the kingdom of heaven is near. I have some ideas of what this means, but I cannot put it into clear concise words. And then there is the healing thing. I do pray for people who are sick, but I do not have a gift where miraculous healings take place when I speak. I do see God at work in my life, and the life of my family, sometimes in miraculous ways.
Jesus saw the crowds, and had compassion on them. He saw them as a sheep without a shepherd. Did he see them as wandering without a sense of direction? He then uses the analogy of harvest. The harvest is ready to come in, but the workers are few. What am I working at? Am I a harvester? What does this mean? Jesus doesn’t tell his disciples to look at the crowds and start harvesting. I think he is suggesting prayer. He says to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers. This is not my first line of thinking. I would usually see a project that needs to be done, and I would start to do it. I have a kind of a “git er done” attitude. But I need to learn to step back and spread out the work. I need to pray and ask for more workers. The thing about harvesting is that you know what the goal is, and each person does what they can. Harvesting alone, or with too few people is frustrating, and not very effective.
I pray that the picture of God’s kingdom becomes more clear to me. I pray that I can be used effectively to bring about this kingdom.
Observations:
Jesus was busy proclaiming the Good News throughout the land – in their places of worship and healing the people. The people came since their leaders were not leading. Once again, those who were sick and helpless are the ones who came to be healed, who responded to His ministry. Few ministered to tis group of people and therefor also the great response. SonSeekers.
Application:
God continues to ask for workers to be sent out to proclaim the Good News. Where do we go? Where do I go? Where is there need? Where is there the cry for help? The 10-40 window – the Joshua Project? Where do I serve? In the comfortable pew?
I need to bloom where I am planted and continue to work in the ‘vineyard’ – wherever – always – and not just stand around watching, observing, staying aloof.
Prayer:
Help me in my serving here each day so that I may be an instrument of Your peace – a shepherd – leading them to the Savior – showing them the Light of the world.
The whole world was lost
In the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Like sunshine at noonday,
His glory shone in.
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Refrain
Come to the light, ’tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me.
Once I was blind, but now I can see:
The Light of the world is Jesus!