Matthew 9:35-38

Matthew 9:35-38
35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.  36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Selfishness is a weed that grows naturally in our hearts.  It is so easy for our lives to become centered on our own agendas, our own problems and our own desires.  God wants us to live in a different way.  Jesus set the example for us be living for others instead of Himself.  We can see that His ministry was marked by serving others, loving others and praying for others.  This is certainly an example worth following.  Sometimes we have a hard time deciding what our priorities should be.  There are always so many things that seem to demand attention.  Being busy with so many things can easily become a distraction from doing the most important things.  Jesus showed us what those important things are. 

SERVE OTHERS BY TEACHING: The ministry of Jesus was marked by serving others.  He served them by teaching and healing.  He had the knowledge of God’s Word that He tirelessly proclaimed as he traveled from village to village.  He had the ability to heal others and He served the people by curing their diseases.  Most of us like to be home.  We like the comfort of our own home, the quiet of our home and the ability to just relax when we are at home.  Jesus traveled from place to place in all the cities and villages.  He was constantly surrounded by people and He dedicated His life to serving them.  They needed to know the truth of God’s Word and they needed healing.  Ignorance of God’s Word and illness are two of Satan’s greatest allies.  He does not want people to learn about God and he desires to destroy the image of God that is reflected in the lives of men.  God wants us to be willing to go to these uncomfortable places all over the world and serve the people we find there by providing for their physical needs in the best way possible and provide for their spiritual needs by proclaiming the Gospel and teaching God’s Word. 

SEE OTHERS WITH COMPASSION: The ministry of Jesus was marked by loving others.  We all have the ability to ignore the reality that is right before our eyes.  Jesus did not do that; He looked at the people, thought about the people and had compassion on them.  He could see that they were like sheep without a shepherd and this broke His heart.  Wherever Jesus went there were always multitudes that were following Him.  He was not desensitized by the mass of humanity surrounding Him.  He saw them, loved them and cared very deeply for them.  The cities of the world are teaming with people that are desperately in need of help.  Their lives are busy, their minds are racing but their hearts are empty and broken.  They lack hope and meaning in their lives.  They lack direction and they long to find truth.  This reality should break our hearts.  We cannot ignore the crowds of needy people that fill the nations of the world.  We are called to see them, love them and take the Gospel to them.

SEND OTHERS THROUGH PRAYER: The ministry of Jesus was marked by praying for others.  When we look at all of the massive needs around the world or even just in our own neighborhood, it can become overwhelming.  We can only be one place at a time and do one thing at a time.  However, we can impact all the nations of the world through prayer.  We cannot go to all the place of the world but we can pray for God to send His people to all the nations of the world.  There are billions of people on this planet, many of which have never once heard the Gospel.  There are very few missionaries that are dedicated to reaching those people.  We need to pray for God to raise up more missionaries who are willing to go to the farthest corners of the world to serve people and proclaim the truth of God’s Word.  Prayer is likely the most neglected spiritual discipline in the western church today.  When we do pray it is usually more about our own wants and desires as opposed to being about the advance of the Gospel to the nations of the world.  Prayer is the most effective and efficient means we have of participating in the mission of God in the world. 


APPLICATION: Be willing to leave the comfort of our homes to go to our neighbors and the nations to serve them by teaching the Word, preaching the Gospel and meeting the basic needs of the people God places in our paths.  Notice and love the people that surround us.  Don’t be desensitized by the masses or distracted by our own issues; have compassion on others.  Pray for God to raise up missionaries for all the nations.

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