Matthew 9:35-38 35And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every sickness. 36And when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; 38therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest so the he might send out workers into his harvest.”
These verses provide a summary to Jesus’ ministry in Galilee thus far and bring a short pause to the stories of his healing. Jesus traveled throughout the area around the Sea of Galilee. Many people heard his teachings and saw his miracles. Nothing like this had ever been seen. Verse 35 expresses the breadth of his ministry, with mention of all the cities and villages. Jesus focused his ministry on the synagogues where people gathered for worship and teaching. The main topic of his teaching was the good news about the kingdom of God. This new must have excited people since they were looking for God’s intervention. Jesus brought a message of hope and deliverance, which raised people’s expectations. What stood in the way of experiencing this hope was their unbelief.
Verse 36 takes a noticeable shift to Jesus’ compassion. Compassion (esplangchnisthē) shares the root meaning with the gut or inner parts where a person might have “butterflies” or ticklish feelings when nervous or feeling sorry for someone. Jesus had deep feelings for those who were suffering, and this moved him to show his love and care. The people were lost, abused, and without hope. The image of sheep without a shepherd implies that the sheep can easily get lost or be threatened by dangers. Sheep need a shepherd, just as people need a leader. Jesus as the promised Messiah provides protection from danger and salvation from evil.
As Jesus looked at the hopeless and lost people, he also saw potential. He saw a need that could be met with God’s help and the disciple’s obedience. The image shifts to a field of grain ready to be harvested. In that time, harvesting grain took a lot of labor as stalks had to be cut by hand, stacked, transported, thrashed, and ground into flour. Such a job would be overwhelming to just a few people, and so the grain be ruined and wasted. The field obvious represents the many people who are lost in sin without the Good Shepherd, Jesus. God is the Lord of the Harvest and the one who sends out workers. Prayer recognizes his sovereignty and that he is the one with the power to call and appoint the workers. The workers are disciples who respond to this call with faith and obedience. The need is great and even overwhelming, but we must remember that the harvest belongs to the Lord and so do the workers.
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