Matthew 9:35-38

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Introduction

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

35 And 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 affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

We’ve spent several months now in chapters 8-9 of Matthew’s Gospel. We’ve seen Jesus cleanse a leper, heal the sick, cast out demons, forgive sin, calm the winds and the seas, give sight to the blind and make the mute speak. His divine attributes have been on full display throughout these two chapters. It’s almost as if we were watching a condensed highlight reel of Jesus’ miraculous works, we’ve seen the whole spectrum of his divine power. And so it is here at the end of chapter 9 that we read Matthew’s concluding statement of these two chapters. Let’s read there again verse 35,

35 And 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 affliction.

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Overview Matthew 1-9

I also want to take a step back for a moment and look at the overarching picture that Matthew has painted for us thus far, to see what he’s shown us in summation. One of the disadvantages of preaching line by line is that if we don’t zoom out from time to time to see the bigger picture we’ll find it difficult, if not impossible, to see the forest through the trees. So I want us to consider for a few minutes what Matthew has shown us.
In chapters 1-4 Matthew introduces us to Jesus, his birth, his family history, and eventually the beginning and commissioning of his ministry, in chapters 5-7 we’re given a robust account of Jesus’ teachings, we have 3 whole chapters dedicated to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In many respects the Sermon on the Mount is a condensed version of most of what Jesus taught, or at least much of the substance of what he taught, it’s why we find many of its contents reiterated elsewhere at different times throughout all of the Gospels. As Jesus went from town to town many of his most important teachings would have been repeated over and over.
In chapters 8-9 we’re shown his works, the signs and wonders that accompany his ministry, the miracles that accompany his teaching. And wherever Jesus goes these two things are almost inseparable, they’re like two twin towers, his teachings and his works.
Just as we read there in verse 35 of chapter 9 that Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching and healing. In fact, Matthew used this very same language earlier at the end of chapter 4, introducing us to what he was going to show us in chapter 5-7 and eventually 8-9. So in essence he bookends chapters 5-9 with what we read in verse 35.

Transitioning to chapter 10

Now, not only does Matthew conclude the previous chapters here in verses 35-38, but he also sets us up for what’s ahead. He sets us up for what we’re going to see in chapter 10, which will be a transition from his life and his ministry to a delegating of that ministry to his disciples. They will become the agents for continuing his ministry on earth. After teaching his disciples, he’ll then empower them and command them to teach and do the very same things he’s been doing.
And what we’re going to see in chapter 10 is a transition from his life and ministry to a delegating of that ministry to his disciples. They will become the agents for continuing his ministry on earth. He teaches his disciples, and will then command them and empower them to teach and do the very same things he’s been doing.
So when Jesus says there in verses 37 to his disciples that,

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

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37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

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The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
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there’s an assumption that his disciples will be the laborers, and that Jesus intends to send his disciples out into his harvest. Which is exactly what we’ll see as Matthew continues his account in chapter 10.
There’s an assumption that his disciples will be the laborers.

Compassion

Okay, so that being said, let’s zoom back in and look more closely at our text us today. Let’s continue there in verse 36,

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

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This single verse may just be my favorite text up to this point in the book of Matthew. This sentence describes so beautifully the heart of God, it points us to a powerful aspect of Jesus’ motivation behind his mission, that frankly, should overwhelm our hearts. We read here, and from several other places in Scripture, that when Jesus saw the crowds, that he was moved with compassion.
The Greek word here translated as compassion in English is probably best translated “his heart went out,” so there in verse 36 we would read, “When he saw the crowds, his heart went out to them.” He not only had pity on them but when he saw them his heart broke for them, and thus a compassion for them welled up in his heart.
We see this same Greek word used throughout the book of Matthew. In , when Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” and Jesus responds with a parable, the parable of the unforgiving servant. He tells of a king who was intent on settling his financial accounts, and when one was brought to him who owed him money that was equivalent to 20 years salary, the servant falls on his knees and begs him to have patience with him. And how does the king respond? Jesus tells us that out of pity (or compassion) for him, the master releases him and forgives him his debt. An in the same way our own salvation, the forgiveness of our own sin, is a result of God’s compassion toward us.
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36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

35 And 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 affliction.

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Our own salvation, the forgiveness of sin, is a result of God’s compassion toward us.
In we also see Jesus’ compassion put on display when he feeds a crowd of more than 4,000 people. In verse 32 we read,

32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

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Jesus has compassion on the crowd even when he sees them hungry.
In we see, again, Jesus’ compassion, this time toward the sick. We read in verse 14 that,

14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

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So we see Jesus’ compassion exhibited toward his people when they’re sick, when they’re hungry and when they’re in need of forgiveness. And here in verse 36, of our text today, we see that Jesus also has compassion for his people when they are without a shepherd, when they are without someone to lead them, to care for them and to instruct them.
otivated by a deep love for his people.
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As Christians our forgiveness is rooted in God’s compassion toward us. Our salvation depends upon God’s steadfast love for us, in the Psalms David appeals, constantly, to God’s steadfast love for his own forgiveness, and as Paul says, God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
which compel him to forgive them, to feed them, to heal them and finally we see here in verse 36, that Jesus’ compassion toward the crowds compels him to shepherd them.

Sheep without a Shepherd

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As reformed believers we often like to recognize and scream from the mountain tops that the chief reason for which God does anything is ultimately for his own glory, and that is certainly true, but we must also recognize that God is motivated by a deep love for his people.
Here, Jesus’ heart of compassion is likened to that of the heart of a shepherd who cares for this flock. He recognized that the people of Israel had suffered harassment and were left helpless, without a shepherd, and Jesus wasn’t talking about the harassment of the Roman Empire, or the burdensome taxes of the Roman government, Jesus was talking about those who ought to have been their shepherds - the religious leaders, the scribes and teachers of the Law.
You see, the role of a shepherd is to guard, to feed and to tend to his sheep, and this was not how the religious leaders treated the people of Israel. Instead Jesus tells us that the scribes and the Pharisees laid heavy burdens on the people. In fact, if you would turn with me to Matthew chapter 23, I want you to see how Jesus describes the religious leaders of his day.
In fact, if you would turn with me to Matthew chapter 23, I want you to see how Jesus describes the religious leaders of his day.

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

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However, I suspect Matthew is largely, if not exclusively, pointing the finger at Israel’s religious leader, the Pharisees and the scribes, the teachers of the Law. Throughout the Gospels Jesus’ harshest words are almost exclusively directed at the the religious leaders of Israel.
and jump down to verse 13,

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

and then down to verse 23,

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

and verse 27,

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

I’ll stop there, but I wanted to give us a taste of exactly who it is Jesus is talking about, who are the shepherds that have so forsaken their job, that Jesus describes the crowds as analogous to sheep without a shepherd. They were so far from fulfilling their responsibilities that they might as well have been absent.
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The bottom line is that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had little interest in guarding, feeding or tending to God’s people, instead they laid heavy burdens on the people, that they might beat their own breasts in pride. They shut up the kingdom of heaven to the people, not even entering in themselves or allowing those who would enter, to go in.
This is the backdrop of Jesus’ compassion for the crowds, this is what fueled is fierce anger toward the scribes and Pharisees, but it’s also what amplified his compassion for the lost sheep of Israel, it’s what magnified his compassion toward the crowds. Can you imagine the righteous indignation (the righteous anger) that would have welled up in Jesus at the sight of these so called shepherds shutting up the door to the kingdom of heaven to those who would enter in? It’s a wonder that God is as patient with humanity as he is.
But this is why Jesus came. This is why Jesus teaches, this is why he heals the sick, this is why he delivers those oppressed by demons, it’s out of compassion for his people.

Guards, feeds and tends with God’s Word

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Now, I want to circle back and point something out. If the job description of a good shepherd is to guard, feed and tend to his sheep what does that mean metaphorically? What does it look like for Jesus to be a good shepherd? What does it look like for Jesus to guard us, to feed us, and to tend to us? How does he do that? And how do the under-shepherds of the church, pastors, elders and teachers do that?
The answer is that it’s accomplished by his Word, Jesus does this by what he says, this is why preaching and teaching was a priority for him. He guards us with his Word, he feeds us with his Word and he tends to us with his Word. The Scriptures guard our minds against deception (that we’re not tossed to and fro by every wind of teaching), the Scriptures nourish us spiritually, without it we cannot grow, we cannot mature, and Christ intends for the Scriptures to regularly tend to our souls, because without his constant care we become weak and vulnerable.
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A motivation to start Unalaska Reformed Church

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God’s Word matters

This is why what comes from the pulpit of a local church matters so much, this is why what is taught in our Bible studies matters so much, this is why the daily consumption of God’s word for every one of us matters so much. And it’s unfortunate how quick we are to feed our bodies but but neglect the nourishment of our souls, as if the body were more important. And I don’t say that to condemn us, but to spur us on, to wake us up, to challenge us to grow in our spiritual disciplines. That we might be shepherded by our Lord through his Word.
If your life feels aimless, if God seems at a distance, if your mind is a cobweb of confusion, if you feel stagnant or apathetic concerning your faith, you’re probably not exposing your heart and your mind to the council of the Holy Spirit through his Word. You can’t be shepherded if you’re not listening, you can’t learn if you’re not listening, you can’t grow if you’re not listening, and you can’t be lead by God if your not listening. His Word cannot shape us if we neglect it, our mind will not be renewed if we don’t subject it to the Scriptures.
There’s a reason that Jesus’ last words to Peter in the Gospel of John were, “Feed my sheep.” In fact, he obnoxiously instructs Peter three times. The first time he says, “Feed my lambs.” and the second time he says, “Tend my sheep.” and finally he says a third time, “If you love me, feed my sheep.”

Motivations for URC

It was texts like these that motivated this church plant. It was Jesus’ jealous compassion for his sheep to be fed that compelled us to start this local body. It’s painful for me to see God’s people go without the nourishment of God’s Word. It’s hard to watch God’s Word be handled loosely.
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Famine in the land

And it’s Jesus’ concern and compassion for his people that leads us to verses 37-38.

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

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This has been one my most urgent prayer requests over the last two years. I’m praying that the Lord would send us laborers here in Unalaska, fellow believers who can join us as we put our shoulders to the plow. More laborers to join us in reaching this city for glory of God and for the salvation of his people.

Prayer

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