Get to Work Matt 9:35-38

Matthew 9:27–38 “ When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.” 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.””

Matthew 9:35 “ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

All the what? Cities and villages. “The Jewish historian Josephus estimated the population in Galilee at the time of Christ was between 200,000 and 300,000. The population of Jerusalem was about 80,000, but increased dramatically sometimes reaching an estimated near million people. The overall Jewish worldwide population was approximately seven million, with more than five million living outside Israel in the diaspora (the dispersion). The Jewish population of Israel was around one- to one-and-a-half million, but the total population of Israel was around two million; only half of the population was Jewish. Most of the Jewish population lived in Judea, including Jesus and his disciples, in a pocket of Galilee in the north.”

What was he doing? Teaching, Preaching the Gospel. And healing EVERY sickness and disease He encountered.

Teaching: didaskon: verb to teach/instruct in formal or informal setting. Jesus taught what the truth of who he was, what he came for and what the Lord was doing with Him there and many rejected Him. One of the greatest examples of His teaching is the sermon on the mount, (Matthew 5-7)

at the end of the sermon we read, Matthew 7:24–27 “ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”” Matthew 7:28–29 “ And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

Jesus teaches from an incredible authority. Himself.

James 2:8 “ If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;”

Preaching the Gospel (of the Kingdom)

JTB, Jesus, preached repentance and belief in Him for the Jews (and others) to enter the kingdom. Matthew 3:1–3 “ In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”” Jesus would say, Matthew 4:17 “ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””

The Good news is that deliverance is found wholly in Jesus. he would say in Matthew 10:6–7 “ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Luke 8:1 “ Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,”

healing every sickness and every disease among the people - Jesus accomplished miracles in everyway. People were blown away by His teaching, preaching and of course Miracles. They convinced even the fearful Pharisees, John 3:2 “ This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”” Matthew 9:33 “ And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!””

Now in 10, we read - Matthew 10:1 “ And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”

Matthew 10:1 “ And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” Luke 9:1 “ Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”

Many argue saying that healing like this is not for today. I understand that, and I think that because many don’t seek Him and He is testing His church. Because we are commanded to pray, to lay hands and heal even as a fellowship. James the brother of Jesus would say James (the brother, not Apostle speaking to other non-apostle folks) 5:13–18 “ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

Do the gifts operate today as they did then? I don’t know exactly. What we see, read, know, things are different, strange. This church age many would say, is drawing close to an end. The falling away is come. But thats a whole other study.

Matthew 9:36–37 “ But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

This compassion - σπλαγχνίζομαι; σπλάγχναc, ων n (only in the plural): to experience great affection and compassion for someone—‘to feel compassion for, to have great affection for, love, compassion.’ for all. It is the strongest word for pity in the koine greek. Its the inward parts of a sacrifice. Spleen originally as a noun.

Jesus doesn’t look at our desperation and need with disgust but has that gut shot. God has always loved us from the center of being. The sheep (israel) without a shepherd (not seeing Jesus as the good shepherd) is for them to be lost.

Look, the Pharisees and scribes were supposed to be leading and guiding the people but had failed Ezekiel 34:2–6 “ “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”” Ezekiel 34:23–24 “ I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.” He said to Israel, Ezekiel 34:31 “ “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.”

Jesus said, I am the door of the sheep (John 10:7), the good shepherd in John 10:11 “ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

The answer is…

Matthew 9:38 “ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.””

In light of all this, Pray! One of the toughest battles, to pray. One of the greatest battles, prayer. Prayer to to bring your direct praise, requests and intercessions directly to the maker of the universe. Its to have a conversation with Jesus even as he intercedes for us in heaven. The writer of Hebrews says, Hebrews 4:16 “ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Paul spoke of the power of prayer and being the worker Jesus prayed for Ephesians 6:18–20 “ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Laborers into His harvest. Thas’ you and me bubba. We are the answer to this prayer. How do you know if you are part of it?

In John 14:12, Jesus states, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these he will do, because I am going to the Father." Here's a quick breakdown of what this passage means: 

"Truly, truly, I say to you":This phrase emphasizes the importance and certainty of what Jesus is about to say.

"whoever believes in me":This refers to those who have faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. For us it would be

"will also do the works that I do":Jesus is promising that those who believe in him will be empowered to do the same kind of works that he did, like teaching, healing even casting out demons.

"and greater works than these he will do":This is the key point of the verse, as Jesus is saying that believers will not only do the same works he did, but they will also do even greater things not because better than jesus but he on earth was only one person. Add a few million we can do a lot.

"because I am going to the Father":Jesus explains that his departure to the Father will enable believers to do greater works through the in-dwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

Application: One commentator noted that Jesus was He was accused of blasphemy, low morals, ungodliness and being in league with the devil. What does he ask for? Prayer!

Notice too, that the greatest need for prayer then and now, isn't what political party is in power over them or us, but that the worker go into the harvest and see the fruit that God is producing!

His response to those in need should move us. Do we dismiss others? Do we shirk our hearts work for them? Do we suppress our compassion and pity for our flesh? If Israel was the scattered sheep at the time, how much more the world being tossed to and fro. Here is the work of God, John 6:29 “ Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.””

Choose today that we would repent, believe, receive. Pray