Jesus is compassionate and He sees the world as it is and as it will be. Matthew 9:35-38

As we begin our time in this passage I want to interject one of the aspects of Matthew’s gospel into our sermon. Matthew’s gospel presents the truth of Jesus, but He also presents the process for discipleship and the multiplication of the Kingdom.

Matthew’s Gospel presents the four phases of discipleship.

Matthew’s Gospel begins with an introduction of who Jesus and where he comes from with Matthew 1:1-2:23

The next section runs from Matthew 3:1–4:11, and this presents Jesus’ preparation for ministry. This section concludes with the confrontation between Jesus and Satan in the wilderness.

In Matthew 4:12-22 Jesus calls His disciples to follow Him and learn from Him. He told them they would eventually learn to fish for people like they had been fishing in the Mediterranean their whole lives.

When Jesus said come and follow me it was a call to discipleship. And it is through the disciples that Jesus multiplies and expands the Kingdom.

Disciples learn from their teachers in 4 phases… and these four phases are visible throughout Jesus ministry in the Gospel of Matthew.

Four Phases of Discipleship

Phase 1 - The master does, the disciple watches

Phase 2 - The master does, the disciple helps

Phase 3 - The disciple does, the master helps

Phase 4 - The disciple does, the master watches

Phase 1 of the discipleship process begins with Matthew 4:23–24.

These verses are a summary of what Matthew is going to unfold for us in the coming pages of Jesus’ ministry.

“23 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 Then the news about him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And he healed them.” - Matthew 4:23–24 (CSB)

This marks the transition in Matthew’s Gospel to Phase One of the discipleship process of Jesus in his ministry with the disciples.

Here in Matthew 5:1-9:34 the master is doing, and the disciples are watching and learning.

Matthew 5:1-7:29 records Jesus teaching, and His disciples are learning

Matthew 8:1-9:34 records Jesus healing, and His disciples are bearing witness to the work of the divine.

Our passage today transitions us into the next section of Matthew’s Gospel. In this section we see Jesus and His disciples enter into Phase 2 of the discipleship process. (Phase 2 - The master does, the disciple helps)

Look with me at Matthew 9:35–38 (CSB)

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness., 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Matthew 9:35-38, and Matthew 4:23-24 serve as bookends this section of the Gospel.

In our passage today we are going to focus our attention on this truth:

Jesus is compassionate and He sees the world as it is and as it will be

Jesus sees a world of people who can be saved because He is compassionate and sees the world as it is and as it can be.

Jesus is compassionate and He sees the world as it is and as it will be

Jesus sees the world as it is: “they were distressed and dejected”

Ezekiel 34:1–6 (CSB)

The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock? 3 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened animals, but you do not tend the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty. 5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered. 6 My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and there was no one searching or seeking for them.

Jesus sees the nation of Israel as the scattered flock that Ezekiel prophesies about. He sees them as they are, distressed and dejected.

And, as Matthew has shown us Jesus has come for the whole world, not just the Jews. So, we can say that Jesus sees the world as it is. The world is full of the distressed and dejected, and Jesus has come to save them.

The word “distressed” brings to mind the imagery the wounded, torn, or harassed.

The word “dejected” is like those who are cast down. People who are without strength, help, or the resources to make it through the situation they are facing.

The “distressed and dejected” are without the help, direction, and protection that they need.

The lost are distressed, dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

There may not have been someone looking for them before Jesus, but Jesus makes it clear throughout his life, death, and resurrection that He has come for those no one was searching for. Jesus has come to bring His sheep home by redeeming them through cross and an empty tomb.

Those in the world are under the constant weight of violent and cruel leaders.

The only ruler is all good is Jesus, every other ruler and government has a selfish and sinful stain that Jesus doesn’t have.

Those in the world are lost and far from God.

There is a spiritual hunger in the hearts of sheep who don’t have a shepherd. Those in the world are far from God. They are the ones that Ezekiel says are astray. This means they have wandered far from the care, provision, and protection of the shepherd. They are vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy, and they have wandered up to the high places where they worship false gods and place all their hope in their own strength or mute idols.

The world eats without knowing what goodness tastes like.

The world sees life as safe and successful without knowing what goodness looks like.

Psalm 34:8 (CSB) says, “8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!”

The world is distressed… The world is dejected… and yet it doesn’t know it because it hasn’t tasted of the goodness of God. The world stands condemned in its sin and destined for the fires of hell because it hasn’t seen the goodness of God’s grace in the gospel.

The world may look satisfied

The world may look successful

The world may look joyful, but it isn’t. The world is lost.

It is this condition, the human condition, that drew the compassion of Jesus. He sees the world as it is, but He also sees what it can be.

Jesus is compassionate: “when he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them”

It was the same compassion that moved in the heart of God before the foundations of the earth were formed to establish Christ as the Savior of mankind. God’s response to sin has always been compassionate.

“Think about this: before the universe was created, before time existed, before man was created, God knew that we (in Adam) would sin. He knew we would rebel against our Creator. And in the wisdom and love of God, in eternity, He predetermined a plan so that we could receive a free gift of salvation. In eternity, God planned for the Son of God to step into history to provide the ultimate sacrifice—the sinless Son of God would suffer sin’s penalty of death, be raised from the dead, thus providing a way of salvation.” - Ken Ham, CEO and Founder of Answers in Genesis (The Ark Encounter and Creation Museum)

This is the compassion that prompted God’s promise of salvation in Genesis 3

This is the compassion that led Abraham out of Ur and promised to bless every nation through his descendant.

This is the compassion that sent Moses to Egypt to save His people from slavery and bondage.

This is the compassion that ordained David as King and promised an eternal heir would reign on the throne.

This is the same compassion that moved Christ from His throne in heaven to Mary’s womb.

This is the same compassion that, in a few short years from this moment in Mathew’s gospel will be demonstrated on the cross through His death, burial, and resurrection.

Jesus sees the condition of humanity and He has compassion.

For application:

You may think you’ve been satisfied by the good things of the world.

You may think you’ve been successful in life.

You may think you’ve experienced joy… but if you haven’t tasted of the goodness and the grace of God, then you don’t know true satisfaction or joy!

Jesus came out of compassion to bring you true satisfaction and joy.

Will you taste and see that God is good by trusting in Christ for your salvation, forgiveness, and life?

You can trust in Christ and be saved because Jesus is compassionate and He sees the world as it it, but He also sees what it will be. This means He sees what you will be in Christ.

Jesus sees the world as it will be: “the harvest is abundant”

Ezekiel 34:11–16 (CSB)

11 “ ‘For this is what the Lord God says: See, I myself will search for my flock and look for them. 12 As a shepherd looks for his sheep on the day he is among his scattered flock, so I will look for my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and total darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them to their own soil. I will shepherd them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will tend them in good pasture, and their grazing place will be on Israel’s lofty mountains. There they will lie down in a good grazing place; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will tend my flock and let them lie down. This is the declaration of the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.

The harvest isn’t a hope, it’s a promise.

Jesus is the compassionate and merciful shepherd who has come to save His sheep. Jesus didn’t come in hopes that He would save, Jesus came with the guarantee that He would save.

Like He said in Ezekiel 34:15-16, “15 I will tend my flock and let them lie down. This is the declaration of the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.”

Jesus doesn’t promise the potential for salvation, Jesus makes the guarantee that through His redeeming work on the cross there will be salvation.

Jesus has come to bring back the strays

Jesus has come to bandage the injured

Jesus has come to strengthen the weak!

The harvest is plentiful.

This statement is not a theory, this is the declaration of the Lord. The Lord is so sure of the harvest that He calls us to pray for more laborers. In the words of Martin Brody, we are going to need a bigger boat.

The harvest that Jesus is referring too is like the catch of fish in Luke 5:1–11 (CSB),

Tell the story…

“As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” 6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.” Luke 5:1-11

This moment is not far behind them when Jesus tells them to pray for more laborers. The disciples have seen the result of Jesus’ promises. They understand what means, that they are going to need more hands for the task when He tells them to pray for more laborers.

You see…

The harvest isn’t a hope… it’s a promise.

But, the hope of the harvest is in Jesus and His gospel.

Jesus sends His disciples to bring in the sheep: “Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest

Jesus sends His workers in Matthew 10:1, but first tells them to pray for more laborers.

Why pray?

1. Prayer follows the promise of God

I believe that you will pray for what you believe God can and will do. Your prayer life reveals a great deal of what you know and what you believe about the Lord.

There are many who don’t know much about the Lord, and it’s revealed in prayer. If you want to grow your prayer life, then you must grow your understanding of what God has said.

You might think you can grow your prayer life by watching the news, listening to friends, and paying attention to the culture. But, if you don’t know what God has said, then you don’t know who God is, and if you don’t who God is and what He has said then you don’t know how to pray about what’s happening in the world around you.

2. Prayer burdens our hearts for the lost

Praying for laborers to say yes to God’s call to win the lost builds a burden in your heart for the lost. Notice that the very ones that Jesus tells to pray, are the ones that Jesus sends in Matthew 10.

There will be a direct correlation to your burden for sharing the gospel with your burden for praying for more laborers and for the lost.

3. Prayer depends on the power of God

Salvation depends on the power of God. In fact, the gospel is referred to as the power of God for salvation to those who believe. By praying for God to send out more laborers you practice your dependence on Him and His power. How else are we going to get laborers to the four corners of the earth? By praying them there!

How do we get men and women to Malawi to share the gospel and meet the needs of the people there? By praying! How do we send a team to Alaska this summer? By praying! How do we get a team to the Delta to help with a block party? By praying! How do we get a team to our next New Orleans, LA trip? By praying! How do we get future teams to South Dakota, Las Vegas, India, Oman, Honduras, and Mexico? By Praying!

How do we reach the lost and unchurched in our own city and county? By praying!

Let me ask you a few of questions in closing:

1. Do you see the world as it is?

2. Do you believe the promise of the harvest?

3. Do you believe that God will reach the lost in our city through this church?

I do.

Don’t you want to see this room full of lives that have been changed by the power of the gospel?

Has the promise of God to save the lost drifted from view for you?

Our desire should be to see this room, our lives, and our hearts filled with the harvest of those who need Jesus.

The harvest is plentiful… but the workers are few.

There are many who fill their time trying to find a reason that the influence of the church has declined.

There are many who desire to find faults and justifications for the condition of the churches in our country.

But, the solution to the lack of a harvest is not found in the harvest, the issue is in the workforce.

We have become fisherman who can’t figure out why the fish aren’t jumping into our boat.

We used to say that Christians were just beggars telling other beggars where to find bread. But, we are long way from being beggars in most churches these days.

We have lost sight of the plight and condition of the lost.

We see immoral people

We see deviant people

We see ungodly and dirty people

Jesus sees sheep who need a shepherd.

Jesus sees souls that need the gospel

Jesus sees future fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, difference makers, pastors, missionaries, deacons, etc..

Jesus saw the crowds of lost and ungodly people and he had compassion on them.

Jesus sees you and He has compassion on you. He invites you to let go of the world, sin, and your plans to be saved, forgiven, and follow Him.

Jesus calls you to pray for laborers to join in the harvest. And this prayer requires believing in the power and promise of God to save.

There are days ahead for our church where there is seating room only.

There are days ahead for our church where we talk about expanding our facility

There are days ahead for our church when we discuss adding staff, increasing the budget, etc.

But, those days come after the days of laboring in the harvest, and the laboring comes after praying. The days of a full house and packed out parking lot belong to the Lord… and you know what so does the harvest.

Jesus is compassionate and He sees the world as it is and as it will be, therefore let’s pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send more of us into the field.