MATTHEW 9:35-38

Those words were first penned by a French writer in the mid-1800’s. The pace of change often seems overwhelming the things that matter most don’t really change. People are looking for meaningful connections. Parents still work hard to provide for their children. Families still fuss and fight. Sometimes families break apart - both Cindy and I have one set of grandparents who went through divorce in the late 1930’a and early 1940’s.

Churches experience all sorts of stresses - one commentator recently suggested that all pastors and church leaders should read 1 & 2 Corinthians annually to be reminded of the types of challenges faced - which are similar today to what they were 2,000 years ago.

Communities are still working together to try and figure out how to best meet the needs of the entire community. How do we house the unhoused, feed the hungry, offer resources to the physically and mentally ill and so on.

These are not new challenges.

Listen to Matthew’s summary of Jesus’ early ministry: Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus sticks to His assignment vs 35

Consider this mission statement of a well-known university: “To be plainly instructed and consider well that the main end of your life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ.” Founded in 1636, this university employed exclusively Christian professors, emphasized character formation in its students above all else, and rooted all its policies and practices in a Christian worldview. This school served as a bastion of academic excellence and Christian distinction. This mission statement, however, is not from Dallas Theological Seminary. Neither is it from Wheaton College. It’s from Harvard University—this statement described their founding mission. Harvard began as a school to equip ministers to share the Good News. Today, Harvard is an incredible institution with an unmatched reputation, but it no longer resembles its founding.

Greer, Peter; Horst, Chris. Mission Drift (pp. 16-17). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

From the start of Jesus’ public teaching He had one message, one point He made at every opportunity: ““The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!”” (Mark 1:15, HCSB)

The world in which Jesus lived and taught was different from our own, yet similar. Politically, the land was occupied by an enemy. the takeover of Palestine by the Romans was not a friendly merger. It was a military occupation. Poverty was a way of life - before, during, and after the Roman occupation of the region. Wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few and most people were barely able to survive. Certain illnesses meant exclusion from the community which created a noticeable population of homeless beggars. All Jesus had to do was to look around and He could see multiple challenges to solve.

In the face of significant need Jesus continued to do as the Father instructed, He continued to communicate the same message.

2. Jesus sees beyond the needs vs 36

Ask yourself: what do you see when you observe a homeless camp? What do you see as you watch parents discipline their children in the grocery store or other public places? What do you observe as you drive by schools during the school year?

So far in Matthew we have observed people who were desperate for healing, desperate for re-entry into the community, people who were concerned about their immediate family members.

One author explains:

The imagery is that of shepherdless sheep, sheep wounded and torn either by hostile animals or by thornbushes and the like, and then prostrate and helpless. Harassed is probably as good a translation as we can find for the first term, while cast down is almost exactly what the second conveys.

Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 240). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

Sheep are absolutely dependent on a shepherd. Without a shepherd to lead them they would starve, die of thirst, or be easy prey for all sorts of predators.

Obviously Jesus saw the physical needs of those following Him. He had grown up in exactly the same environment of poverty and powerlessness. As Jesus saw the crowds He saw a people needing provision, protection, and a purpose beyond just surviving.

3. Jesus gives an assignment vs. 37-38

If we had been present with Jesus we might have suggested that Jesus use those whom He had called to form smaller groups, to create networks of people who could more easily share burdens and concerns. We might have expected Jesus to break down the needs like this: pointing to Peter: you make sure there is enough food; to John: group those that are ill in categories and I’ll come by for healing; Andrew: make sure the people have a place to sleep; and so on.

But Jesus’ assignment was two fold:

a). look at the opportunity

Instead of needy people demanding time and attention, people whose needs would be overwhelming ( see Jairus, the woman who suffered with bleeding for 18 years, etc....) Jesus asked His disciples to see the opportunities: A field ready for harvest!

b. Pray!

Pray? How does prayer meet the need of one who is hungry? What about the one who suffers with an illness? Does prayer really heal? What about the one who has been forced to beg for a living? Does prayer pay the bills?

First, prayer is a reminder that we need God. In Luke’s gospel we are given a glimpse into Jesus’s life: “Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16, HCSB)

Second, prayer forces us to look outside our own abilities.

I am quick to respond when confronted by a need. Maybe I can offer a phone number to connect to a resource. Maybe I can find some cash to offer a homeless person. I probably have a book I can lend on almost any subject you need to study.

Is that really, though, what a person needs? What might happen if instead of immediately offering whatever resource we had we took a bit of time and prayed?

Third, prayer reminds us it’s not our harvest but God’s!

For the better part of the 40 years I’ve been a pastor a primary emphasis is that churches are meant to grow numerically. If a church is not growing numerically it is unhealthy. While there is truth in the fact that living things are growing, the honest truth: God’s kingdom is not about growing churches - it is about expanding His kingdom to the entire universe.

CONCLUSION

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

We are surrounded by crowds with the same challenges and needs that faced Jesus - you name the disease and sickness and someone we know has it. We are in the midst of a distressed and dejected people - COVID-19 doesn’t want to quit, jobs are plentiful but those wanting and able to work are often unwilling. Families are experiencing unprecedented challenges, schools struggle to provide adequate education for children during COVID lockdowns.

There is a powerful temptation to give up, to focus inward and just survive. Those early disciples with Jesus, the inner circle surely felt overwhelmed with the constant pressure of the crowds and and constant pressure of the needs.

will we see people as Jesus sees them?

will we stay focused on our assignment?

will we pray first -and then obey?

S. D. Gordon, an author during the early 20th century once observed:

“You can do more than pray after you have prayed but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” S. D. Gordon

If we hope to see people as Jesus sees them, we pray for them; to stay focused on our assignment requires a focus on prayer; and it worse noting that in the face of the distress and dejection people around us all that Jesus assigned us to do was to PRAY!

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