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132. Sheep and Wheat?


Matthew 9:35-38
Key Verse: When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36

The Lord is moved with compassion when He sees us in our circumstances. We are told that as He walked through the villages He felt the despair. Having grown up in poverty Himself, He understood, firsthand the toll that Roman oppression and religious legalism was having on His people and He was moved with Compassion for their situation.

Why then, if Jesus truly was God, did He leave those people in their situations? What good is compassion if you can't, or won't do anything? Compassion doesn't put food on the plate, or clothe the naked! He was God! He could have fixed everything instantly! He could have killed the Romans and gotten rid of the religious leaders. He could have punished evil and restored those poor people to their glory! 

 That's what they thought Messiah was supposed to do! That's what the people wanted Him to do, but that was not what He came to do. Besides, if Jesus did wipe out the Romans and all oppressors to set the poor people free as they wanted, they would have just risen up to take the places of power and become the new oppressors, for they were still sinners! So, Jesus' compassion lead him to do something greater. He came to pay for sin so that sinners could be transformed into compassionate servants. In the long run, that was the only solution that would work.

It's interesting that Matthew saw the crowds as sheep without a shepherd. That is his description of the people. Sheep need guidance. But Jesus' actual words in this section reveal that he himself saw the crowds as a field ripe unto harvest, like wheat. Wheat doesn’t need guidance. It needs harvesting. But Matthew wrote this down for us. He didn’t write it as it happened. He wrote it down after reflecting upon it. So both metaphors work at once. The harassed and helpless need a good shepherd. That’s Jesus. The wheat field needs workers to harvest those who are ready to respond to Jesus and gather them into the fold. We are the workers.

This teaches us that Jesus does not want to work alone. "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." (Matt. 9:37-38) Jesus needs others to be moved with compassion as well. It's not enough for Him to care. If He is in us, we should be caring as well and moved to act.

Jesus calls His followers to be moved with compassion as He is, see the needs and meet them. This is His plan. If He just fixed everything Himself, what would there be for us to do in His service? How would we grow and become more like Him if we just sat back with our hands in our laps and let Him do all the work? Christ feels compassion. Christ calls us to feel his compassion for the lost. Christ calls His body to action. Christ laments that, "the workers are few." Christ needs me and you to be His hands and feet in a lost and hurting world where there is little hope. Christ's forgiveness of your sins turns you into a compassionate servant. Let's bring His hope to someone in need today!

Hymn: Each One Reach One
Also, "Hands and Feet" by Audio Adrenaline  

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