Matthew 9:35-10:8 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
Third Sunday After Pentecost Sunday, June 18, 2023 “Jesus Shows Compassion to Shepherdless Sheep”
What do you think when you see a crowd of people? Maybe at times you are excited to see and to be a part of a crowd. You are attending a concert or a sporting event, and there’s a special energy that being in a large group of people brings. Maybe when you see a crowd, you get a little worried. Where am I going to find a place to stand or to park or to sit? Who am I going to be next to and how will they smell? Whose germs am I going to be exposed to? Maybe when you see a crowd, you feel judgmental. What are they doing there? They must be up to no good! And if that crowd is gathered for a purpose you don’t agree with, like a rally for a political candidate you don’t support, then you are quite certain they are up to no good. But do you ever look at crowds of people the way Jesus did? Are you filled with compassion for them? Do you long to see them receive the loving leadership that they need? Our sermon text today comes from the end of chapter 9 and the beginning of chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew. These verses we read earlier in the service tell us about the interaction Jesus had with his disciples and with the crowds, and there is no mistaking what Jesus thought when he saw so many people. And there is no mistaking that Jesus put his feelings into action. As we briefly consider this account today, we see that Jesus Shows Compassion to Shepherdless Sheep. We’ll take note of his compassion as we consider his perception, his prayer, and his plan. First, his perception. Jesus had the opportunity to see or perceive the crowds because they were curious about him. He was traveling and teaching. He was preaching and healing. And the people were interested. Obviously, the healing would have appealed to those who needed it. The people who didn’t were likely still impressed and curious. But they certainly did not fully understand the situation. They didn’t really comprehend who Jesus was. So this was his perception of them: “they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.” Now, when I read “troubled and downcast,” that sounds to me like they were just sad. The Greek words used to describe these crowds as Jesus considered them are stronger than that. In the context of sheep, these words describe being scratched and broken by thorns and being left helpless and abandoned. When Jesus looked at the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless. They were beaten and bruised. They were beaten by Satan and temptation. They didn’t have any true and useful leadership. They were left wandering on their own and would wander right to hell if nothing changed. These crowds were like any other crowds. They were made up of people who were born in sin and unbelief. The people who made up these crowds were just like all the other people born into this world. These people were just like you and me. They needed help. They needed leadership. They needed a Savior. They needed salvation. Jesus perceived their need and had compassion on them. And in that compassion, he instructed his disciples to pray. The world was and is filled with crowds of people just like the ones who gathered around Jesus. The harvest is plentiful. The need is great. Sinners who deserve hell are beaten and bruised by Satan and wandering around in this world. So pray for harvesters. Pray for pastors. Pray for people who can reach these crowds with the good news that salvation is found in Jesus Christ. Pray for those who would commit hours and days and lives to the work of sharing Jesus and leading his people and offering them the shepherding that they need. When Jesus perceived the need, he instructed his disciples to pray. When we perceive the need for ourselves and for others, our prayer should be the same. But we often fail on both of these counts. Our perception is off. For ourselves, we like to imagine that we can do just fine without a shepherd. We like to think that we are generally good people and at least well-intentioned. We don’t like to really examine our lives for all of the shameful things that are lurking there. And we tend to do the exact opposite for others. We view people as enemies and rivals. They are getting in our way and are opposing our efforts. They are our political foes and our competition for goods and services.