“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” (Matthew 9:35-38)
When Jesus saw the crowds that surrounded Him wherever He went, He did not get disgusted at their sins, problems, or demands. Instead, He was moved with compassion for them. He saw their deep needs and longed to be able to meet those needs. Jesus had what it took to meet the needs of the people. He healed their diseases, He provided wisdom for life, He cleansed their sin, and He offered abundant life and eternal life.
Two things kept Jesus from meeting the needs of the great crowds and the multitudes beyond them:
There were not enough workers to take His compassionate message and power to them. There were many then who would have responded to Him, the harvest was plentiful. The workers, however, were few. That’s still true today. To be sure, there are many who will not respond to His message no matter how many times and how persuasively it is presented to them. But there are multitudes who know their deep need and would respond if the message was brought to them. The great need is for workers in the harvest field, all over the world. We can’t force people to take the message to others, we can’t even force ourselves. The most powerful thing we can do is to pray, ask God to send more workers into the field. Ask Him to move by His Holy Spirit in our hearts and in the hearts of others of His children to open our eyes to see the need, the harvest field, and to motivate us to respond.
Many were unwilling to turn to Him, even when they had the chance. Jesus looked out over the city of Jerusalem and cried, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37) How it hurt Jesus when people did not respond to Him. He was not angry, but sad because they were left hurting when they could have been helped.
Pray for workers. Respond when called. Weep for the lost. People need the Lord!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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