Harassed and Helpless

 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming 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

Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King,

When you saw the crowds in your community, you saw what I see today. You saw people who are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. When I read verse 36 in multiple translations, I get a vivid and disturbing picture of these people. They are faint, scattered, distressed, dispirited, bewildered, dejected, troubled, tossed aside, miserable, harried, confused, cast away, worried, weary, worn-out, downcast, discouraged, aimless, abandoned, hurting, and heart-broken. My heart sinks reading this list of descriptors. But it is who I see around me today. This is the reality so many people live.

As you saw these crowds, you had compassion on them. And assuming they felt your compassion, what they would have encountered would have been the purest, most loving compassion the earth has ever known. Compassion straight from Heaven, sourced in the richest love possible. Oh, what would be the outcome if the crowds around me could encounter just five minutes of your compassion? How would the harassed and helpless respond to your pure, loving compassion if they encountered it today?

And that's why we ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. The harvest is ripe, it's plentiful. There is no shortage of people who need to encounter the compassion of Jesus. I am especially moved to pray for workers to be sent into the harvest field of young people. Our community, like so many in our nation, yearns for harvest workers who will see the scattered, distressed, worn-out, weary, confused and dejected youth with your eyes. They need a Shepherd they can trust. One who will love them unconditionally and lead them out of their helplessness. 

Gracious Lord, send out workers into Your harvest field. Help me to have compassion for those I encounter today. When I see the crowds, let me see them with Your eyes and have Your compassion on them. May they discover their Shepherd today.

— In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No Retaliation

 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." — 1 Peter 2:21-23 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Thank you for leaving me an example of how to respond when I am verbally chastised, insulted, and torn down. You did not retaliate. No deceit was found in Your mouth. When You suffered, You made no threats. Instead You entrusted Yourself to the Father who judges Your accusers justly. Yesterday, a respected young man named Charlie Kirk, 31, who stood for righteousness and civil discourse was assassinated while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Charlie Kirk has consistently been one of the calmest and most polite among us. He listened to questions from his o...
Read more

Suffering

 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. — Romans 5:3-4 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, We glory in our sufferings. The word Paul uses here means to "glory in a thing", "to boast", "to rejoice." He's contrasting his previous thought that we boast or rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in our hope of God and  we rejoice in our sufferings. The picture forming in my mind is lifting hands, shouting with joy, as I rejoice in God and then doing the same thing in the midst of my suffering. Yeah. I don't do that. I don't rejoice when suffering comes. I do the opposite. I complain. I sulk. I moan. I am irritated. I am angry. I am resentful. But do I rejoice? No. Yet this is the very thing Paul says we are to do. And it's because of the incredible fruitfulness our suffering brings. Suffering produces perseverance....
Read more

Faithful Stewards

 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." — 1 Peter 4:8-11 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, This is the second time Peter instructs believers to love one another deeply, fervently. Our love for one another overlooks small offenses. Without our deep and fervent love, every little irritation becomes a grievance. It should not be that way in the body of Christ. Because this early church met in homes, hospitality was necessary. To be hospitable means welcoming people into your home, but ...
Read more