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In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
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
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How do you see the world we live in today? Do you look at it with concern as more and more people choose to live void of the Lord in their life?
I know I do. In fact, it’s the motivation toward writing nearly every day from God’s word. We simply must never tire while carrying out Jesus’ call to make disciples just not in our neighborhood…not just in our community…not even just in our nation.
No…Jesus called us to make disciples of all nations.
For it’s only when we look at the world’s population as a whole…only when we look at the earth as one big field ready for harvest, that we can even begin to grasp the gravity of the situation and the urgency to get out and help proclaim the good news of the gospel…showing all we encounter the way to salvation.
Just like Jesus did.
Let’s look at our passage today as Chapter 9 comes to a close.
We read where Jesus “went through all the towns and villages” where He taught “in…synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. Indeed, the ministry of Jesus was not defined by complacency but rather proactivity. He made it a priority to seek and care for those who were in need…and, like today, there was no shortage of people in need.
But Jesus didn’t just see what he did as some duty. He didn’t do it just because He was somehow required by His Father to act. No…Jesus did what He did because He loved them and wished that none of them might be lost…but rather found.
This is proven by the scriptures that tell us that when Jesus saw the crowds, “He had compassion on them”. He didn’t see them as they may have seen themselves…prideful and self sufficient…but rather “harassed and helpless”…”like sheep without a shepherd”. And indeed, this is where anyone will find themselves without Christ in their lives…helpless as they are harassed by Satan who wants nothing more than to steal every soul possible from the Lord…lost like a sheep without a shepherd.
Question: How many people in our world are without Jesus in their lives?
The number would amaze you…and frighten you all at the same time. It should also further call you to action…to go forth and tell anyone you can about Jesus and how no one can come to the Father except by Him (John 14:6)...to tell them that their salvation comes in first believing they have a Savior in Jesus (John 3:16).
Friends, if Jesus were to come and speak to us this very minute about the spiritual state of the world we live in, He would use the same words that He said to His disciples in closing Chapter 9:
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
And how should we respond?
We could start with this plea:
“Lord Jesus, Lord of the harvest…send out workers into Your harvest field to help the lost sheep find their shepherd…and let one of them be me.”
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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