The Heart of the Shepherd....

Matthew 9:35-38 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.” In this Chapter, Matthew has finally joined the team. Having witnessed all he had heard and seen about Jesus, he has accepted the call to follow Him. After a round of seeing more miracles and hearing more of the Gospel, the one thing he observes about Jesus is His compassion. He is a caring Shepherd who sees the effects of sin on human lives, and He is determined to do something about them. He then turns to Matthew and the others and challenges them to get on board - not only with the task at hand, but with the character He has displayed. He wants noting less from us as His followers today - to look on those around us wallowing in life, having compassion on them, and sharing the love and truth He died to bring.