[35] "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. [36] When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. [37] Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. [38] Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
As I read these verses I had a strong impression of the Lord's heart for those who don't know Him. The crowds that Matthew speaks about were people who had heard something about Him, and were coming to see Him. What they were really hungry for was God! They were a people who had understanding of God, but who didn't have real relationships with Him, and were hungry for Him, for the truth He spoke, and for the power of His touch. The nation of Israel was in a spiritual drought and they were thirsty for the Lord's interactions and proofs of His Divinity, for they longed for a true visitation.
In the same way, I believe there are millions if not billions of people with this same hunger today. There are those in churches who have understanding of God, but have never seen Him move in power, have never been introduced to His personal touch. There are those outside of the church, people who hunger for a sense of purpose, direction, love, and understanding of their own lives. They hunger and thirst for something to fill them, chasing after anything that promises to sate their appetites, but they are never truly filled. They are hungry for God, the just don't know Him. I believe the Lord has great compassion for all these people. They are truly sheep without a shepherd, looking for food and drink to satisfy their deep longings.
Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd in John 10:11. The good shepherd knows how to lead them to good food and drink that will finally satisfy them. He is the source of life, the light for all men (John 1:4). If we turn to Him, He will guide us to a place of rest, a place of refreshment, and He will fill us. He is what we all are longing for, what we hunger and thirst for in our lives. Many just don't know that is the case.
Jesus' final statement in these verses was to His disciples, that they should ask that more workers be sent into fields for the harvest. The very next verses in Matthew's Gospel are Jesus sending out the Apostles to do the exact same thing He had been doing (Matt 10:1-7). They were to be the workers that were sent out to gather the harvest. This is our call too, to go to the lost, hungry and thirsty (the lost sheep of this age) and introduce them to the Good Shepherd.
I pray that the Lord would stir our hearts like His heart is stirred for the lost around us! There are crowds of people who need to be introduced to the One who Loves them and laid down His life for them - the Good Shepherd, Jesus.
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