Moved with Compassion
Scripture
Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Matthew 9:35–38 (NLT)
Jesus didn’t just teach truth; He announced the Good News of the Kingdom. Everywhere He went, He brought a message of hope that God’s reign was breaking into the world, and He was the way in. His miracles confirmed it. Every healing and act of restoration was evidence that the Kingdom of God had arrived.
When Jesus looked at the crowds, He was deeply moved with compassion. He saw people who were confused and helpless, wandering through life without direction or care, like sheep without a shepherd. That same compassion still flows from His heart today. Do you know people who are like this? Lost, overwhelmed, or searching for meaning? When you see them, does your heart break the way His does?
Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” Notice that He did not tell them to rush into action. He told them to pray. The mission begins with prayer because only God can send and empower workers for His harvest. Yet prayer does not excuse you from participation. It prepares you for it.
“The harvest here is indeed great, and the laborers are few and imperfectly fitted, without much grace, for such a work. And yet grace can make a few feeble instruments the means of accomplishing great things, things greater even than we can conceive.”
— Hudson Taylor¹
That’s the honest truth about being a worker in God’s harvest: you won’t feel ready, and you don’t need to be. If you belong to Christ, you have a role to play in His harvest. Pray for workers, and then be ready to be one. Let compassion move you toward people who are hurting and confused. Step out in love, speak the Good News of the Kingdom, and be a light to those who need a Shepherd.
Reflection
- When you look at the people around you, do you see them through the compassionate eyes of Jesus?
- How might God be calling you to join Him in His harvest right where you are?
- Who can you begin praying for today, someone who needs to experience the love and guidance of the Good Shepherd?
Prayer
Ask God to give you the same heart of compassion that moved Jesus to act. Pray for more workers in the harvest and for the courage to be one yourself.
Footnote
¹ J. Hudson Taylor, from his personal letters and journals.