Bible Verse of the Day Friday June 16th, 2023

Matthew 9:36-38 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.”

The large crowds that came out to hear Jesus preach were void of a shepherd to guide and protect them. When Jesus saw these large crowds without a shepherd, it moved his heart to empathy and concern because of their vulnerability to the preverbal wolves among the herd. In more critical terms, " compassion " could indicate sympathy and affection. The implication in this verse of scripture concerning the compassion of Jesus is pointing to His empathy rather than any sympathy He might possess toward these lost souls. There has never been a single person that has led souls to Christ that did not include this quality. When we fall into the sentimental share, it causes us to ebb and flow instead of possessing a conviction from the Lord concerning winning souls to Christ. These poor lost souls lacked Biblical direction or leadership, rendering them vulnerable to any spiritual attack Satan chose to fire. They were shambolic and in disarray, locked in a sad, pitiful state.

1 Peter 2:25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The compassion that lived in the heart of Jesus led Him to proclaim to His disciples that the harvest is ready, the harvest of souls (John 4:35-38). There were not enough people at that time to expand the gospel to the ends of the earth, and today that problem still exist. Jesus called on His followers to keep the multitudes of people in their daily prayers. It takes many people with a heart for the lost to enter the fields of missionary work. Full and part time Pastors are too few to effectively do that job, this is not to belittle pastors, they have a great responsibility upon their shoulders. This is to say that a person does not need a PhD in theology to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth, as Jesus has instructed all of us to do (Acts 1:8). All followers and believers in Christ Jesus should pray and ask God if He wants them to get involved in evangelism, however, be cautious because the one who prays about this may the one that Jesus is calling to the mission field.