Introduction
We’re working our way verse-by-verse through the Gospel of Matthew. As you know, for the purpose of this study, I’ve divided Matthew up into different sections. We’re in Section 3 (Matthew 8, 9 & 10) and I’m calling this section “Glimpses of Greatness” because what we see throughout this section is Jesus doing great things and Jesus calling his followers to embrace a greater life. Today, we’re going to look at Matthew 9:35-38 which, to me, contains a strong appeal to anyone who is a follower of Christ to embrace a greater life by embracing nothing less than the heart of Jesus.

1. The harvest continues to be plentiful
Think of it in these terms. I read this past week that in Jesus’ day, the population of the world was approximately 150 million people. Today the world’s population grows by 150 million people every 2 years. And today there are some 7.6 billion people in the world.

According to the Joshua Project, there are 6,989 unreached people groups in the world today representing over 3 billion people. They identify unreached people groups like this: Few evangelicals and few who identify as Christians. Little, if any, history of Christianity.

The harvest continues to be plentiful today.

On our recent trip to the Holy Land, one of the places we visited was Yad Vashem which is Israel’s Holocaust Memorial. It’s located in Jerusalem on what’s called The Mount of Remembrance. One of the many things that stood out to me was that on the ground’s there is a place called the Garden of the Righteous where trees have been planted to honor non-Jews who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Perhaps the most well-known honoree is Oskar Schindler. I’m sure that name is familiar because many of you have seen the movie Schindler’s List. If you have, do you remember that scene toward the end where after spending his fortune to save the lives of hundreds of Jews who would have otherwise been killed in Hitler’s Holocaust, Schindler has now become a fugitive. And at one point, as he prepares to leave for a safer place, surrounded by his Jewish friends – the people he saved from certain death, he says, “I could have gotten more out.” And in the end, overcome with emotion, he knows he could have done more.

I think about that scene when I read Matthew 9:35-38.

2. The harvest represents people who are deeply loved by Jesus.
As Jesus looked at the people, He was deeply moved because they were people that He deeply loved.

The word that Matthew uses for “compassion” is a strong word in the original language of the New Testament, it’s the word splanchna, the noun form of the verb splanchnízomai (splonk-need-zo-my). This word describes an emotion that is so deep and so real that you literally feel it physically in the pit of your stomach.

Jesus' heart grieves over every soul. And part of being like Jesus, which is the will of God for all of us, is to see people the same way Jesus does.

3. The harvest represents people who, on their own, are lost.
Jesus described the crowd as being "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matt. 9:36 NIV). What does that mean? That word “harassed” basically means “worn out” and “exhausted.” The word “helpless” (rhipto in the Greek) means downcast. It carries the idea of being thrown down from drunkenness or some kind of mortal wound. And finally when Jesus described the people as “sheep without a shepherd” he’s simply saying they have no one to care for them. They were worn out, exhausted, helpless, completely on their own AND worst of all – lost.

4. The harvest won’t be here forever
I’m not a farmer, but I understand the meaning of the word “harvest.” There comes a time when any crop is ready for harvest which creates a sense of urgency when it comes to reaping. As Christ followers we need to understand that sense of urgency. As Christ followers, we need to have a fundamental sense of urgency about the world we live in.

The old preacher Vance Havner used to say, “The tragedy of our time is that the situation is desperate, but the saints are not.” People of faith need to feel a sense of urgency when it comes to living authentic Christian lives that make a difference in the world today because we live in desperate times. We live in a lost and broken world.

I love the words of John 10:10, but I’m often guilty of just quoting the second part of the verse where Jesus says, I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full (more abundantly). The first part of the verse is just as true. It says, The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy… (NIV)

Of course Jesus is talking about our enemy the devil who wants to see people continue in the state of harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He’s having his way with too many lives today and it’s time for believers to take responsibility for the harvest field.

5. The harvest must become our priority
Jesus is saying, “Take responsibility for the harvest field.”

Think about the people in your life…the people you come in contact with every single day. That’s your harvest field. And there are things you can do.

​· You can pray for people you know who are not living in a right
relationship with God.
· You can deepen your relationship with someone so you can learn their
story and in turn tell your story that includes the difference Christ has
made in your life.
· You can invite someone to church.
· You can live an authentic life of faith and trust that your example and
witness won’t go unnoticed.
· You can live with a sense of urgency with regard to someone you know
and love who is not right with God.