Compassion for the Crowds

November 20, 2025 

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.’”

Yesterday I was reading Matthew 9, and it struck me that Jesus doesn’t just notice the crowds; He sees them deeply. He perceives their weariness, confusion, and spiritual hunger. 
His response is not frustration or indifference, but compassion, "a gut-level mercy that moves Him to act."

This is important to notice about Jesus and the crowds because I believe, in our neighborhoods, people often feel “harassed and helpless”, overwhelmed by life’s pressures, searching for meaning, longing for hope. Jesus sees them with compassion, and He invites us to see them the same way.

Notice that Jesus shifts the metaphor: from sheep without a shepherd to fields ripe for harvest. The problem is not the lack of opportunity, the harvest is already abundant.
The challenge is the shortage of workers willing to step into the field. This ought to say something to us, maybe even reframe our perspective. I sometimes hear people, especially Christian folk, describe their neighborhoods as barren or resistant to  God, but here in our reading today Jesus perspective is that the crowd, the neighborhood, is full of potential because God is already at work! Jesus invites us to recognize the God who goes before us, softening hearts, planting seeds, and preparing lives to receive His love. 

Jesus’ instruction here is very striking. Jesus says that before planning, strategizing or organizing,  His disciples ought to begin with prayer. Why do you think that is? I believe it is because Jesus knows that prayer aligns our hearts with God’s compassion and opens our eyes to opportunities where God has already been at work. Of course. the other part that prayer plays is that as we align with God's work and compassion, he also raises up workers, sometimes others, sometimes us.

So yesterday, I was reminded that when we pray for our community, we are asking God to send shepherds, encouragers, and harvesters. And often, God answers by nudging us to step forward ourselves. To step into the harvest: small acts of kindness, conversations of faith, invitations to worship, listening ears, all are ways to embody Jesus’ compassion. 

Hmm. How do you see your neighborhood? Barren or resistant to  God? or full of potential because God is already at work!

Let's Pray

Lord of the harvest, open my eyes to see my neighbors as You see them. Fill us with Your compassion for the weary and searching. Raise up workers in our community, including me, to share Your love and truth. May our prayers and actions join in Your mission, until every heart knows the Shepherd’s care. Amen.