MATTHEW 9:36–38 – When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
THEME OF THE DAY: DO WE SEE THEM? They are in our neighborhoods, living right beside us. They serve us as cashiers in check-out lines at grocery stores. They pass us in their cars as we run errands in our communities. They work beside, below, and above us in our vocations. They sit near, behind, and in front of us in our churches. And they may very well be living under the same roof in our families. These people are those described by Jesus in today’s scripture – sheep without a shepherd. The question is do we see them? Not with our literal eyes but the eyes of our Lord Jesus.
How do we do that? What may we do to cultivate the spiritual eyesight that leads to loving people and pointing them to Him? Well, here three things to those ends.
First, remember what all people are; image bearers of the One True God – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). Ask the Lord to give “heart sight” to see people, all people, as they truly are – His creations. Yes, sinful. Yes, separated from Him. Yes, hopeless in and of themselves. And yes, people can be difficult, hard to get along with, and the image of God unrecognizable, but they are still image-bearers in need of redemption in Christ and in need of being loved.
Another truth to remember to help us see people as Jesus does is connected to the fallen nature of all people as God’s image-bearers. They are spiritually blinded by the devil – And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Don’t get irritated at people who are selfish and difficult. They are only acting out of what they are – blinded by Satan to their spiritual condition.
Finally, we learn to see and thus treat people like Jesus does by remembering For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). God loves people. And we are to do likewise. We are to be known by our love – Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13).
So, do we see them? They are everywhere, sheep without a shepherd. May the Lord give us His heart and His eyes to see them and go to them in the Name of all Names, and the Good Shepherd they desperately need!
PRAYER: “Father, help me see all people through the eyes of Your Son, the Lord Jesus.”
QUOTE: “If we see people through Jesus’ eyes, then we will move into their lives with His love.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim