Sheep without a Shepherd
TRANSLATION
(27) And as Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” (28) And when he went inside, the blind men approached him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” (29) Then he touched their eyes saying, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” (30) And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, “See that no one knows what happened.” (31) But they went out and spread his fame throughout the whole area.
(32) And as they were going out, behold, a mute demon-possessed man was brought to him. (33) And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke and the crowds marveled saying, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” (34) But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
(35) And Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of diseases and all types of afflictions. (36) When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered like sheep without a shepherd. (37) He then said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. (38) Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
OBSERVATIONS
Repetitions in this segment point us to its three areas of focus: the healings of the blind men, the curing of the demon-oppressed mute, and Jesus’ commentary on what he had just done. In the first paragraph, “blind men” (vss. 27 & 28) and “eyes” (vss. 29 & 30) were repeated. In the second, “demon(s)” is found four times (vss. 32, 33, & 34) and “mute” is found twice (vss. 32 & 33). In the final paragraph, “harvest” occurred three times (in vss. 37 & 38) while “crowds” was repeated twice (vss. 33 & 36). Jesus’ assessment of the condition of the world in which he ministered could be summed up in two phrases: “great need,” describing the crowds that were “like sheep without a shepherd” (vs. 36), and “great opportunity,” describing a “plentiful harvest” which called for more laborers (vss. 37 & 38).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus healed two blind men. (27-31)
II. Jesus delivered a demon-oppressed mute from his bondage. (32-34)
III. Jesus felt great compassion for the crowds and exhorted his disciples to pray for more laborers to reap a plentiful harvest. (35-37)
IDEA STATEMENT
After healing two blind men and a demon-oppressed mute, Jesus shared with his disciples his heart of compassion for the needy and challenged them to pray for an abundant harvest.
APPLICATION
What if we shared the same view of the world that Jesus had, seeing the multitudes as “harassed and scattered like sheep without a shepherd?” What if our hearts were as full of compassion for the blind and demonized as his? While we may not have the power to perform miracles of healing and deliverance that characterized his earthly ministry, he has left us on earth, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to do “greater works” than he did while we wait for his return.
As in his day, the harvest is still plentiful and the workers are still few. Just as he invited his disciples to join him in reaping a plentiful harvest of souls in Galilee so he invites each of us to take part in reaping a harvest if we are willing to see the multitudes as “sheep without a shepherd” and trust in his enablement to make us adequate for the task set before us. In John 4, Jesus told his disciples to lift up their eyes and look on the fields that were ready for harvesting. Are we willing to view the world around us through Jesus’ eyes? Do we look with compassion on the crowds as he did, considering them as harassed sheep without a shepherd? While we may not have the capacity to shepherd them as he did, we can at least exert ourselves to introduce them to the one who can, the great Shepherd of the sheep.