Written By Ben Dankaka
Meditation – Matthew 9:37
What do you see whenever you move on the streets of your city? Each day as you drive or walk along a busy road, what gets your attention? We may not all be attracted to the same thing. While some are attracted to the buildings and cars, others give their attention to the natural environment. But whatever gets your attention the most; I am convinced that every time you are on a busy street, you habitually notice other people. And as you move past the people, what do you often notice? Do you see those with worried faces or you don’t even notice? At every given time, the streets are made up of people who carry different expressions. Some carry plain or jovial faces; others have serious or worried expressions. What goes through your mind as you notice those worried faces?
One day, Jesus went through towns and villages, teaching and healing diseases. Then He took a good look at the crowd and had compassion on them because they looked harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. At that moment, Jesus felt a strong desire to do more for the people. Although Jesus had pity on the people, He didn’t think of their miserable situation as a problem that was beyond repair. Instead, He saw it as a great opportunity. As Jesus observed the miserable crowd, He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Notice that Jesus called the pitiable situation, “harvest.” In other words, He viewed it as a job opportunity and not as a problem. The problem, in the mind of Jesus, wasn’t the people’s condition but the shortage of manpower. Today, as you notice those who appear to be restless and harassed, think of ways you can help out.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, make me a helper to other people. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 9:35-37
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.