INTRODUCTION

I applied to be a Resident Assistant in the dormitory I was living in at the end of my sophomore year of college. Part of the process I had to go through was to be interviewed by the current staff. One evening I sat in front of 12 other students who were the current RA’s and the Hall Director who was an adult. I remember leaving that interview in a state of euphoria. I had answered all their questions. I was articulate and confident. I was certain I was going to get a job for the next year. As I left I said to myself, "I can do anything I set my mind to." I felt there was no mountain I could not climb, there was no obstacle I could not overcome. I was told about two weeks later that I didn’t get the job but was an alternate. In other words, if one of the students who was selected decided not to be an RA before next year, then I would be given a job. I was told by one of the RA’s that interviewed me that the main reason I was not given the job was because I was too cocky.

That event occurred about a year prior to my becoming a Christian. It stands out in my mind as one of those clear indicators of how far from God I was. It is one of those memories that makes me cringe. I am ashamed of my arrogance and self-sufficiency. What is even more troubling is that my attitude was also based on a lie. My true condition, then and now, is the exact opposite of how I viewed myself and my abilities. Yes, I was a successful college student, but unknown to myself, I was a failure at everything that really mattered. God made me for a purpose. He made me to know him and to delight in him more than I delight in anyone or anything else. He made me to be full of his love for me and out of that fullness to love others with no strings attached. I did not love God or people then and I do not naturally do so now. Though I did not know it at the time, I was exactly like the prophet Isaiah describes every human, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." Though I would certainly not have admitted it at the time I was in the same helpless condition that sheep wandering in the wilderness by themselves are in. I needed a shepherd to rescue me.

Let me ask you a question. How do you think about yourself? Are you competent, able to meet all of life’s demands, in charge of your own destiny? Or do you view yourself like Jesus does, a dumb, stubborn, lost sheep that is completely helpless without a shepherd to care for you? Do you feel how vulnerable and defenseless you are? Do you sense your inability to find your way home or to find the food and water that you so desperately need? If you view yourself as a helpless sheep, I have good news for you today. If, however, you view yourself as master of your own destiny, able to accomplish all that really matters in life, then I have a warning for you today. All of us see ourselves in one of these two ways. In our passage today we will discover that…

MAIN POINT

The power of this portrait of Jesus is enhanced when we consider the Old Testament passages that give rise to it. Over and over again the OT pictures the nation of Israel as God’s flock. However, they are usually portrayed as sheep that are scattered, without a shepherd. Sometimes they are in this condition because each of the sheep has purposely rebelled and wandered off. Other times the sheep are in a helpless condition because the shepherds have either abandoned or abused the sheep. The shepherds are the leaders of Israel, the priests, prophets and kings. The whole nation of Israel is most often portrayed as a bunch of sheep that are in trouble because they have no shepherd, at least no shepherd that cares for them.

However, God repeatedly makes the promise that he will shepherd his people by raising up a great Shepherd. Listen again to these verses from Ezek. 34, "I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak… I will shepherd the flock with justice… I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God and my servant David will be prince among them." This is but one of dozens of places where God promises to shepherd his people through his Messiah.

Now what I want you to notice in the context of our passage in Matthew is that v. 34 records the response of the leaders of Israel to Jesus. Notice that the leadership of Israel condemn Jesus as an agent of Satan, when he is really the shepherd of God. Matthew records the failure of the Jewish leaders to watch over God’s sheep by teaching God’s word. Then, as in vv. 35-36, he shows that Jesus is the true shepherd. See what Jesus does? He feeds the sheep with God’s word and heals them of their sin and its effects. When he sees the sheep his heart convulses with emotion at their pitiful condition. Jesus sees the condition of his sheep, his heart is filled with compassion as he sees us and then he comes to do what good shepherds do, bind our wounds and feed us so we’ll be strong.

The Greek word translated "have compassion" is a very strong word. When Jesus saw a funeral procession outside of Nain for the only son of a widow his heart was convulsed with emotion at her suffering and he raised her son from the dead. In the story of the good Samaritan, the Samaritan, when he saw the Jewish man beaten and bloody by the side of the road, had his heart convulse with emotion as he saw his helpless condition and so took care of him. In the parable of the lost son, when the father sees his son, dirty and dressed in rags but on the road home he runs to him and his heart is convulsed with emotion as he sees the helpless condition of his son. So he forgives him and restores him to full sonship.

Have you ever had anyone cry for you? Have you ever told anyone of a desperate situation you are in and then had them cry or in some other way express their sorrow for you? But then, not just empathize with you but do something to solve your problem. If you are troubled by your sin and helpless to do anything about it, then Jesus is here with his heart convulsed with sorrow over your helpless condition and ready to feed and heal you. If you know that you are a lost and helpless sheep the knowledge that a shepherd has come for you whose heart is full of tenderness and affection for you is a great source of joy and contentment. However, if you don’t view yourself as troubled and weak and helpless, then you’re not impressed that a tender-hearted shepherd has come to rescue you. You will simply continue on in your wandering ways, vulnerable and weak without knowing it or admitting it.

Vv. 37 & 38 are quite startling in several ways. First, when we reflect on the OT promise that God himself will come to tend his own sheep in the person of the Messiah, it is strange that Jesus, who is clearly that promised Messiah, turns to his followers and commands them to ask him to send more workers. Isn’t he able to shepherd his own sheep? Why does he need any help? Second, why does he change the metaphor? Why doesn’t he command his disciples to ask for more shepherds if he has just called the people sheep without a shepherd? Why the change to harvesting grain? Third, how did these disciples go from being helpless sheep to people who can be counted upon to care about lost sheep and to ask for more workers to gather in those lost sheep? Fourth, exactly what does it mean to ask for more workers? Who or what is a worker?

First, why does Jesus, who is the true shepherd, command that we ask for more workers? Why does he need help? It is important to note that in several of the OT passages where his people are described as sheep without a shepherd that God not only promises to shepherd his people himself but he also promises to give his people new, faithful shepherds. Consider Jer. 23: 3-4, "I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture… I will place shepherds over them who will tend them and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing, declares the Lord." Jesus is telling us how it is that God is going to provide those new shepherds, through the prayers of his disciples.

The fact that God promises to use humans to shepherd his sheep is simply an extension of his original plan in creating human beings. If you’ll remember back in Genesis 1 after God shows off his great power in creating the universe he creates man in his image for the purpose of ruling over that creation. God’s plan has always been to manage his creation through human beings. So we should not be surprised that God shepherds his sheep through humans even after the coming of his chief shepherd. There is something about human beings, made in God’s image, caring for creation and caring for his sheep that brings great honor to God.

The second startling thing about these verses is that Jesus changed the metaphor. Why did he change from shepherding sheep to harvesting grain? I can think of at least three reasons for the change in metaphor. First, workers who harvest grain don’t make the grain ripen. They merely collect what is already ripe. While the labor of the harvesters is important, they are only harvesting what God has produced, independent of them. Second, harvesting grain is a picture of certain abundance. Workers can be certain of finding ripe grain and a lot of it. Third, this metaphor points to the end of the world. The harvesters bring back the grain into the barn and once all the grain is harvested the end comes. This corresponds with John the Baptist’s description of Jesus in Matthew 3: 12, "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." He gathers his wheat into the barn through the labor of workers.

The third noteworthy thing in these verses is how did these disciples go from being lost sheep to being people who could be counted on to care for lost sheep enough to ask for more workers? The simple answer is that they have become followers of Jesus. They now have a shepherd and so are not in the condition of being harassed and helpless. They are being cared for by the great shepherd and so become part of the solution to the problem of lost sheep. But notice that what Jesus commands is not that his disciples do anything about the lost sheep but rather that they beg the one who owns the harvest, the one who is in charge of it, to send workers into the harvest. This is very important to note. When you look at the millions of people who have never heard about Christ, when you think about your neighbors or family members who don’t know Christ, what should you do? Beg God to recruit and send out workers into the harvest. There is ripe grain all around us and God wants it harvested and all he is waiting for is us to ask him to send out workers.

This is amazing. Why does he do this? So that when the harvest is brought in it will be clear that he did it. The workers that go into the field do so because he chooses them, motivates them, equips them and sends them. True workers don’t go because they are such noble, compassionate and courageous humans. This is exactly what the apostle Paul means in 1 Cor. 15:10, "By the grace of God I am what I am. And his grace towards me did not prove to be without effect. No, I worked harder than all the rest of them. Yet not I but the grace of God with me." Some of you are saying to yourself, "I like this, it really gets me off the hook. I guess God doesn’t want me to share with my neighbor after all. I guess he doesn’t want me to be a missionary. All I have to do is ask him to have someone else share with my neighbor and go be a missionary." Jesus is not letting you off the hook, if that’s how you want to look at it. It is a million times more difficult to persistently and earnestly pray for workers than it is to talk to strangers about Jesus.

Jesus is not stupid when he arranges for the harvesting of his grain in this manner. First, when God’s work moves forward in answer to prayer God alone gets the glory. Second, what kind of workers do you think God wants? Self-dependent, ego-centric ones? Or does he want God-centered, God-dependent workers, in other words, praying workers? God is going to recruit his workers from among his disciples and if all his disciples are praying then he will be sure to get godly workers. In addition, when he sends out his workers they will be supported by praying disciples. Third, how do you think God chooses his workers? One of the primary ways is through prayer. Prayer not only moves God to act but also changes me and makes me more submissive to him. It is in prayer that God calls out his workers from among his disciples.

Finally, when we ask God for workers what is it we are asking him to do? Are we to ask him to make every Christian a worker or are we to ask him to select some of us to be workers? First, let me say that worker and shepherd are synonymous terms in these verses. Second, the NT clearly envisions every Christian as a worker in God’s church but not a worker/shepherd. Eph. 2:10 says, "For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do." 2:16 says this, "In him, the whole body, being joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work." There are good works that contribute to the building up of the body of Christ that every Christian is to do. However, what Jesus is commanding us to pray for is worker/shepherds. I think that 10:1 is the clear evidence that what God wants us to pray for is pastors and missionaries who will faithfully teach God’s word in the power of the Holy Spirit so that Christ’s lost sheep are brought home and tended until they make it all the way home to heaven. Notice in v. 1 that Jesus calls the twelve to himself and gives them authority. Out of the group of disciples he commands in 9:37-38 to pray he chooses twelve as apostles. I don’t think Jesus means we are only to pray for full-time, paid vocational pastors and missionaries. We are to be asking him to provide men and women who will be faithful shepherds in our congregation in a variety of teaching roles and who will go out from us to other groups of people.

Will you, will we, obey Christ’s clear command and ask that he chooses from among us worker/shepherds to gather the harvest in our church, in our city and in other places of the world? I know this is what Christ has called me to do and it is what I love to do and will give my life doing. But just like when Jesus said this 2000 years ago, "the harvest is large, the workers are few." There are so many more people who need to be shepherded than I can possibly hope to care for here. There is a world of lost sheep that Jesus wants to send some of us into. I’m not asking, will you go. I am asking, will you pray? Pray for your sake, your children’s sake, your neighbors sake and for the sake of all the unreached people of the world that God would send out workers into his harvest field.

There is a great temptation when we read these next 15 verses to skip over them because they seem to be addressed so specifically to the twelve apostles. V. 5 says, "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions…" These are instructions given to 12 men in about 30 A.D. for a particular work, in a particular location. What possible application could they have for us? What are we to do with v. 6? Are we only supposed to talk with Jewish people? What about this business of healing diseases, raising the dead, cleansing lepers? Then there are the instructions about money belts and tunics and sandals and walking sticks.

I think there are a number of ways that these verses are very important for us to know and apply. But I don’t want you to miss what is the most important reason these verses matter. Jesus chooses and sends out the apostles and also every pastor, missionary, elder, small group leader, parent, every teacher of the gospel because he loves his sheep. This feels a little strange for me to say given that I am called by Christ to this office of worker/shepherd but it needs to be said. Every pastor, elder, small group leader, etc. who faithfully teaches God’s word and, as Paul tells his apprentice Timothy, "sets an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" is a gift of love from Jesus to his flock. Every faithful worker is Jesus’ loving answer to the prayers of his people to send out workers into the harvest field.

I can look back over my life and see Jesus’ love for me in the people he has used to teach me his word. I think of Pastor Peterson who was my first teacher in the gospel and of the other 7 pastors I have learned from. I think of Jesse who led the first small group I was a part of. I think of all the Bible teachers and authors dead and living who have influenced me and strengthened my faith by their faithful instruction in God’s word. You ought to be able to thank God for how he has shepherded you through faithful teachers of his word. I would like the children among us to be able to look back and thank God for a mom and a dad who were faithful shepherds in their lives.

I want you to see three things about these workers that Jesus calls and equips. First, in v. 8 notice their message. "The kingdom of heaven is near." This is the same message that Jesus preached and John the Baptist before him. This is a summary statement of the good news about Jesus. Why is this good news? It’s good news because of what is near. The kingdom of heaven is that place where the happy God delights to show his kindness to his people. It is the place where God has removed all sin and death and disease and sorrow. It is the place where God is seen and known and adored and delighted in without distraction or hindrance. This place is near, right now, right here. It’s not far away and so can only be reached by great effort. It’s not hard to find. Heaven has come to earth in Jesus because humans won’t leave earth to get to heaven. It’s like your favorite vacation spot has a door 10 feet from your back door and all you have to do is walk through it to immediately go to your favorite spot that’s on the other side of the planet. To enter the kingdom of heaven all you have to do is want the life of heaven more than you want the life of earth and believe that only Jesus by his life, death and resurrection is the door.

Next consider the method of the workers Jesus calls. Vv. 7 & 8 describe the life of Jesus. The method of the workers is to imitate the life of Jesus. As the end of verse 8 says, it is to so experience the generosity of Jesus in you that you give away what he has given to you. The effective worker/shepherd gives away what he or she has been given. They live upon Christ’s unmerited favor and they give that unmerited favor away to others. The true worker pours out what Christ pours in. He or she knows that nothing good dwells in them but that all good dwells in Christ. It is the goal of the true worker to personally feed on Christ and to cause others to feed upon him as well. She does not preach herself but Jesus as Lord. He is not interested in people thinking highly of him but in people thinking highly of Christ. The greatest happiness of the true worker is to be so happy in the love of Jesus for her that she delights to love others for his sake by teaching the gospel. He never asks for anything in return but that those whom he loves join him in loving Christ.

Finally, notice the maintenance of those who do this work of shepherding Jesus’ sheep. First Jesus tells them not to acquire things in exchange for their work. In other words, the true worker does not work in order to gain worldly possessions. He freely gives away the gospel and the life of Christ. The apostle Paul states the motive of every true worker, "The appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed, God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or from anyone else." The true shepherd is not motivated by money or popularity. He does not say, "I will not preach if you will not treat me the way I deserve." However, notice at the same time that Jesus expects the needs of the worker to be met by those to whom he ministers. He tells his workers don’t do your work in exchange for money and/or respect because the worker is worth his keep. Don’t miss this. The reason the worker does not need to preach and heal for money is because God will supply his needs through the voluntary care of those to whom he or she ministers. God expects me to do my work without requiring from you payment or respect. I have received freely from Christ his life and his gospel and so I am to freely give it out to you. However, he also requires of you that you make sure I am paid and respected. This is an amazing thing. Why did God make it like this? I think it is to show the greatness of Christ’s mercy. When a pastor pours himself out on behalf of people, freely giving away the gospel and the life of Jesus in him and when a congregation, voluntarily and cheerfully supports that pastor and respects him there can be no other explanation than that both pastor and congregation have experienced the great and undeserved love of Christ. It’s delight in Christ that pours itself out in love towards one another and so he is seen to be great.

These last verses are full of warning. Notice, in the historical setting, that as the apostles enter a town they are to look for a worthy person to stay with until they leave. How are they to decide who is a worthy person? Verse 12 is the answer. Literally, what Jesus says here is, "When you enter into the house, greet it." There is no pronoun, "your" in the original text. It is supplied in the English translations from v. 13 where "your peace" is presumed to stand for the greeting in v. 12. But then notice in v. 14 that it is those who reject "you and your words" who the apostles are to leave behind. The "greeting" of v. 12, "your peace" of verse 13 and "you and your words" of v. 14, are all the same. A person is worthy if they accept, agree with, welcome the worker and his greeting, peace and words. A person, home or city is unworthy if they reject the worker, the greeting, their peace and their words. The word "worthy" is the same one Jesus uses later in this chapter when he says that anyone who loves his mother or father more than him is not worthy of him. Verse 15 makes very clear that not being a worthy person or house is to deserve greater punishment in hell than the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.

How can a rejection of the greeting of a worker earn such a devastating sentence? The answer is to think about what Jesus means when he tells the workers to "greet" the house in which you think a worthy person lives. In Romans 16, Paul commands that the recipients of his letter "greet" a number of people. The verb is exactly the same as that used by Jesus here. What does Paul mean by greet? Does he simply want them to say hi? No he wants them to greet them in his name or for him. "Greet them as my representative." So when one of the workers greets a home or puts his peace or speaks his word he is simply speaking as the representative of Jesus. He greets people in the name of Jesus, as his ambassador. It is as though the worker says something like this, "My king, Jesus, sends you his greetings and offers you peace if you will trust and love him above everyone and everything." What people are rejecting is not the worker but who the worker represents. It’s like when our country is upset with another country and we command their ambassador to leave. Our country isn’t angry with the ambassador but with who the ambassador represents. In the same way, when people reject these worker/shepherds that Jesus has called and equipped they are not just rejecting a human person but Jesus himself. They are in essence declaring war on Jesus by rejecting Jesus’ ambassador. This is only true if the worker is actually greeting in the name of Jesus and speaking the words of Jesus. Unfortunately, many Christians act as though they are being rejected for the sake of Jesus when in reality they are being rejected for being stupid.

The sobering truth of verse 15 is that those who reject the worker/shepherd of Jesus who is faithfully teaching the words of Jesus are going to suffer in hell more than the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Any person today who rejects a Christian worker who is faithfully declaring the good news about Jesus is committing a worse sin than any person who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah and will suffer in hell forever more than those people who God destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah. Hell will be worse for those who reject the words of Jesus’ workers because the grace that he is offering is so much more overwhelming and obvious than the grace offered to Sodom and Gomorrah in the person of Lot.

© Copyright 2001 John Swanson.
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