Jesus
traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the
synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every
kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them
because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said
to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray
to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into
his fields." Matthew
9:35-38
Meditate.
Read this passage and consider what it says.
Who
was this Traveling Teacher? Jesus, of course. He continued to minister to the
Israelites in the Galilean region by teaching and compassionately healing the
sick. The synagogues were the places that the Jews met regularly, and He came
first to minister to them—and then to the Gentiles. Note that Matthew reports
that the people were confused and helpless. They needed a shepherd who would
take care of them. That is just what Jesus did. Just like in Psalm 23.
Sheep in Israel
The Lord is My Shepherd.
He lets me rest in green meadows; Sheep don’t rest
unless the shepherd directs them to.
He leads me beside peaceful
streams. – Sheep are
afraid of moving water—they cannot swim and would drown if they fell in because
of their heavy wool coat. They still need quiet water to drink.
He renews my strength. – Sheep need rest and fresh grass
to get strong and continue growing.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name. – The
wrong path can lead to danger, and sheep will just stupidly follow the sheep
ahead of them…right off a cliff. Stupidity does not honor God.
Even when I walk through the
darkest valley, - We
all go through dark times.
I will not be afraid, for you are
close beside me. – No
fear because He is with us.
Your rod and your staff protect and
comfort me. – The shepherd
uses the rod to fight off enemies like wolves and the hooked staff to lift the
sheep from danger zones, like rocky ravines.
You prepare a feast for me in the
presence of my enemies. – The
shepherd takes the sheep to the most productive grassy field—and protects them even
if there are enemies like vermin or predators.
You honor me by anointing my head
with oil. – In the
dry desert, sheep need oil to take care of lice and bugs—just like people need
oil for their dry scalp. Oil, the Holy Spirit, will anoint us.
My cup overflows with blessings. – Blessings. God is good, all the
time.
Surely your goodness and unfailing
love will pursue me all the days of my life, - The Shepherd’s love is forever.
and I will live in the house of the
LORD forever. – If
we believe in Jesus as our Shepherd and Savior, we will live in God’s house
forever…for eternity. Psalm 23:1-6
What do
we learn about Jesus from the Matthew scripture today?
Prayer
– Lord, as You asked, I am praying that since You are in charge of the harvest,
please send more workers into Your fields, so that more people believe in You
as their Savior. You are our Shepherd, we rely on and trust You for everything—even
the harvest. In Matthew 13:39, we are told that… The harvest is the end of the
world, and the harvesters are the angels. We wait patiently for that day,
understanding that You won’t return until the last person is saved. Come
quickly, Lord Jesus.
Verse
of Salvation ~ A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the LORD's
unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your
unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the
heavens. ... And he (David)
will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'
I will make him my firstborn son, the mightiest king on earth. I will love him
and be kind to him forever; my covenant with him will never end. Psalm
89:1-2, 26-28
Happy
Father’s Day!
Blessing
on all the Dads who serve the Lord by leading their families.
© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
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