On the surface, this is a text that names the Twelve – the core group of disciples or apostles – and outlines their first mission. And that it does. But look a wee bit more closely, and there’s much in this text that speaks to us today.
In verses 35-38, Matthew sums up the healing stories of Jesus thus far – a summary, if you will. But note that Jesus is motivated, is driven, by compassion. This isn’t a ministry of power or glory; it is not ego-driven or intended to impress. Compassion, in this context, is an aspect of love and empathy which is so profound as to be stomach- turning. It is a movement of the heart, that is experienced viscerally. Jesus is driven to heal by agape – God’s unconditional and enduring love.
Also note the human condition that so deeply moves Jesus: “… they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36). The Greek here can be literally translated as “oppressed and thrown to the ground” or “harassed and torn apart.” How
so? Well, the problem seems to be not only the absence of a shepherd, but of downright bad shepherds at work. This is alluded to in Jesus’ reference to “…the lost sheep of the house of Israel” in 10:6. Here, Jesus reflects Ezekiel 34:2-10, which in part
reads:
Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them (34:2-6).
It’s also quite striking that the disciples – here called “apostles” (ones who are sent), the only time Matthew uses that word – are warned that some will welcome their ministry and others will flatly reject it. What matters more than success is that the good news is proclaimed, and that the apostles trust that God will provide all that they need. And what is the “good news?” That the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of God in the other Gospels) is at hand. The same proclamation that John the Baptist made. This kingdom will be revealed by the disciples in the same way that Jesus reveals it: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons” (10:7-8).
Do you recall the other week, on Trinity Sunday, the Great Commission (28:16-20) explicitly included all people, both Jew and Gentile? In fact, the word “all” and its variants, were repeated emphatically by Jesus several times in that text. However, in today’s text the disciples’ mission is only to the Jews. This is an example of a ‘starting point;’ of a mission to those with whom God already has a covenantal relationship. Jesus’ ministry is not fundamentally exclusive. As Paul puts it in his letter to the
Romans: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (1:16).
Lastly, consider how relatable Jesus’ experience is when he says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (9:37). Looking around at all those who are harassed and helpless, oppressed and thrown to the ground, harassed and torn apart, Jesus sees clearly the scope and scale of the suffering of his sisters and brothers. Jesus knows how plentiful the harvest might potentially be, as well as how few are the hands that will
share in his compassionate ministry.
