Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were
harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
A great difference exists between merely seeing and truly noticing. Many people can see someone’s outward condition, but not everyone can perceive the hidden suffering beneath it. Many can observe another’s weakness, yet few have hearts moved to help. Matthew portrays Jesus not only as someone who observed the crowds, but as someone who saw them with a heart full of compassion. Along his journey, Jesus witnessed the distress of Israel’s people: they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The image of sheep without a shepherd points to extreme vulnerability, for sheep need a shepherd to protect them, guide them, find pasture, and bring them home when they stray. Without a shepherd, sheep lose their way and become prey.
Yet their condition was not simply because they lacked leaders. They had religious leaders—people who knew the Law and taught it. The problem was that they held leadership positions without a shepherd’s heart. They could speak about truth but failed to bring love and compassion to those they served.
This becomes clear when Jesus ate with Matthew and the tax collectors. The Pharisees questioned Jesus’ action: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matt. 9:11). To them, sinners were a group to be avoided. But to Jesus, sinners were people in need of help. This contrast shows that one can be very close to religious things yet far from the heart of God. Jesus viewed people not by the labels attached to them but by their deepest needs. He saw their weariness, their lostness, their wounds, and their longing for restoration. Jesus’ compassion was not mere pity. It moved him to act—to teach, to heal, and to call his disciples to join God’s work.
A second image Matthew gives is of a plentiful harvest but few workers. The field is ripe for harvest, yet not enough willing hands do the work. This is both a rebuke and a call. Around us, so many people need care, accompaniment, encouragement, and direction for life. The issue is not that there are no people in need, but that too few are willing to stop, see, and be present with them.
The question for us now is, “How do we see the people around us? Do we view them as sinners to be avoided, or as souls in need of God’s grace?” To follow Christ means learning to see the world through Christ’s eyes. We are called not only to know the truth but to have a compassionate heart. Churches, families, communities, and ministries need people who are not merely leaders in title but who truly have the heart of a shepherd. Sometimes the greatest miracle in a person’s life isn’t when we answer their problem, but when, through our presence, they feel seen, loved, and not abandoned by God.