Matthew 9:35-10:42
Harvest time
( look at extensive text length )
(ROI – return on investment
Vs… Mark transition from powerful acts
To compassionate care / shepherd sending to take care of the herds of lost sheep
CONTEXT
Matt 8
Vs1-4 – leper cleansed
Vs 5-13 – Centurions paralyzed servant healed
Vs 14-15 – Peter’s mother-in-law healed of fever
Vs 16-17 – many demon possessed and sick healed
Vs 23-27 – calms the storm
Vs 28-34 – demons driven out ( pigs down the cliff )
Matt 9
Vs 1-8 man on mat forgiven, healed
9-13 Matthew called
18-26 woman healed ( bleeding ), dead girl raised
27-34 blind men healed, demon possessed mute man healed
TEXT
9 Vs 35
35 Summary verse
36 Motivation
Sheep w/o shepherd
- Sheep like to stay close to each other for safety
- Act instinctively – strong herding instinct.
- Will follow another who will follow that one…even over a cliff to stay together
- Are moderately intelligent
- Will stay near perceived friends ( Shepherd – who feeds them )
- Stay away from threats – dogs
- Like a safe distance / comfort zone
- Are hopeless w/o shepherds care
37 Problem defined
38 SOLUTION – pray
Chapter 10
1-4 Answered prayer ! First recruits!
Recall their pedigree…….
Grade A businessmen, Grade C scholars…..
Overlooked and discounted
And they hear the words of vs 1 !!!
Vs 2-6
Vs 5-8 Do This Work :
Vs 9-15 Trust for provision
Vs 16-25, 32-39 Persecution, troubles & sacrifices are a given
Vs 26-31 Don’t worry – highly valued!
Vs 40-42 It’s all worth it!
————————————
Notes
Mark 6:34
Look the end of verse 34. It tells us, “And he began to teach them many things.” The result of his compassion for these people was to teach them. He gave them what they needed most – himself! He gave them information about himself! He gave them the words of God. He taught them the things of God.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thepublicans.org/2016/08/09/sheep-without-a-shepherd-2/amp/
Sheep know when they are unprotected – so they fearfully band together. BUT w/o a shepherd to lead them, they could easily be the blind leading the blind and they wouldn’t even know the truth of that reality.
“Follow the leader
When one sheep moves, the rest will follow, even if it does not seem to be a good idea. The flocking and following instinct of sheep is so strong that it caused the death of 400 sheep in 2006 in eastern Turkey. The sheep plunged to their death after one of the sheep tried to cross a 15-meter deep ravine, and the rest of the flock followed.”
http://www.sheep101.info/201/behavior.html
They move about w/o purposeful direction, head down – just the next meal….