The Workers Are Few

Verse 37 (NLT) from this Bible passage is fairly familiar to many people: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” And immediately Jesus' call to pray for more workers follows. But it’s good to see where this statement and call of Jesus begins. This shows how He lived and what He saw and felt.

Here’s a brief and powerful description of how Jesus lived. He literally traveled across the country to towns and villages. He taught and healed people. When He saw the crowds, He felt splagchnizomai, because He saw people who are weary, seeking, and helpless. They were without direction and guidance. Again, the statement, “like sheep without a shepherd” is used. It is the Good Shepherd Himself who shares this with the disciples and indicates that more workers are needed.

It's striking how Jesus continually 'sees' and 'feels'. He sees the leper on the side of the road, He sees the crowds, He sees the widow, and what He sees touches something deep inside Him. It hurts and He feels splagchnizomai. Each time there is a reaction. Each time it’s different. This isn’t a format, not a step-by-step plan. This is a unique situation every time, in which Jesus sees and feels, and reacts in a unique way.

Jesus and splagchnizomai… Over the past few days, we’ve read a series of stories and situations that invite and challenge us not only to look around us, but also to really see. We're challenged to open our hearts and want to feel splagchnizomai. We're challenged to touch, to embrace, and to get moving.

Time to reflect.

How do you want to walk through life? Do you really want to see and feel what is happening around you? Do you dare feel, embrace and maybe even seek out splagchnizomai? What choices does that require in your life?

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Sponsoring a child in extreme poverty is a great opportunity to make the concept of caring for one another more concrete. Through sponsorship, you may bring a child into the light and change the course of their life forever! Visit the Compassion website and listen to your heart. www.compassion.com