The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

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( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Matthew:9:35-38

kjv@Matthew:9:35 @ And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

kjv@Matthew:9:36 @ But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

kjv@Matthew:9:37 @ Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

kjv@Matthew:9:38 @ Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

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Today's notes: Sheep Having No Shepherd

Context:

• Before - by the prince of devils
  
• After - sending of the twelve in pairs
  

What is man believing/doing?:

• allowing Jesus to teach in synagogues, preach, heal every sickness
  
• shepherds not pastor-ing
  
• multitudes weak and scattered abroad as sheep
  

What is making man to believe/do as he is doing?:

• common Jewish practice to allow/encourage open forums (possible - because Pharisees have charged blasphemy and satanic influence, this may be indication that not all synagogues were under the control of the Pharisees)
  
• Detachment from the multitudes and the written word
  
• Detachment from leadership, false teachers filling void
  

Notes:

Where has the clergy been throughout the long downfall of Israel/Judah? Where were they when the Judges needed them? When the Kings needed them? When the Prophets expected them to rally on the servant of God's behalf? When the nation needed them? Where has been the benefit of their moral compass been? Their wise raising of the future generations? Their scriptural advice and counsel? Where did they stand while the high priests of other religions infested their temples and liturgy?

Those that have just accused blasphemy and satanic alliance are the same of those that Jesus is accusing of leaving the masses shepherd-less, faint, scattered abroad. Quick they are to judge a true Shepherd while ignoring the stark evidence of their abandonment of the people and the peoples abandonment of them. Perhaps the proof is that man cannot be this kind of shepherd to the masses that the masses need, only the Great Shepherd Himself can. The sadness is that in their rush to be the shepherd they have disallowed Him from being "The Shepherd".

Here is a strong conceptual connection between the Shepherd and the Lord of the harvest, the flock and the laborers. He doesn't say pray for more shepherds, He says to pray for more laborers. What does a laborer do that there would be so few?

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

1. Tolerance as a methodology has little comparison to compassion. Much has been tolerated by Israel that has led to this dark dark moment in their history; much has been tolerated by modernity that will lead us to ours. Tolerance fails at the point of leadership and investment and persevering effort. Tolerance does not stand against that which destroys us, it offers only the path to it's least resistance. Compassion however stands on its own and typically alone and most often against that which typically is tolerated.
   
2. There are many a compassionate soul in the human sense that feels itself willing to be a shepherd without first being sent to be a laborer. There are populous colleges and Seminaries built for future shepherds, classrooms and books and regents, there is not but barely a fox hole or pillow for laborers. For all the shepherds we have in the USA today where are the many more laborers?
   

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Further Resources:

Comment Board:Matthew:9:35-38
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Matthew:9:35-38 rwp@Matthew:9:35-38 mhcc@Matthew:9:35-38
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

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