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Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 9:35

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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.

35 38. The Preaching of Jesus. The Harvest of the World

35. See ch. Mat 4:23. All diseases, acute as well as chronic.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages … – That is, in all parts of Galilee, for his labors were, as yet, confined to that part of Palestine. Compare the notes at Mat 4:24-25.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Mat 9:35

Healing every sickness.

Christ the Physician

Christs healing activity had this double value: it was evidence of His Divine authority as a Teacher; it was a picture in detail addressed to the sense of what, as a restorer of our race, He meant to do in regions altogether beyond the sphere of sense. But these aspects of His care for the human body were not primary, but incidental. We may infer with reverence and certainty that His first object was to show Himself as the restorer of human nature as a whole-not of the reason and conscience only, without the body. Thus our Lord has thrown radiance upon the medical profession, associating it with His redemptive work.

1. The physician can point out with authority given to no other man the present operative force of some of the laws of God. The connection between indulgence and decay. He can give physical reasons for moral truth.

2. The physician can point out the true limits of human knowledge. He knows the ignorance of science.

3. The medical profession may be a teacher of reverence-reverence for the body as the tabernacle of the soul.

4. The profession of medicine is from the nature, I had almost dared to say from the necessity, of the case a teacher of benevolence. (Canon Liddon.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 35. Jesus went about all the cities and villages] Of Galilee. See on Mt 4:23; Mt 4:24. A real minister of Jesus Christ, after his example, is neither detained in one place by a comfortable provision made by some, nor discouraged from pursuing his work by the calumny and persecution of others. It is proper to remark, that, wherever Christ comes, the proofs of his presence evidently appear: he works none but salutary and beneficial miracles, because his ministry is a ministry of salvation.

Among the people.] . This clause is omitted by about fifty MSS., several of them of the first antiquity and authority; by the Complutensian, and by Bengel; by both the Syriac, both the Arabic, both the Persic; the Ethiopic, Gothic, Saxon, and all the Itala, except four. Griesbach has left it out of the text.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

We met with these words Mat 4:23, only there it was all Galilee, by which probably this text ought to be expounded: See Poole on “Mat 4:23“.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

35. And Jesus went about all thecities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching thegospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every diseaseamong the people The italicized words areof more than doubtful authority here, and were probably introducedhere from Mt 4:23. The languagehere is so identical with that used in describing the first circuit(Mt 4:23), that we may presumethe work done on both occasions was much the same. It was just afurther preparation of the soil, and a fresh sowing of the preciousseed. (See on Mt 4:23). Tothese fruitful journeyings of the Redeemer, “with healing in Hiswings,” Peter no doubt alludes, when, in his address to thehousehold of Cornelius, he spoke of “How God anointed Jesus ofNazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doinggood, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God waswith Him” (Ac 10:38).

Jesus Compassionating theMultitudes, Asks Prayer for Help (Mt9:36-38). He had now returned from His preaching and healingcircuit, and the result, as at the close of the first one, was thegathering of a vast and motley multitude around Him. After a wholenight spent in prayer, He had called His more immediate disciples,and from them had solemnly chosen the twelve; then, coming down fromthe mountain, on which this was transacted, to the multitudes thatwaited for Him below, He had addressed to themas we take itthatdiscourse which bears so strong a resemblance to the Sermon on theMount that many critics take it to be the same. (See on Lu6:12-49; and Mt 5:1,Introductory Remarks). Soon after this, it should seem, themultitudes still hanging on Him, Jesus is touched with their wretchedand helpless condition, and acts as is now to be described.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,…. He did not confine himself, and his acts of kindness and compassion, to his own city, Capernaum, but he took a circuit throughout all Galilee; and not only visited their larger and more principal cities and towns, but their villages also; doing good to the bodies and souls of men in every place, and of whatever state and condition.

Teaching in their synagogues; which were places of public worship, where prayer was made, the law and the prophets were read, and a word of exhortation given to the people; and which, it seems, were in villages, as well as in cities and towns: and indeed it is a rule with the Jews h, that

“in what place soever there are ten Israelites, they ought to build a house, to which they may go to prayer, at all times of prayer; and such a place is called , “a synagogue”.”

And hence we often read of i , “the synagogue of villages”, as distinct from the synagogues of cities and walled towns; which confutes a notion of the learned Dr. Lightfoot k, who thought there were no synagogues in villages. Now, wherever Christ found any of these, he entered into them, and taught the people publicly,

preaching the Gospel of the kingdom; the good news and glad tidings of peace and pardon, reconciliation and salvation, by himself the Messiah; all things relating to the Gospel dispensation; the doctrines of grace, which concern both the kingdom of grace and glory; particularly the doctrine of regeneration, and the necessity of having a better righteousness than that of the Scribes and Pharisees; the one as a meetness, the other as a title to eternal happiness:

and healing every sickness, and every disease among the people. As he preached wholesome doctrine for the good of their souls; for their spiritual health, and the cure of their spiritual maladies; so he healed all sorts of diseases the bodies of men were incident to, that were brought unto him; and by his miracles confirmed, as well as recommended, the doctrines he preached.

h Maimon Hilchot Tephilla, c. 11. sect. 1. i T. Bab. Megilla. fol. 26. 1. & Gloss. in ib. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Megilla, c. 3. sect. 1. & Maimon. Hilch. Tephilla, c. 11. sect. 16. k In Mark i. 38. & Chorograph. ad Matt. c. 98.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Jesus Preaching throughout the Country.

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. 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. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Here is, I. A conclusion of the foregoing account of Christ’s preaching and miracles (v. 35); He went about all the cities teaching and healing. This is the same we had before, ch. iv. 23. There it ushers in the more particular record of Christ’s preaching (ch. v., vi. and vii.) and of his cures (ch. viii. and ix.), and here it is elegantly repeated in the close of these instances, as the quod erat demonstrandum–the point to be proved; as if the evangelist should say, “Now I hope I have made it out, by an induction of particulars, that Christ preached and healed; for you have had the heads of his sermons, and some few instances of his cures, which were wrought to confirm his doctrine: and these were written that you might believe.” Some think that this was a second perambulation in Galilee, like the former; he visited again those whom he had before preached to. Though the Pharisees cavilled at him and opposed him, he went on with his work; he preached the gospel of the kingdom. He told them of a kingdom of grace and glory, now to be set up under the government of a Mediator: this was gospel indeed, good news, glad tidings of great joy.

Observe how Christ in his preaching had respect,

1. To the private towns. He visited not only the great and wealthy cities, but the poor, obscure villages; there he preached, there he healed. The souls of those that are meanest in the world are as precious to Christ, and should be to us, as the souls of those that make the greatest figure. Rich and poor meet together in him, citizens and boors: his righteous acts towards the inhabitants of his villages must be rehearsed, Judg. v. 11.

2. To the public worship. He taught in their synagogues, (1.) That he might bear a testimony to solemn assemblies, even then when there were corruptions in them. We must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. (2.) That he might have an opportunity of preaching there, where people were gathered together, with an expectation to hear. Thus, even where the gospel church was founded, and Christian meetings erected, the apostles often preached in the synagogues of the Jews. It is the wisdom of the prudent, to make the best of that which is.

II. A preface, or introduction, to the account in the following chapter, of his sending forth his apostles. He took notice of the multitude (v. 36); not only of the crowds that followed him, but of the vast numbers of people with whom (as he passed along) he observed the country to be replenished; he noticed what nests of souls the towns and cities were, and how thick of inhabitants; what abundance of people there were in every synagogue, and what places of concourse the openings of the gates were: so very populous was that nation now grown; and it was the effect of God’s blessing on Abraham. Seeing this,

1. He pities them, and was concerned for them (v. 36); He was moved with compassion on them; not upon a temporal account, as he pities the blind, and lame, and sick; but upon a spiritual account; he was concerned to see them ignorant and careless, and ready to perish for lack of vision. Note, Jesus Christ is a very compassionate friend to precious souls; here his bowels do in a special manner yearn. It was pity to souls that brought him from heaven to earth, and there to the cross. Misery is the object of mercy; and the miseries of sinful, self-destroying souls, are the greatest miseries: Christ pities those most that pity themselves least; so should we. The most Christian compassion is compassion to souls; it is most Christ-like.

See what moved this pity. (1.) They fainted; they were destitute, vexed, wearied. They strayed, so some; were loosed one from another; The staff of bands was broken, Zech. xi. 14. They wanted help for their souls, and had none at hand that was good for any thing. The scribes and Pharisees filled them with vain notions, burthened them with the traditions of the elders, deluded them into many mistakes, while they were not instructed in their duty, nor acquainted with the extent and spiritual nature of the divine law; therefore they fainted; for what spiritual health, and life, and vigour can there be in those souls, that are fed with husks and ashes, instead of the bread of life? Precious souls faint when duty is to be done, temptations to be resisted, afflictions to be borne, being not nourished up with the word of truth. (2.) They were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. That expression is borrowed from 1 Kings xxii. 17, and it sets forth the sad condition of those that are destitute of faithful guides to go before them in the things of God. No creature is more apt to go astray than a sheep, and when gone astray more helpless, shiftless, and exposed, or more unapt to find the way home again: sinful souls are as lost sheep; they need the care of shepherds to bring them back. The teachers the Jews then had pretended to be shepherds, yet Christ says they had not shepherds, for they were worse than none; idle shepherds that led them away, instead of leading them back, and fleeced the flock, instead of feeding it: such shepherds as were described, Jer 23:1; Eze 34:2, c. Note, The case of those people is very pitiable, who either have no ministers at all, or those that are as bad as none that seek their own things, not the things of Christ and souls.

2. He excited his disciples to pray for them. His pity put him upon devising means for the good of these people. It appears (Luk 6:12; Luk 6:13) that upon this occasion, before he sent out his apostles, he did himself spend a great deal of time in prayer. Note, Those we pity we should pray for. Having spoken to God for them he turns to his disciples, and tells them,

(1.) How the case stood; The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. People desired good preaching, but there were few good preachers. There was a great deal of work to be done, and a great deal of good likely to be done, but there wanted hands to do it. [1.] It was an encouragement, that the harvest was so plenteous. It was not strange, that there were multitudes that needed instruction, but it was what does not often happen, that they who needed it, desired it, and were forward to receive it. They that were ill taught were desirous to be better taught; people’s expectations were raised, and there was such a moving of affections, as promised well. Note, It is a blessed thing, to see people in love with good preaching. The valleys are then covered over with corn, and there are hopes it may be well gathered in. That is a gale of opportunity, that calls for a double care and diligence in the improvement of it; a harvest-day should be a busy day. [2.] It was a pity when it was so that the labourers should be so few; that the corn should shed and spoil, and rot upon the ground for want of reapers; loiterers many, but labourers very few. Note, It is ill with the church, when good work stands still, or goes slowly on, for want of good workmen; when it is so, the labourers that there are have need to be very busy.

(2.) What was their duty in this case (v. 38); Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest. Note, The melancholy aspect of the times and the deplorable state of precious souls, should much excite and quicken prayer. When things look discouraging, we should pray more, and then we should complain and fear less. And we should adapt our prayers to the present exigencies of the church; such an understanding we ought to have of the times, as to know, not only what Israel ought to do, but what Israel ought to pray for. Note, [1.] God is the Lord of the harvest; my Father is the Husbandman, John xv. 1. It is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, Isa. v. 7. It is for him and to him, and to his service and honour, that the harvest is gathered in. Ye are God’s husbandry (1 Cor. iii. 9); his threshing, and the corn of his floor, Isa. xxi. 10. He orders every thing concerning the harvest as he pleases; when and where the labourers shall work, and how long; and it is very comfortable to those who wish well to the harvest-work, that God himself presides in it, who will be sure to order all for the best. [2.] Ministers are and should be labourers in God’s harvest; the ministry is a work and must be attended to accordingly; it is harvest-work, which is needful work; work that requires every thing to be done in its season, and diligence to do it thoroughly; but it is pleasant work; they reap in joy, and the joy of the preachers of the gospel is likened to the joy of harvest (Isa 9:2; Isa 9:3); and he that reapeth receiveth wages; the hire of the labourers that reap down God’s field, shall not be kept back, as theirs was, Jam. v. 4. [3.] It is God’s work to send forth labourers; Christ makes ministers (Eph. iv. 11); the office is of his appointing, the qualifications of his working, the call of his giving. They will not be owned nor paid as labourers, that run without their errand, unqualified, uncalled. How shall they preach except they be sent? [4.] All that love Christ and souls, should show it by their earnest prayers to God, especially when the harvest is plenteous, that he would send forth more skillful, faithful, wise, and industrious labourers into his harvest; that he would raise up such as he will own in the conversion of sinners and the edification of saints; would give them a spirit for the work, call them to it, and succeed them in it; that he would give them wisdom to win souls; that he would thrust forth labourers, so some; intimating unwillingness to go forth, because of their own weakness and the people’s badness, and opposition from men, that endeavour to thrust them out of the harvest; but we should pray that all contradiction from within and from without, may be conquered and got over. Christ puts his friends upon praying this, just before he sends apostles forth to labour in the harvest. Note, It is a good sign God is about to bestow some special mercy upon a people, when he stirs up those that have an interest at the throne of grace, to pray for it, Ps. x. 17. Further observe, that Christ said this to his disciples, who were to be employed as labourers. They must pray, First, That God would send them forth. Here am I, send me, Isa. vi. 8. Note, Commissions, given in answer to prayer, are most likely to be successful; Paul is a chosen vessel, for behold he prays,Act 9:11; Act 9:15. Secondly, That he would send others forth. Note, Not the people only, but those who are themselves ministers, should pray for the increase of ministers. Though self-interest makes those that seek their own things desirous to be placed alone (the fewer ministers the more preferments), yet those that seek the things of Christ, desire more workmen, that more work may be done, though they be eclipsed by it.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

And Jesus went about ( ). Imperfect tense descriptive of this third tour of all Galilee.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

JESUS PREACHES ON A TOUR THROUGH ALL GALILEE

V. 35-38

1) “And Jesus went about,” (kai periegen ho vesous) “And Jesus went around,” in circuit about; The circuit here mentioned may have been partly before and partly after the miracles recounted above.

2) “All the cities and villages,” (tas pollis pasas kai tas komas) “All the cities and the villages,” of Galilee, of both upper and lower Galilee. This is believed to be His third journey or circuit through Galilee. The first is recounted Mat 4:23-25. The second is given Mr 6:6; Luk 6:1-3; Luk 13:23.

3) “Teaching in their synagogues,” (didaskon en tais sunagogues auton) “Repeatedly, continually teaching in their synagogues.” Instructing privately in their synagogues, the story of Grace and Glory, Joh 1:14; Joh 1:17; 2Ti 1:10.

4) “And preaching the gospel of the kingdom,” (kai kerusson to euangelion tes basileias) “And proclaiming, heralding the good news (gospel) of the kingdom,” Mat 11:5; publicly announcing the Gospel that saves men from sin, Rom 1:16; 1Co 15:1-4.

5) “And healing every sickness,” (kai therapeuon pasan malakian) “And healing every illness,” literally, “every kind (of) sickness,” both physical and mental sickness. From Mat 4:23 to Mat 9:35 Jesus was generally met with admiration of the masses, but from Mat 10:1 to Mat 14:12 He is an object of general doubt, criticism, and hostility.

6) “And every disease among the people.” (kai pason noson) “And every disease or malady,” infecting and defecting their physical and emotional well being. This is a summary affirmation of how Divine Grace and Mercy from Jesus relieved human suffering and sorrow. With what zeal our Lord labored.

ZEAL

The Devil held a great anniversary, at which his emissaries were convened to report the results of their several missions. I let loose the wild beasts of the desert,” said one, “on a caravan of Christians; and their bones are now bleaching on the sands.” “What of that?” said the Devil; “their souls were all saved.” “I drove the east wind,” said another, against a ship freighted with Christians; and they were all drowned.” “What of that?” said the Devil; “their souls were all saved.” “For ten years I tried to get a single Christian asleep,” said a third; “And I succeeded, and left him so.” Then the Devil shouted, and the night stars of hell sang for joy.

-Luther

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Mat 9:35

. And Jesus went about This statement is made by way of anticipating an objection, and is intended to inform us that the whole ministry of Christ is not minutely described: for he was constantly employed in the discharge of his office; that is, in proclaiming the doctrine of salvation, and in confirming it by the addition of miracles. The gospel of the kingdom, we have already said, is a designation given to it from its effect, (533) for in this way God gathered to himself a people sadly scattered, that he might reign in the midst of them; and, indeed, he erected his throne for the express purpose of bestowing on all his people perfect happiness. Yet let us remember that we must be subject to God, in order that we may be exalted by him to the heavenly glory.

(533) “ a cause de l’effect et du fruict qui s’en ensuit;” — “on account of the effect and of the fruit which follows from it.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

Section 22

JESUS EVANGELIZES GALILEE AND SHARES HIS VISION WITH HIS DISCIPLES

(Parallel; Mar. 6:6 b)

TEXT: 9:3538

35.

And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.

36.

And when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd.

37.

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

38.

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS

Have you ever been frustrated in your Christian work by the fact that there is too much to be done but too few workers? What did you do about it?

Is there any advice that can be drawn from this text, by way of application, that would clarify the mission of the Church today? If so, what advice do you see there?

In what way are the people in Galileeyes, even the people of our worldlike so many sheep without a Shepherd?

How long do you think we ought to continue to pray for more workers?

Do you believe that Jesus command to pray for more workers, originally required of the Apostles, should be obeyed by His followers today? If so, on what basis? If not, why not?

What do you see as the strategy behind Jesus actions revealed in this text? Or, how does Jesus reveal Himself in this Scripture as the Master Strategist? What is that strategy?

If you conclude that we should pray this prayer that Jesus required of his followers during His earthly ministry, then how far should we go in helping God to answer our prayers by preparing workers ourselves?

If we pray for workers to be sent out to work for God, what is apt to happen? Can you conscientiously pray a prayer in the realization of which you are unwilling to participate?

PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY

Jesus traveled about Galilee, stopping in all the cities and villages. There He taught in their synagogues and announced the good news about Gods Kingdom. He also healed people who had all kinds of illnesses, The sight of the crowds who came to Him filled Him with compassion for them. They reminded Him of sheep without a shepherd.
Then He challenged His disciples, This harvest is plentiful enough; the problem is that the laborers are scarce. So, you must pray to the Lord, whose harvest it is, asking Him to send out more workers into His fields to work!

SUMMARY

Jesus toured Galilee making stops to teach in all the cities and villages. He healed all kinds of sick folk. He was motivated by His compassion to help them, because they were lost sheepeveryone of them. Then He engaged His Apostles in a prayer offensive to tackle the problem of too much work to be done by too few workers.

NOTES

I. A REVIEW OF THE REMARKABLE, RAPID REACHING OF THAT REGION (9:35)

Mat. 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages. Is this a third missionary tour of Galilee, as many harmonists suppose, or is this Matthews rhetorical device for recalling to the mind of the reader the principle point he has been making since Mat. 4:23? In the intervening chapters he has given magnificent illustrations of what he meant exactly by preaching, i.e. the Sermon on the mount (chaps. 57) and representative miracles (chaps. 8 and 9). He has now finished these examples, so summarizes this Galilean ministry again in the same terms.

The only verbal differences in Greek between Mat. 4:23; Mat. 9:35 are two:

ts pleis psas ka ts kmas for en hl t Galilaa

The addition of en t la in Mat. 4:23, which even some late MSS have also in Mat. 9:35. Otherwise these two passages are verbally identical in every respect, even to the significant use of the imperfect tense in the principle verb periegen, he was in the process of going around, and the present participles for all other verbs dependent upon the principal verb. The usual chronological representations of Jesus various evangelistic tours divide them thus: the first, Mat. 4:23-25; Mar. 1:35-39; Luk. 4:42-44; the second, Luk. 8:1-3; the third, this one here, Mat. 9:35; Mar. 6:6 b. However, in every case but one (Mar. 1:39 about which there is even some doubt in the MSS) the authors all use the imperfect tense, a phenomenon which suggests that they merely intend to picture Jesus as constantly on the move and that His one, continuous tour of Galilee was either illustrated or else interspersed by the particular incidents narrated throughout this general period. This continuity, then, is to be interpreted as the Great Galilean Campaign divided up into successive journeys by returns to Capernaum or by trips to Jerusalem for the feast. This sense of continuity is probably what induces Matthew to use almost verbally identical expressions to describe what should probably be thought of as two separate journeys. Thus, this is both a third tour of Galilee as well as his rhetorical device for signaling a change, from the material that he has just concluded, to a new development in Jesus ministry: the preparation and commission of the Twelve to labor in evangelism.

All the cities and the villages, i.e. of Galilee. Not only is this a picture of Jesus personal evangelistic labors, but also as Morgan (Matthew, 100) paints it, this picture of God is that of a Man Who went . . . and looked at the people; and what He saw made His whole inner physical life . . . move and burn. He did not merely demand that people come to Him during certain office hours; He went to them. Teaching in their synagogues, because there would be a readymade audience available to Him. (Cf. Illustrations in Luk. 4:16-37 and notes on Mat. 4:23.) Preaching the gospel of the Kingdom speaks of the content of His proclamation: God is still on the throne, but His Kingdom to come is different than you suspect! It is not reasonable to suppose that Jesus even once announced Himself as Heavens King or heralded the beginning of Gods Messianic Reign, due to the complete misunderstanding people had of these grand truths. What is more likely is the supposition that Jesus hammered away at the true characterspiritual, not national,of Gods Kingdom. To those who awaited the redemption of Israel on spiritual terms (cf. Luk. 2:25; Luk. 2:38; Luk. 23:51), Jesus announcement of the Kingdoms soon arrival would be gospel in its best sense, good news. To those who hoped only for the restoration of materialistic national glory, Jesus message, however exciting at first, could not but prove disappointing as people began to understand that He had no plans that harmonized with their selfish dreams. Healing all kinds of disease and sickness summarizes the evidences He offered of His divine identity and consequent authority. His miracles were evidence that Gods kingdom had arrived in this respect also, since the presence of sickness and disease is contrary to normality. Jesus control over these abnormalities, then, proclaimed Gods control in the natural world at any moment He cared to exercise that dominion.

This intensive activity is Jesus counterattack mounted against all the opposition to His claims drawn in sharp relief by Matthew in chapter nine. Rather than be cowed by the opposition, Jesus plunged into more vigorous evangelistic activity. He had been accused of blasphemy (Mat. 9:2-8), of hob-nobbing with the scum of society (Mat. 9:13), of not being holy enough (Mat. 9:14-17), of folly (Mat. 9:24), of being less than a real Master (Mat. 9:31) and of being in league with Satan (Mat. 9:34). He had answered all of the accusations brilliantly and with power. But He knows that the slight opposition He had then faced must necessarily grow. He knew also that He must gain as much time as possible, bringing as many people as possible to firm confidence in Him, before that inevitable showdown with the religious leaders which must conclude with the cross. This intensive one-man ministry resulted in great crowds deeply aroused: the attention of all northern Israel, at least, is focused upon Jesus of Nazareth. He has succeeded in getting a hearing.

II. THE RATIONALE OF A RESTLESS REDEEMER WHO REALISTICALLY RECOGNIZES THE REASON FOR THIS RECEPTION (9:36)

Mat. 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd. The people crowding around Jesus are the natural result of His evangelistic work which promoted wide-spread popular interest in His ministry. What Matthew repeats here, he has already noticed earlier, i.e. the growing evidence of success Jesus is enjoying in His effort to call national attention to Himself and His message. (Cf. Mat. 4:25; Mat. 8:18) But getting a hearing only is never sufficient, as important as that may be. One must get His message across convincingly to those ready to hear. And Jesus knows that these multitudes probably have not the slightest idea what He is trying so desperately to say to them. He knows that their prejudices, their ignorance, their background and training, their mistaken longings and selfish desires will shut out much of His message. Thus the Lord faces the greater necessity now of multiplying the efficiency of His means of communication, in order by all means to communicate His message more often and in more different ways. This would result in the dissemination of His information about the kingdom in ways that would succeed in getting past some of the closed doors of prejudice and ignorance of people too far away to be helped personally. This necessity to render His ministry more efficient is required not only because of the multiplying numbers of people with whom He must talk. but more especially due to their condition.

But when we talk of Jesus increasing the efficiency of His ministry, we imply that there was something lacking, inadequate or inefficient about it. But this very presence of the crowds raises a problem of tactics for the Lord, since He had already chosen, by virtue of the incarnation, to be just one Man in one place at a time. Though He was the great, God, yet when He humbled Himself to be born as a little Jewish baby in Bethlehem, He whom the heaven of heavens could not contain, was deliberately limiting Himself to be just one Man in one place. But the obvious application of a principle of natural physics, He could not be in two places at the same time, much less in seven cities simultaneously evangelizing each one. But, by simply multiplying Himself, through the sharing of His vision, His authority and His message with His Apostles, He could accomplish seven times the work He was then accomplishing. (See on Mat. 10:1; Mat. 11:1 and compare Mar. 6:7).

But who were these multitudes? They consisted not only of the lonely, distressed, sick, poor common people for whom any generous soul could have a place in his heart. Also in that crowd were suspicious Herodians, hypocritical Pharisees, wealthy Sadducees, monkish Essenes, greedy, grasping publicans, perhaps spies of Herod and informers for Pilate, prostitutes and other sinnerssinners for whom the average person would probably have a trace of contempt, for whom NONE would willingly give his life on a cross! (Cf. Rom. 5:6-11) Here we feel the striking difference between Jesus of Nazareth and any other man or angel: He feels deeply, even though He sees clearly, the weakness and failure and consequent need of every man. He understands that all that is unlovely, despicable or revolting in any person, is but a good reason for His helping that man. It is comparatively easy for any normal humanitarian to feel compassion for certain classes of sufferers, like mothers or children, the poor or the homeless. But to be moved to action with compassion for heterogeneous humanity with its vast mixture of loves and hates, its diversified backgrounds, its wealth and poverty, its conflicting sentiments, its tensions, its joys, its opposite ideas about God and truth, is to be a Jesus. But is it not to become a Jesus that He came to call us? (Cf. Rom. 8:29; Php. 2:1-5) He saw the multitudes for what they really were and YET He felt a strong desire to relieve them from all that they suffered, A superficial observer, looking at the crowds, would never have seen what Jesus saw. One might have seen those people as irresponsible sheep who have gotten themselves lost and deserve whatever fate awaited them or perhaps just a frustrating lot of tiring field work, but not so Jesus. The difference? He had a Shepherds heart: the harvest was His,

He was moved with compassion, as Barclay (Matthew, I, 363f) puts it, by our pain and sickness (Mat. 14:14), our blindness (Mat. 20:34), by our sorrow (Luk. 7:13), by our hunger (Mat. 15:32), by our loneliness (Mar. 1:41), by our bewilderment (here, also Mar. 6:34), Compassion means mercy, since, in strict justice, there is no reason in man that God should save; the need is born of His own compassion. No man has any claim upon God. Why, then, should men be cared for? Why should they not become the prey of the ravening wolf, having wandered from the fold? (Morgan, Matthew, 99)

Because they were distressed (eskylmnoi; Arndt-Gingrich, 765: wearied, harassed, troubled, bothered, annoyed; cf. Luk. 7:6; Luk. 8:49; Mar. 5:35) and scattered (erimmnoi from rhipt. Arndt-Gingrich, 744: 1. throw in a manner suited to each special situation . . . 2. With no connotation of violence: put or lay down, lying down, lying on the ground or floor . . . of the crowds of people, Mat. 9:36, of animals lying on the ground.) Scattered sums up graphically the picture of shepherdless sheep lying here and there, having been thrown about by many diverse forces. This is their condition that moved the compassion of Jesus: their very weakness, their unworthiness, their unreadiness to meet God. What Matthew fairly shouts to any Jewish heart (and to any Gentile who has looked into the Jewish Bible!) is this: Jesus has the heart of the great, long-awaited David, the great Shepherd! (Cf. Isa. 40:10-11; Jer. 23:3-8; Jer. 31:10; Eze. 34:11-31; Eze. 37:24) Harassed and helpless is the picture of people perplexed, oppressed and troubled by the impossible obligations of current Judaism, confused by the contradictory claims of the various theological debating societies that left them groaning under the weight of restraints and duties of religion. These are people who hold confused ideas about the Kingdom of God, the King and their duty. They have vague longings, aroused by the prophets, John the Baptist and now by Jesus Himself, yet they are ignorant about how or where they can satisfy this yearning. Even this self-inflicted anguish, for which Israel was personally responsible, excited Jesus pity. Were the paradoxical words of Isaiah (Isa. 53:6) in Jesus mind as He looked at these lost human beings?

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned every one to his own way.

Each one thinks his case is peculiar; all however are getting lost in droves!

As sheep hot having a shepherd. But had they no shepherds? Rather, had they not HUNDREDS of them? Historically, yes, and good ones too! Moses, the prophets and many righteous men had ministered to Israel, given their witness and challenged them to leave their sins. (Num. 27:17; Psa. 77:20; Isa. 63:11) But just as recently as the later prophets, Israel had been willingly misguided, deceived and betrayed by men who served their own interest. (Jer. 23:1-40; Jer. 50:6 ff.; Eze. 34:1-10; Zec. 10:2-3) Then when the true prophetic voice was finally silenced by the rejection and murder of the last of Gods servants, Israel was left to her fate under the shepherding of thieves, robbers and hirelings. (Cf. Joh. 10:1; Joh. 10:8-13) Barclay (Matthew, I, 364ff.) summarizes this tragedy,

They were shepherds that had nothing to offer the common people longing for truth. The Scribes and Pharisees, the Sadducees and priests, who should have been giving men strength to live, were bewildering men with subtle arguments about the Law, which had no help and comfort in them. These orthodox teachers had neither guidance, comfort nor strength to give. When they should have been helping men to stand upright, they were bowing them down under the intolerable burden of the Scribal Law.

This deeply felt compassion of Jesus is born of His great vision: tired lost sheep; the waiting harvest. But He is not lost in visions and dreaming. These tensions must be resolved: there must be shepherds! He must call reapers! But these two colossal visions are not exactly parallel but two halves of the same truth. If there is any certain emphasis to each, it is this: the vision of the sheep without a Shepherd is the image of mans need met by God, while the vision of the waiting harvest require that Gods need for reapers be met by men.

Another interesting thought suggested by Lewis and Booth (PHC, XXII, 239), that is impossible to check out, is that in these two figures, Jesus intended to describe the two-fold work of the Church. In the sheep to be shepherded are seen those disciples just won who need so much help to grow, The waiting harvest, according to this view, signifies those souls whose interest in Jesus was greatly aroused and who could be won, were there but evangelists to reach them in time. The waiting harvest required reapers rather than shepherds, the men of the sickle, rather than those of the crook. So saying, the two-fold outreach of the Church is pictured rising in the heart of Jesus. This view, while interesting, is impossible to establish, since it cannot be proved that Jesus had such a neat distinction in view between those described as sheep and those meant by the harvest, for He may well have considered them but parallel images of the same idea seen from two angles.

III. THE REQUIREMENT TO REQUEST AND RECRUIT REAPERS (9:37, 38)

Mat. 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Even though these men have been with Jesus as personal companions for considerable time now, still Jesus does not presume to command them to take up this task upon which the success of His whole mission to earth depends. In His wisdom He involves first their conscience in a moral decision that something must be done about this great need. They must be as motivated as Him. They too must see what He sees, feel what He feels, if they are to share His ministry. To evangelize mechanically, without the spirit and motivation of Jesus, is worse than hypocrisy: it is impossible! In light of the commission He will give the Twelve in the next chapter, note how He first engages their deep concern over these souls, their concern about the paucity of workers in distressing contrast to the magnitude of the task. He then involves them in beseeching God for more workers. Before long, almost before they will have been able to analyze the excellent psychology of His approach, they will actually find themselves spontaneously sharing His vision and His anxiety, and enthusiastically arming themselves to reach out in mercy to help meet the needs of these multitudes.

The harvest, thinks Lenski (Matthew, 384) cannot be the multitudes Jesus saw coming to Him, since some of these people would not be gathered into the heavenly garner. But he sees only half of the harvest work! (Mat. 3:12) The announcement of those principles upon which the final judgment and separation will be made, is also evangelism. No, the harvest, for Jesus, means that the prime moment to begin the work of proclaiming Gods kingdom has arrived (cf. Joh. 4:35), and that this work involves telling people in no uncertain terms what Gods judgment means. By reaping those who accept the message, the reapers leave to God the disposal of those who judge themselves chaff. But we must not push this figure too far, since human beings are different from chaff, because they must be regarded as a harvest to be reaped, until God calls a halt to this age. (cf. Mat. 13:39-43)

The harvest . . . laborers. Jesus is about to select, challenge and send forth His own personal emissaries. But they must understand their work and share His spirit, as well as express His power and authority. He begins at once to describe the kind of helpers He must have: laborers, not princes arrayed in soft robes living in kings houses, not men with soft hands unaccustomed to the toil of harvest-hands laboring out in the harvest fields.

Mat. 9:38 Pray ye therefore. Not only must these men share Jesus vision; they must share also His prayers. Instead of merely lamenting the deplorable condition of Israel as scattered, harassed sheep or as a harvest too great for the number of available workers, Jesus first response is to engage God-fearing men in PRAYER, How often have we encouraged some fainting heart, in anguish under some crushing problem, to pray for Gods solution, when, at the same time, we continued wringing our hands about the frustrating enormity of the task of reaching the world without seeing our Lords wisdom in this text! Jesus was not satisfied simply to load His disciples minds with the burden of lost souls. He opens up to them also the secret of relief and reinforcements: Pray for more helpers to face this gigantic task! How long and how often had the Master Himself been uttering this same cry in His own lonely night vigils? (cf. Luk. 6:12) How fervently had He hoped that these very Twelve would respond positively to His teaching, His shared views, His companionship? These very men were the laborers for the harvest that the Father had given Him and for them He gave thanks and expended every effort to encourage them to be all that an excellent reaper must be. (Joh. 17:6-26; cf. Joh. 17:6 with Joh. 6:70 and Joh. 15:16) He also prayed that the laborers God raised up might not be lost to His service. (cf. Luk. 22:31-32)

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest. We may well ask ourselves, if this harvest belongs to the Lord, how would our puny prayers help Him?

Lewis and Booth (PHC, XXII, 240) answer well:

Why go to prayer first? Because it takes us at once to the right quarters. Who so certain to know about the harvest and all its needs as the Lord of the harvest? Who so likely to be interested in them? Who so able to help? Who so able, especially in this case where the need of help is extreme; where labourers have to be even thrust forth (ver. 38) to this work? Who so able to do this as He who sent Saul of Tarsus into His harvest?

It is not only worse than idle to begin anywhere else, but self-sufficient and presumptuous and distrustful also in an equal degree. (ibid.)

Our praying this way unites our concern and will with Gods, making us useful as laborers whenever it please Him to use us. Since the harvest is all around us, in all of our social contacts, we need merely to be transformed into laborers. Can any man honestly pray this prayer without involving himself emotionally in the very activity which has become the burden of his concern? Can anyone pray that God send laborers and not send those whom God makes willing to go?

Such praying would keep us and our hindering prejudices out of Gods way! While praying like this, can any man at the same time stand around arguing whether the need is great, or whether the souls are lost or not, or whether the people of God should involve themselves in such work, etc.?

The Master knew what He was doing when He commanded His men to pray like this! The glorious wonder of this prayer is that Jesus definitely ordered His Apostles to beseech God to provide workers. God obviously cares enough about their prayers to answer them in accomplishing that work which He had already spent thousands of years of patient, careful preparation to do! The great, supreme challenge facing Christianity is that the entire world is to be reached. But the greater surprise of Jesus message is that God actually needs men to reach that world. He has chosen truth in the flesh, the living gospel vividly expressed in human personality, to save men. God has deliberately decided that the harvest will not be reaped unless there are human laborers to harvest it. Whether we understand His choice or not, there is no doubting either the fact that He has so decided or the need to pray for the needed laborers.

IV. RAMIFICATIONS AND REFLECTIONS

Barclay is right to teach (Matthew, I, 366) that

It is the dream of Christ that every man should be a missionary and a reaper. There are those who cannot do other than pray, for life has laid them helpless, and their prayers are indeed the strength of the laborers. But that is not the way for most of us, for those of us who have strength of body and health of mind. Not even the giving of our money is enough. If the harvest of men is ever to be reaped, then every one of us must be a reaper, for there is someone whom each of us couldand mustbring to God.

But what hinders our efforts and strangles our effectiveness? Is it that we do not share Jesus vision of the task? When we look at the mobs of people crowding their way through life, with little or no passing thought for their comrades on the journey, what do we think? When we are frustrated by the thoughtlessness of selfish individuals, whose unwillingness to help, irks us to the limit, what do we see? Do we see these people as hindrances which we must destroy, since they obstruct our hurried pace? Or do we see them through the eyes of the Lord: lost souls, whose very sins bar our path and frustrate our progress and mar our happiness, yet cry for our help?

Let me look at the scattered crowds

Till my eyes with tears grow dim

Let me look at the crowds as my Savior did

And love them for love of Him!

Author unknown

How long should we pray this prayer for reapers? Only so long as there remain sheep without the Shepherdonly so long as there is more harvest than laborers to gather it. Even as those candidates for Apostleship joined their voices in prayer, let us add our voices: Lord of harvest, send forth reapers! Hear us, Lord, to Thee we cry; Send them now the sheaves to gather, Ere the harvest time pass by.

J. O. Thompson

FACT QUESTIONS

Show the connections between this section and the one which immediately follows in chapter ten.

Describe the general situation in Galilee that renders this picture presented by Matthew not only plausible but to be expected.

What is the larger role in Matthews apparent outline that this section plays? Remember that Matthew seems to be following a topical, rather than a strictly chronological, outline.

Explain the figure of sheep without a shepherd. Tell it in literal language.

Explain the figure of the harvest. Tell it in literal language.

Describe the motivation that moved Jesus to share His vision with His disciples.

How should this vision of Jesus and challenge to His followers be interpreted in the life of the Church today?

Whom does Jesus hold responsible for sending workers into the world to labor for God? Whom does Jesus hold responsible for requesting more help? What did Jesus do to answer the prayers of His disciples, i.e. what did Jesus do to make more workers possible? (See Matthew 10)

SPECIAL STUDY:

MIRACLES

The fundamental conflict in which Christianity is engaged today, in the intellectual sphere, is between Naturalism and Supernaturalism. Beneath all the attacks of scientists and philosophers, scholars and theologians upon Christianity lies an undercurrent of naturalism, more or less concealed, according as the opponent of supernaturalism is within the ranks of professing Christians or not.[1]

[1] Floyd E. Hamilton, The Basis of Christian Faith, (3rd rev. ed.; New York: Harper Brothers Publishers, 1946), p. 87.

Miracles, as phenomena in historic Christianity, have posed no small problem to every age of the churchs existence. Any search into the early years of the Christian religion will reveal the intense, tenacious conviction that the supernatural intervention into human history which we call miracle really occurred. The word itself might be defined:

A miracle is an event occurring in the natural world, observed by the senses, produced by divine power, without and adequate human or natural cause, the purpose of which is to reveal the will of God and do good to man.[2]

[2] Clarence E. McCartney, Twelve Great Questions About Christ, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 70.

The question of miracle revolves around one central historic figure: Jesus Christ. Did Jesus really work miracles? This is a far greater question than just a decision as to whether Jesus worked miracles or not. It is more than simply deciding whether He fed the 5000, healed the blind, cast out demons, and raised people from the dead. It is deciding whether there be a Christ at all. There is no Christ but the Christ of miracle! It is deciding whether there is a God or not. He is morally perverse or intellectually blind who concludes that a religion can be ethically true and historically false. An ethic predicated upon a lie, by the very nature of its case, warns the world against its own truth.

Further, there is no Christ but a supernatural Christ, if any credence be allowed the claims of those writers who furnish the only reliable history of His life, There is no supernatural Christ if there is no resurrected Christ, Truly,

if the resurrection of Jesus was not a reality, all the other miracles would be valueless even if real, and all effort to establish their reality would be abandoned.[3]

[3] J. W. McGarvey, Evidences of Christianity, (Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Company, 1891), Part III, p, 116.

Miracles have a way of smashing our neatly-arranged systems of thought. The miraculous commands our attention and threatens to undo our uniformities not only in nature but in religion. If there is no miracle, no trumpet-call from beyond the natural or the earthly, we can settle down into our comfortable self-pleasure and drink long draughts from the cool glass of self-satisfaction, rousing only to change the record on our philosophic stereo to the soothing, mellow voice suggesting, Enjoy yourself while youre still in the pink. Suddenly, into our picture of peaceful self-complacency storms a miracle, a factstubborn and realthat can not be dismissed. The out-of-the-ordinary has just startled our ordinary and we must react. It is this very feature of the miraculous that leads us to see

THE NATURE OF MIRACLES

Just what occurred back there in that age of unenlightenment? Indubitable is the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was reputed to have super-human abilities which He manifested through His short but meteoric rise to the limited public prominence of His country. To appreciate rightly the nature of His supernatural activities we must not view miracles as isolated facts, but in their actual relations to the life of the Man who accomplished them. Any exception is so rare that it is a safe observation that Jesus did not perform the miraculous needlessly. The need for the supernatural acts grew out of the situation and must not be considered independent of that situation. His miracles might be classified thus:

POWER OVER NATURE:

At a wedding feast Jesus turned water into wine.
Seeing His disciples distressed in rowing against a stormy lake, Jesus walked across the lake to them, defying gravity. On another occasion Jesus spoke the word and the sea immediately became calm.
One morning at breakfast time He cursed a fig tree and it withered.
By supernatural knowledge He informed Peter that in the mouth of the first fish Peter hauled in would be tribute money.
B. POWER OVER DISEASE AND DEMONS:
Paralytics, impotent men, women with hemorrhages, sight to blind men, hearing to deaf and speech to dumb, lepers, withered limbs restored to normalcy, wounded ears replacedall these and many more Jesus did! No weeks or day of anxious waiting, no returns, no incurable cases when Jesus healed a body!
C. POWER OVER DEATH:
Death in others was no problem to this Jesus of Nazareth. He stopped a funeral procession to raise the widows son; He broke up the funeral to raise Jairus daughter. He walked nearly 40 miles to raise Lazarus from the grave.
Death in Himself was nothing to fear for He calmly predicted His own death and resurrection with frightening regularity:

Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. (Joh. 10:17-18)

Many passages could be cited in which Jesus foretold in detail the various features of His passion. Here again we could marvel at the supreme factHis own resurrection itself.[4]

[4] For a very clear discussion of the direct evidence for the resurrection of Jesus see J. W. McGarveys, Evidences of Christianity, Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1891), Part III, Chpt. X. Also see Wilbur Smiths, Therefore Stand, (Natick, Mass.: W. A. Wilde Company, 1969), Chap. VIII.

At this point, our attention has been arrested by the extraordinary nature of Jesus deeds but for what? Like Moses, the flame of the unusual has attracted our attention and we have turned aside to see why.

THE PURPOSE OF MIRACLES

Bible miracles are supernatural phenomena in the realm of human experience WITH A MESSAGE. Why bring up miracles if the one doing them does not have something to say for himself? Such questions are most appropriate. The Jews of Jesus day could have asked these questions: Immediately we become interested when we learn that a man can supply a sumptuous meal to 5000 men on ridiculously insignificant rations. We want to know if He will provide battle rations for our national army we are raising. One who is reputed to be able to heal all manner of disease could be very useful to our purposes as we strike out against Rome. Do you suppose He would consent to being our king? What is He saying for Himself? Where is He going? What is He trying to accomplish by these miracles? So the message is all-important.
Probably the most significant utterance of Jesus ever recorded was His claim to unique knowledge of God:

All things have been delivered unto me of my Father; and no one knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and he to whomsover the Son willeth to reveal him, (Mat. 11:27; Luk. 10:22)

Or another claim:

For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (Joh. 6:38-40)

My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself. (Joh. 7:16-17)

I speak the things which I have seen with my Father . . . (Joh. 8:38)

But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God . . . If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me . . . But because I say the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convicteth me of sin? If I say truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth the words of God. (Joh. 8:40-47)

Obviously, throughout His teaching Jesus is claiming to be a very revelation of God. He comes not as a supreme teacher of an exalted ethical system or a propounder of new moral philosophy but as one who comes from God to reveal Gods mind to man. In other messages Jesus asserted that He entered the world to seek and save the lost (Luk. 19:10) and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mat. 20:28) It is clear that Jesus intended to reveal God and ransom man but how do we know He is Gods emissary? His mighty works hold our attention and most of His doctrine we cannot verify. What is the connection between miracle and message?

It is perfectly plain that such a revelation would need to be tested and accredited, for unless it were, men would never believe that the revelation was from God Himself . . . man would have a right to demand of anyone claiming to have a revelation from God, that he show his credentials . . . showing that there is no question but that he is the authorized representative of God. Man has a right to demand these credentials, and by the very nature of the case, they must be of a kind that could not possibly be duplicated by man, for if they could be, they would lose all value as accrediting the message from God.[5]

[5] Hamilton, p. 96, 96.

Thus, not only the possibility of miracle is justified but also the probability. How else would God remind people down through the ages saying, Lo, I am here? It is the miracle, the departure from the observed uniformity of nature, that arrests the attention of man and makes him realize that a higher person and a higher power is at work. The miracle is the majestic seal that God has affixed to the revelation which He gives us. The Bible is Gods Word. An integral part of the Bible record is miracle, for the specific purpose of showing it to be Gods Word. Except for miracles, how could we know it to be a revelation of God? With no miracle, there is no evidence of deity. Miracles, then, authenticate the Christian message: (1) Jesus Christ appeals to His miracles as His divine authentication.

I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Fathers name, these bear witness of me . . . If I do not the works of my father, believe me not. But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. (Joh. 10:25; Joh. 10:37-38)

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake. (Joh. 14:10-11)

(2) Thus, miracles are an integral part of the record which would become meaningless without the miracle. Remove, if possible, the account of miracle from the book of John and observe how much wasted breath is left in the controversies between Jesus and the Pharisees concerning miracles, which, according to the naturalists, He did not do. Most of Jesus Sabbath Controversies had to do with miracles done on the Sabbath. Most of Jesus most magnificent claims were made in agreement with and in company with some of His most astounding wonder-works. A clear case in point is given in Mark 2 (Matthew 9 and Luke 5) where a paralytic is lowered through the roof into the presence of Jesus and a congressional investigating committee. Jesus said simply, My son, your sins are forgiven. The scribes and Pharisees who were in the crowded house immediately considered this statement as blasphemy. Jesus answered their thoughts, Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven; or to say Rise, take up your pallet and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sinshe said to the paralyticI say unto you, Rise, take up your pallet and go home. And he did! We can conclude that (3) The miracles and the words of Christ are wonderful and perfect counterparts. Miracles do not make the claims of Jesus or His doctrines true, but they are the attestation of God that His claims are well-founded and His teaching Gods. The power of the miracle taken by itself does not assure me of the truthfulness of the claims set forth, or of the doctrines taught, alone, but of Him through whose instrumentality they are performed. May we conclude then that the primary purpose of the miraculous deeds recorded in scripture is to attest the revelation given as from God? This great salvation which is thus taught

having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will. (Heb. 2:3-4)

What was true of the Lord in those days was true in regard to His servants the apostles. The miracles also attested their message as from God. It was the miracles that made the disciples believe in Jesus, and they, in turn, made the world believe in Christ.

A secondary purpose of miracles (and it is clearly secondary) was to demonstrate the mercifulness of God in the case of individual men. The miracles illustrate and explain the teaching of Jesus on the love and mercy of God. It is one thing to hear Jesus talk; it is another thing to see Him in action. In the miracles, we see Christ dealing tenderly and yet majestically with our human lives and their sins and burdens and sorrows and fears. The apostles were no less spectacular in calling attention to Gods revelation.[6]

[6] They had power to bless: healing sick (Act. 3:6-9); raising the dead (Act. 9:37-42; Act. 20:9-10); power to grant miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (Act. 8:14-17) ; power to curse (Act. 13:11).

A tertiary object of miraculous deeds was to wreak vengeance upon objects unworthy of Gods continued grace.[7] To the mind comes immediately Jesus cursing the fig tree (Mat. 21:18-19), the blinding of Elymas (Act. 13:11), the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira (Act. 5:5; Act. 5:10). Bible miracles taught not only Gods love and goodness but also His power and authority, and sometimes His righteous and fearful judgments.

[7] For Old Testament examples, consider the death of Uzzah (2Sa. 6:6-7); Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-2); the leprosy of Gehazi (2Ki. 5:27) and of Miriam (Num. 12:9-14); the blindness of the Syrian band (2Ki. 6:18-20); the destruction of army (2Ki. 19:35).

A fourth purpose of God in the giving supernatural demonstrations of His presence among men is negative in nature: Miracles are not universal in nature. If they ever were or should ever become so, they would lose their value as deeds of a supernatural character for if universal, they would cease calling attention to Gods message and become the norm. Bible miracles were never either (1) universal in extent for they have always been limited to few and special cases. Never have they been used to relieve suffering or prolong this life for all of Gods people impartially. Some received no miraculous deliverance here, but a better resurrection for the life hereafter (Heb. 11:35-40). John the Immerser, greatest of the prophets, worked no miracles, nor was he miraculously delivered from prison and death (Mat. 11:7-11; Joh. 10:41). Jesus could have healed all the sick or raised all the dead. But He did not and would not. Many were healed by Paul, but Trophimus and Timothy were not (2Ti. 4:20; 1Ti. 5:23). A multitude of sick and afflicted lay by the pool at Jerusalem, but Jesus healed only one man (who did not know Him or ask Him to) and then hid Himself from the others. But later He sought the healed man again to teach him and to meet the debate which the Sabbath miracle had aroused with the Pharisees. Nor were the miracles (2) universal in their result: All who were delivered from sickness or affliction had other times to suffer and to die. All who were raised from the dead had to die again. Once and again Peter was delivered from prison and from persecutors but another time he was left to die, when God was no less compassionate and Peter was no less believing. So it was with Paul.[8]

[8] Seth Wilson, The Purpose of Miracles, Christian Standard, Nov. 2, 1957.

THE REALITY OF MIRACLES

We are standing on the battleground here where naturalism and supernaturalism meet and the war is not over. The question facing this age (and all ages, for that matter) which demands historical certitude, is the decision of the factuality of miracles. Indeed, the establishing of Christianity as a coherent system without historic foundation in supernatural fact can be the employment of some shadow-boxing theologians who make their living striving after wind but this cannot assuage grief, forgive sin, enable men to live in peace with each other, or prepare them for eternity, Let not him that girds on his armor boast himself as he that puts it off. The barrage begins: Intervention of a supernatural character within the universe is impossible because of

A, THE UNIFORMITY OF THE ORDERLY GOVERNMENT OF NATURE,

Miracles are antecedently possible. There can be no doubt that such a thing as a miracle is a reasonable possibility, whether we ever saw one, or believed that other men had seen one, or not. We cannot be dogmatic about what may have happened, or what can happen beyond our field of observation.
It is objected that a miracle is a violation of law, or God, as He reveals Himself in nature. God, it is said, would contradict Himself if He did anything in another way. But this implies that we know all about God and His ways. Instead of that being so, how small a portion we have seen! The general uniformity of nature to which deniers of the miracles appeal is a blessing to man. It would be a terrible world in which to live if we could not count on the operation of gravity, of heat and cold, of summer and winter, of seedtime and harvest. But this uniformity is consistent with voluntary control, and therefore, for good and sufficient reasons, as the Bible tells us it has been, could be interrupted. When we speak of the uniform type of nature all we mean is that an effect is something produced by a cause, and that all the effects we see are produced by natural causes. But we have no right to conclude that therefore a miracle is impossible, for belief in miracles does not imply that an effect took place with no adequate cause, but that an effect was produced by the immediate act or will of God who ordinarily works through second causes, but sometimes, if the Bible be true, through an immediate act. Instead of being a denial of the law of cause and effect, a miracle is its highest illustration.
A God who made a world and then shut Himself out of it so that He could never enter it again, never arrest, regulate, add to its laws of working, would be no God at all. He would be like a man who made a machine with whose law of operation he could never interfere. What we call interference, arresting or changing of laws may not really be such at all, but part of the great plan of God. To man it is a miracle, but not to God.
True enough, nature seems to be working under a system of natural laws, which as far as scientific observation can tell, seem to be invariable in their application. But what are natural laws?

From scientific point of view, are they anything more than the way the phenomena of nature have been observed to happen within the time range of experience? The natural laws are not the forces themselves which they describe, but only the scientific formulation of the way in which the forces act. Natural laws are not to be confounded with the forces of nature which they describe. They have no control whatever over the forces themselves. Are these forces of nature eternal? They are only the power of God in action. If this is the cause, they are governed and controlled by God Himself . . . God is under no compulsory necessity to keep them uniform in their action . . . Now suppose it is part of Gods eternal plan that for some great purpose of His own He will intervene in these forces and cause a break in their uniformity and in variability. What is to prevent such an interruption from occurring? Nothing! . . . The only question that may arise is whether God desires the changes to occur. The question that becomes one merely of fact, . . . whether there is any evidence to show that He has intervened. . . . The fact of present uniformity of nature is no barrier whatever to the intervention of God in the past.[9]

[9] Hamilton, pp. 89, 90.

David Hume argues that miracles, as such, cannot occur:

A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature, and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the case, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined, and if so, it is an undeniable consequence that it cannot be surmounted by any proof whatever from testimony.[10]

[10] Wilbur Smith, The Supernaturalness of Christ, (Boston: The W. A. Wilde Co., 1968), pp. 142150, 158.

Our question to him would be this: How do we get to know what the general experience of men in respect to the course of nature is? Our own personal experience, indeed, comes from personal observation, but, as we have just seen, our individual experience has little bearing on the case and for our knowledge of experience of men in general we have to depend on human testimony. So the whole force of the argument amounts to this: we must investigate the testimony of those who bear witness to the genuineness of the miracles of Jesus as having been performed before their own observation. The proof of miracles is based on testimony and when coming right down to the question at hand, it simply puts testimony against testimony: the testimony of those who were present and observed and affirmed what they sawthese miracles; and that of those who were not present and who declare that in all their experience they never saw such wonders wrought by anyone, David Humes notorious argument attempts to show that no amount of evidence can establish the truth of a miracle:

When the experience of millions of people can be said to contain nothing miraculous, that is, a raising of the dead, or the sudden stilling of a storm on the lake, then the testimony of one or three people to some such miraculous event must be considered definitely of no historical value, because the testimony of millions of other people has a greater power than the testimony of, say, two or three men, for convincing us of the actuality or nonactuality of some miracle.[11]

[11] Ibid., p. 145.

The fallacy of this argument is again exposed by the questions, Whose experience? Whose testimony? He starts by stating as fact something he cannot proveIf is a miracle that a dead man should come to life: because that has never been observed in any age or country.[12] In support of this he would have to prove the gospels historically untrustworthy and he does not attempt to do so. He admits that no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavors to establish. If the testimony of the gospel writers concerning Jesus miracles is falsethen their falsehood is indeed a greater miracle than the miracles which they describe. But this is mere logomachy.

[12] Ibid., p. 147.

He also argues that miracles are seen mostly among ignorant and barbarous nations. The people of Jesus day can hardly be described in so sweeping and so hasty a generalization. It is based on too few samples of the class under investigation!
He argues that if the event harmonizes with what men normally experience, it can be believed if the evidence is sufficient; but if contrary to mans ordinary experience, it cannot be believed. If this is true, can there be such a thing as reporting advances in scientific research and discovery? I wonder if Hume would be so smug as to deny the unique experience of the American astronaut, his view, his reaction, his gathering of real though previously unknown facts.
Ah yes, says the ghost of Hume, but millions of people the world around shared vicariously in the experience of the astronaut being informed of his actions every minute by radio and television.
Tugging the coat-tail of the speculating spectre, we urge, Mr. Hume, this vicarious experience, as you call it, was shared by the millions because of the reliable, competent, sincere, honest testimony, but since nothing contrary to the general experience of millions of people can be admitted as having historical value on the basis of the testimony of a few, then the testimony of such a small segment of humanity cannot be admitted. Turn back over in your grave and we apologize for the intrusion.
Concluding then, it is said that since natural laws have been determined by God, then He can never exercise His power in any way as to contradict these natural laws. But God is so omnipotent and omniscient that He has the right at any time to do anything He pleases, according to His will, whether it be exactly within the limits of WHAT WE CALL natural law or not. In our ignorance of many uncertainties involved in our universe we cannot dogmatize that God cannot work a miracle contrary to natural law without violating His own character.

B. IGNORANT AUTHORITARIANISM.

One reason why many educated men take a negative attitude toward the Bible miracles is because of pure ignorance of the actual content of the Bible itself, and especially of the evidence in support of its historicity. We should not be surprised at the ignorance when we remember the great lack of Bible study in the early training of university graduates. True enough, the study of all the evidence in support of the historicity of the Bible is a science in itself and requires diligent preparation as such.

But what is both surprising and reprehensible is to find an educated man who is an authority in some other line, setting himself up as an authority on Biblical criticism without having ever given more than the most cursory study to the subject beyond swallowing whole what some destructive critic, whose own opinions are based on naturalistic premises, says about the Bible . . The saddest part of it all is that such men, because of the respect and reputation which they have rightly gained in their own line of study, received a welcome hearing on the part of hundreds, to which hearing they are in no ways entitled, and lead many astray because their hearers think that they are speaking with equal authority about the Bible as when they. speak on subjects in their own line of study.[13]

[13] . Hamilton, pp. 90, 91.

It may well be that some brilliant minds have read nothing but the distorted religious views of other ignorant religionists whose very teaching, not being founded in truth, become the very cause of all religions overthrow through the brilliant but mistaken writing of the mentally acute specialists in some other field.

Some would say, Supernatural intervention is very improbable because of

C. THE PROBABILITY OF FRAUD.

This philosophy makes the claim that Jesus got caught up in playing the part of Messiah and to keep this popularity maintained He hired people to play blind, lame, dumb, insane, or dead so He could appear to people to heal or raise them. They even claim that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was a fixed job! Again we have the impossible dilemma of a supreme ethical teacher violating His own ethic (practicing deliberate fraud) in which case He is nothing but a bold, bare-faced liar; or we impugn the witnesses who testify to the veracity of His miracles which they did not, in fact, ever see.
At this point we have to take a choice! We find it impossible to admire as divine a Christ about whom there is only falsified, or at best, deluded testimony. We cannot have our Christ and deny some of the history from which we originally learned about Him! Either we accept the witnesses as reliable and believe their testimony or else deny all of Christ and go write our own religion, for God has not spoken in human history clearly enough for all to hear.
Still others would object to miracles on the basis of

D. THE PREVALENCE OF MYTH IN ANCIENT RECORDS.

This theory would suggest that many, many years after the original witnesses were passed off the scene, mythical accounts began to arise, clothing the historical Jesus with a garb of miraculous deeds about which He knew nothing. These myths became part of the later oral traditions which were collected and recorded in the late second and third centuries in essentially the form evolved in our current New Testaments. Thus, according to these theologians, it is our responsibility to extract these mythical elements from the ethics of the historical Jesus and in this way be able to accept Jesus without these hindrances to rational minds. The attempt to reduce the supernatural acts of Jesus to myth cannot command much attention because (1) If during His life Jesus worked no miracles, the insoluble problem arises how He came to be known as the Messiah by those who looked for a miracle-working Messiah. (2) On what grounds can it be successfully denied that Jesus claimed to work miracles? (3) Formation of myths takes time not historically available from Jesus death to the earliest accounts of His earthly ministry. Recent critical research demands the writing of the original manuscripts of the witnesses well within the first century and not during the late second or early third centuries, as this theory demands.
Other opponents of the supernatural miracles dismiss them as

E. THE DELUSION OF THE WITNESSES.

This is the idea that the apostles thought certain acts of Christ were miracles because they could not account for them by the natural causes which were hidden from them. Proponents of this theory claim that the miracles were made to appear as such by the influence of spiritual power on the nervous system or by medicine or secret remedies. The major fault of this theory lies in the failure to explain the acceptance of Jesus enemies of the concrete and objective fact of the miracles. True enough, they did not accept the implications of the facts, but there was no denying the facts! Where is the medicine, magic, or influence of spiritual power which convinces centurions, high priests, Sadducees and those critical analysts, the Pharisees? These had everything to gain by denying the miracles; the apostles had nothing to gain by affirming them in face of death, privations, maltreatment of all varieties, and social stigmatization. And yet these enemies of Jesus, when they speak, are just as agreed that the miracles of Jesus are fact, as are those witnesses favorable to Him.
Some suggest that miracles of healing were due to some practice of

F. AUTO-SUGGESTION.

The theory would explain healing miracles by the power of Christs mind acting upon the mind and then the body of the patient through a psycho-therapeutic idea. However,

It is the clear verdict of medical science that suggestion is incapable of removing any medical malady whatever and that its curative effects are restricted to functional disorders. Only what has come into existence through an idea can be removed by an idea.[14]

[14] Smith, Ibid., p. 133.

Jesus healings were instant, not the result of extensive long-process treatment. Can men today instantly make a man walk who has been lame from his mothers womb and open the eyes of one congenitally blind? Can medical science create new arms or legs precisely like the originals instantly for the maimed? This Jesus did. Jesus was unique in this ability.

G. EXTREME CREDULITY.

has been employed as a charge levelled against the age in which Christ worked, a time when all men looked for and believed in supernatural manifestations. Jesus age was not any more an age of credulity than the age of our fathers. It was an age of genuine skepticism, True, they were deceived, worshipping gods that were non-existent, but what age has not done that? Study current news events and decide how rational creatures can be so gullible as to swallow the torrent of lies told by world communism. We cannot label any one age as a time of great credulity. The whole of the New Testament itself manifests an age of skepticism. Thomas doubted the resurrection and demanded an empirical basis for his faith. See Mat. 11:21-23 and Joh. 8:46. Is it reasonable to say that the men who wrote the four gospels, that have amazed men down through the ages, were easy dupes whose minds were so childish and under-developed as not to be able to discern between astonishing feats and supernatural miracles? The charge reduced to its simplest form is this: the miracles, having been wrought or supposed to have been wrought in an age fond of believing such events, were received as real without the application of the tests by which their reality could be demonstrated. In other words, it is claimed that they were not worked under scientific conditions.

First, we remark that, whatever may have been the habit of the age in which Jesus and the Apostles lived with respect to miracles in general, and those of these men in particular, there was certainly a large class of persons, including the most acute and intelligent of the Jews, who most persistently refused to credit them; and these men were sufficient in number and in influence to check any disposition on the part of the masses to receive them without question. Second, we have a detailed account of the way in which the miracles were tested by this class of men, and by a comparison of that with which would be applied by scientific men of our own day, we can determine how much credence we should give to the assertion in question.[15]

[15] McGarvey; Ibid., p. 112.

The notable case in point is the healing of the man born blind by Jesus (John 9). The process of investigation, reduced to the simplest statement, was this: they first ascertained that the man could see; they next inquired what Jesus had done to him; and seeing that what He had done was only to put moistened clay on his eyes and require him to wash it off, they next inquired as to the certainty of his having been born blind, and they close this inquiry with the testimony of his parents.

Let us now suppose that, instead of the Pharisees who tested this miracle, it had been done by a commission composed of physiologists, physicians, chemists and persons experienced in historical criticism as is demanded by M. Renan. What advantage would they have had over the Pharisees in determining whether the man, when first brought before them, could see? It is clear that no knowledge of physiology, or chemistry, or medicine, or historical criticism, could help them in this. The most stupid . . . could settle the question at once by striking with his hand toward the mans face and seeing whether he winked. When it was settled that the man could see and the question was raised, What had Jesus done to give his sight?, the commission would have an advantage over the Pharisees, in that they would know more certainly, on account of their scientific attainments, that merely putting clay on a blind mans eyes and washing it off could not give him sight. Uneducated and superstitious men might imagine that the clay had some mystic power; but scientific man would know better. On this point of inquiry, then, the advantage would be with the commission, but the advantage would be in favor of the miracle. As to the next question, whether the man said to have thus received sight was born blind, what more conclusive testimony could the commission obtain, or what more could they wish, than, first, that of the neighbors who had known the man as a blind beggar; and, secondly, that of his own father and mother? Who, indeed, could be so good witnesses that a child was born blind as the father and mother for they always exhaust every possible means of testing the question before they yield to the sad conviction that their child is blind?[16]

[16] Ibid., pp. 112114.

Obviously, in testing such a miracle there could be no use made of scientific knowledge; and the same is true of Jesus miracles in general. The most unscientific men of common sense can know when a man is dead; when he is alive and active; when he has a high fever; is a cripple; is paralyzed, as well as the greatest scientist. The cry, then, that the miracles of the New Testament were not done under scientific conditions, is totally irrelevant, and can mislead only those who do not pause to think

Some moderns who have too much reverence (or too little, depending on your point of view) for the gospels to allow themselves to deny the miracles claim that those events in Jesus life are not to be used for

H. TEACHING SPIRITUAL TRUTHS.

Rather, it is said, these narratives are to be given a spiritual interpretation. If these miracles did not take place, what did? The writers gave the impression that it was a distinct and remarkable miracle and they knew that they were giving this impression.[17]

[17] . See Joh. 20:30-31; Joh. 2:11; Joh. 2:23; Joh. 3:2; Joh. 4:45; Joh. 4:54; Joh. 5:1-36.

RULES OF WAR

No matter how strong the evidence may be that the supernatural has occurred, since these scholars start with the premise that the supernatural cant occur, all evidence for its occurrence is ruled out of court without examination. Now I submit that even from a scientific point of view such a procedure is unwarranted. Questions of fact are not to be decided by any a priori principle laid down by any scientists, however erudite they may be! If facts and principles are at odds, so much the worse for the principles! The only thing we must be sure of is our facts. Facts are decided by evidence, and by evidence alone.[18]

[18] Hamilton, Ibid., p. 92

The only way we can decide whether or not God has given a revelation of Himself in human history, is by an examination of the evidence tending to show that such revelation has been given. Since the matter is one purely of fact and of fact alone, it can be decided by the evidence. If God has given a revelation, no amount of theorizing to the contrary can change the fact.

The force of human testimony depends on three things: first, the honesty of the witnesses; second, their competency; and third, their number.[19]

[19] McGarvey, op cit., p. 146.

That these qualities obtain in the witnesses of the miracles who record them for posterity is, in my opinion, demonstrated.[20] The writers of the gospels that record the miracles of Jesus did not consciously deceive or lie. These men were hard-headed, practical men who, even when Jesus was resurrected, had to be rebuked for their unwillingness to believe that He had, in point of fact, risen from the dead. Neither were the miraculous events that they record the kind that men readily imagine to have taken place. The writers of the gospels that picture Jesus as the miracle-working teacher were with Him day in and day out while Jesus walked the dusty trails of Palestine. There was nothing secret about His working of miracles. These men were competent to pronounce judgment upon the miracles. If they knew they were false, why should they declare them to be true fact, not merely supposed fact? What did they have to gain?

[20] See MacGarvey, Evidences, Part III, chapter XII, p. 146ff. Also Wilbur Smith, Therefore Stand, chapter VIII, especially p. 422ff.

All evidence of Christs miracles is contained in the New Testament. There can be no doubt as to the meaning of the evidence or _the nature of the events witnessed to. The men who wrote about these miracles are either deceivers or deceived or else telling the sober truth. If they were conscienceless fabricators, how was it that such men produced that picture of moral excellence before which all the ages have fallen down in the reverent admiration? How could men who lied about the facts of Christs life have produced so marvelous a character? Of this we can be sure, the men who relate the miracles of Jesus were not conscious deceivers and liars.

JESUS CLAIMED TO WORK MIRACLES

Jesus answered the disciples of John the Baptist:

Go and tell John the things which ye have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk. the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them. (Luk. 19:22)

Earlier Jesus had said to the Jews:

But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not. Ye search the scriptures because ye think that in them ye have eternal life: and these are they which bear witness of me. (Joh. 5:36-38)

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake. (Joh. 14:11)

How can we believe in Jesus if we do not accept His own testimony that He worked miracles? People say that Jesus was the greatest of moral teachers of all time and His ethical standard amounts to absolute perfection. Some will even claim for Him that He lived His own supreme ethic which He taught! Yet how can they think this and still say He did not work miracles when He claimed to have done so? It gets down to the foundational question: Is Jesus telling us the truth when He claims to work miracles? Did Jesus lie or falsify His credentials? If we say that Jesus was somehow the worlds greatest teacher and yet was deluded into thinking He was working superhuman acts (when in fact He did no such thing) we have little more than a self-deceived imposter. There is no middle ground. Do we reject so easily Jesus moral integrity, or His intellectual soundness?

PROBABILITY FACTORS

By examination of the gospels, the following reasons may be employed to prove to us that the miracles are the subject of adequate and reliable testimony:

A. THERE WERE MANY MIRACLES PERFORMED BEFORE THE PUBLIC EYE.

Jesus healed in the cities, at the busy corners, when surrounded by a mob, when speaking before multitudes in the open or in a house. They were for the most part not done in secret or seclusion or before a select few. Most of them were public property, as it were. There was every occasion and opportunity to investigate the miracle right there. Such clear, open, above-board activity is good evidence of the actual occurrence.

B. SOME MIRACLES WERE PERFORMED IN THE COMPANY OF UNBELIEVERS.

Miracles are always popping up in cults that believe in miracles. But when the critics are present the miracle does not seem to want to occur. But the presence of opposition or of critics had no influence on Jesus power to perform miracles. More than once, right before the very eyes of His severest critics Jesus performed miracles. Now certainly, to be able to do the miraculous when surrounded by critics is a substantial token of their actual occurrence.

C. JESUS PERFORMED HIS MIRACLES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AND IN GREAT VARIETY.

The imposter always has a limited repertoire and his miracles are sporadic in occurrence. Not so with Jesus. His miracles were performed all the time of His public ministry from the turning of water into wine in Cana to the raising of Lazarus. Further, He was not limited to any special type of miracle. Sometimes He showed supernatural powers of knowledge, such as knowing that Nathanael was hid in a fig tree; or He showed power over a great host of physical diseases: blindness, leprosy, paralysis, fever, demons, and death itself; or He was able to quell the elements at a command as He did in stilling the waves and the wind; or He could perform acts of sheer creation as when He fed thousands of people from very meager resources.

Imposture on this scale is impossible. The more times He healed, the more impossible it would be if He were an imposter. Further, it is incredible to think that for three and one-half years He maintained one consistent imposture. The number of miracles, their great variety, and their occurrence during all His public ministry are excellent evidence that Jesus actually performed the miracles the gospel writers record.

D. WE HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF THE CURED.

Many times when Jesus healed, it is recorded that the healed person went broadcasting far and wide that he had been healed, even in those cases where Jesus cautioned the person or persons against it. Certainly the report of His miracles found their way all through the hamlets and villages of Palestine. Consider too, that two of the gospels were written by men who were not eye witnesses, so available was the data of the life of Christ. Thus, part of the reason for the sudden and energetic growth of the church in Acts was the memory of the marvelous life and miracles of Jesus Christ. The result of the personal testimony of the many who were healed, as they spoke to their loved ones, their relatives near and distant, and their townspeople, cannot be ignored in accounting for the great success of the preaching of the gospel in the book of Acts.

E. THE EVIDENCE FROM THE GOSPELS CANNOT BE UNDONE BY APPEALING TO THE PAGAN MIRACLES.

Miracles are believed in non-Christian religions because the religion is already believed, but in Biblical religion, miracles are part of the means of establishing the true religion. This distinction is of immense importance. Israel was brought into existence by a series of miracles; the law was given surrounded by supernatural wonders; and many of the prophets were so indicated as Gods spokesmen by their power to perform miracles; and the Apostles from time to time were able to work wonders. It was the miracle authenticating the religion at every point.
Pagan miracles lack the dignity of Biblical miracles. They are frequently grotesque and done for very selfish reasons. They are seldom ethical or redemptive and stand in marked contrast to the chaste, ethical, and redemptive nature of the miracles of Christ. Nor do they have the genuine attention that Bible miracles have. Therefore, to examine some pagan miracles and show their great improbability, and then to reject all miracles on that ground is not fair to Biblical miracles or to the science of historical research,

THEREFORE?

Jesus from the commencement to the end of His public ministry wrought many miracles. Christianity claims to be a revelation from God confirmed and vindicated by mighty signs and wonders. The miracles are a strand woven into the fabric of the garment of Christs personality, and you cannot tear them out without destroying the fabric itself. THE ONLY CHRIST IS THE CHRIST WHO WALKED ON THE SEA, RAISED THE DISEASED TO HEALTH AND CALLED THE DEAD OUT OF THEIR DEATH CHAMBER!

Miracles form part of the foundation of our faith, being divine demonstrations witnessing to the origin of the message we have believed. But they are not part of the faith or part of its practice in the lives of obedient believers. The miracles wrought by the messengers of God while the faith was once for all delivered to the saints are still effective evidences to establish the truth and authority of that faith.[21]

[21] Wilson, Ibid.

Finally, whether we believe that miracles happen or not depends on our attitude toward historic testimony to their reality.

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name. (Joh. 20:30-31)

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(35) And Jesus went about.The verse is all but identical with Mat. 4:23, and may be described as recording our Lords second mission circuit in Galilee, in which He was accompanied probably by His disciples, whom, however, He had not as yet invested with a delegated authority as His apostles, or representatives. It is manifestly the beginning of the section which contains the great discourse of Matthew 10, and was intended to lead up to it.

Every sickness and every diseasei.e., every variety or type, rather than every individual case. The work of healing was, we must believe, dependent, as before, on the faith of those who came seeking to be healed. Of the two words, the former is in the Greek the stronger, and, though the relative significance of the English words is not sharply defined, it would, perhaps, be better to invert the renderings.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

56. PREPARATION FOR SENDING FORTH THE TWELVE, Mat 9:35-38 .

Matthew having, in chapters fifth, sixth, and seventh, given the platform of the new dispensation, and in chapters eighth and ninth, specimens of our Lord’s miracles, proceeds now to narrate the occasion and mode of sending forth his disciples upon their ministrations. The present paragraph gives a summary of our Lord’s travels and ministry previous to his solemn declaration that the labourers were too few for harvest. The evangelist proceeds, then, in the next chapter, to relate how our Lord sent the “labourers” forth.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

35. Went about all the cities and villages Before sending forth his preachers, over how wide a circuit, and with what an active ministry, did our Lord himself precede them. He was the original itinerant, and they but his commissioned imitators. Cities and villages Wherever he found a sufficiently dense population. Synagogues The Jewish synagogues were the first scene of the preached Gospel; and so acceptable was our Lord’s preaching, that the Jewish people of Galilee did not exclude him. See note on Mat 4:23.

Preaching the gospel healing sickness His mercy to the body secured reception for his medicine for the soul.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingly rule, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.’

Matthew now closes off this section, and commences the next one with a summary statement that is very similar to Mat 4:23, indeed so similar that it is clearly intentional. The two verses form an inclusio around Mat 4:24 to Mat 9:34, summarising what He has been doing all the while. It also links with Mat 11:1.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

‘And Jesus went continually about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the Kingly Rule, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.’

This verse closes off the last section and opens this one. It describes a continuing ministry as the tense of the verb reveals. ‘All the cities and the villages’ indicates intention. There were too many for Him to reach them all immediately, as He would soon acknowledge (Mat 10:23). The synagogues were the places where men and women went to worship and to study the Scriptures. While there was still a welcome for Him there they were a sensible focal point for Jesus. And the fact that He continued going to them indicates their continuing welcome. ‘Their synagogues’ reflects the fact that synagogues were locally owned. Each town had ‘its’ synagogue of which it was proud. But Matthew would in fact, as a public servant, have had little to do with synagogues. He would never have been welcomed there. (Thus he would never have been able to see them as ‘our synagogues, even when he entered them with Jesus. He would always be the least Jewish in emphasis among the Apostles because the Pharisees would never see him as acceptable. As far as they were concerned his conversion had not taken place in the right way, and it was to heretical ideas. To them he was still an outcast). The preaching of the Kingly Rule of Heaven together with the healing of ‘disease and sickness’ (almost certainly intended to reflect Mat 8:17 and Isaiah’s prophecy, see on that verse) which demonstrated that that Kingly Rule had come, is now the constant theme (Mat 4:17; Mat 4:23; Mat 10:1; Mat 10:7-8). Indeed He will shortly emphasise that the ministry of John has been superseded because the Kingly Rule is now here (Mat 11:11-13; Mat 12:28).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Selection And Sending Out of The Apostles (9:35-10:8).

While the speech is clearly one whole, it is also divided up into smaller sections each of which forms a chiasmus. In this the first smaller section the Apostles are commissioned, given authority and named in the light of the needs of lost sheep of the house of Israel. This smaller section can be analysed as follows;

a Jesus goes throughout their towns preaching the Good News of the Kingly Rule of Heaven and (as the Servant – Mat 8:17) healing the sick and diseased (Mat 9:35).

b But when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd (Mat 9:36).

c Then says He to His disciples, “The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth labourers into His harvest” (Mat 9:37-38).

d And He called to Him His twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness (Mat 10:1).

c Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the public servant; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him (Mat 10:2-4).

b These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, “Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mat 10:5).

a “And as you go, preach, saying, The kingly rule of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give” (Mat 10:6-7).

Note here how in ‘a’ Jesus preaches the Good News of the Kingly Rule, and heals the sick and diseased, and in the parallel His disciples are commanded to do the same. In ‘b’ the crowds are like sheep without a shepherd, and in the parallel His disciples are to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In ‘c’ we have the ‘sending out’ commission, and in the parallel the names of the ‘sent out ones’ (Apostles). Central in ‘d’ is Jesus’ vital giving of His own authority to the Apostles.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jesus Appoints and Sends Out The Twelve To Proclaim The Kingly Rule of Heaven With Admonitions, Warnings And Final Promises (9:35-11:1).

In this section Jesus appoints and sends out His twelve Apostles. His purpose for them is that they might proclaim the Kingly Rule of Heaven, and reveal its presence on earth by the signs and miracles that will result as they evangelise (Mat 10:1; Mat 10:7-8). But He is full aware that their message will only be accepted by the minority as He has made clear in Mat 7:13-27. So He warns them of two things. Firstly that they are not to expect total success in their evangelism, and secondly that they must expect to sometimes have a rough time of it.

In regard to the first He points out that their ministry will rather result in dividing the nation into two, splitting off those who respond to their message, from those who reject it. This was what they should have expected, for, as He had already taught, while some will choose to enter the narrow gate, they will be the comparatively few, while others will choose the broad gate, and they will be the many (Mat 7:13-14). Some will choose to build on rock because they hear and respond to His teaching, others will choose to build on sand because they refuse to hear and respond (Mat 7:24-27). And this was indeed something that had already been indicated by John’s teaching concerning the wheat and the chaff (Mat 3:12). So whatever the disciples were expecting, Jesus was fully aware of the difficulties of the way ahead, and was not even expecting that the majority of the Jews would respond.

This is confirmed in His words to the twelve as He now sends them out for the first time. Rather than seeing all the Jews as responding to them, His clear indication is that they will split ‘Israel’ into two, or rather will cut off from Israel all who refuse to believe. This He demonstrates as follows:

As they go out some persons and towns will refuse to hear them and to make a response, and those who do refuse to hear them are to be cut off from the new Israel. The very dust of their houses or towns is to be shaken off from the disciples’ feet as a testimony against them in the coming judgment (Mat 10:14-15). By this it is indicated that they are no longer accepted as a part of Israel. On the other hand this very fact confirms that others are expected to hear and respond.

Some will bring them before synagogue courts, and even Gentile secular courts because they will reject their message and hate them for it. This was the common lot of non-conformists in Palestine, compare Act 8:1; Act 22:4; Act 26:9-11 (Mat 10:17-18).

Families will be divided down the middle, with some responding to Jesus, and others persecuting them for doing so by demanding that they be treated as false prophets, compare Deu 13:1-11 (Mat 10:21-22).

Indeed His Apostles must expect to be driven from town to town by persecution (Mat 10:23).

Some will call them Beelzebub just as they have called Him Beelzebub, compare Mat 9:34; Mat 12:24; Mat 12:27 (Mat 10:25).

Some will seek to kill their bodies, compare 21-22 (Mat 10:28).

Some will confess Him before men, and some will deny Him (Mat 10:32-33).

He has not come to bring peace on earth — but to divide even individual households into two opposing segments (Mat 10:34-36).

People will have to choose between their loved ones and Him, and between taking up their cross or refusing to do so (Mat 10:37-38).

People will have to choose between holding on to their lives, or ‘losing them’ by responding to Him (Mat 10:39).

So it is clear from all this that Jesus was not expecting a mass movement by which most or all Jews would turn to Him and enter the Kingly Rule of Heaven. He was very much aware of the tensions in Galilean society, and the thoughtless fanaticism of many. And He recognised from the start that His Apostles’ preaching would bring bitter division, as some responded to His truth and some rejected it.

As we shall see later it was quite clear to Him that in setting up a new ‘congregation of Israel’ in the midst of the old, and thereby setting aside the unbelieving of old Israel, He was expressing a revolutionary new idea which would result in a new nation which could hardly be acceptable to the old regime. From then on the majority of ‘Israel’ would no longer be seen as Israel at all. The nation would be take from them and given to a nation producing its fruits (Mat 21:43). For just as the Israel of Sinai were all cut off in the wilderness, and none, apart from rare exceptions, entered the land, being replaced by a new generation, (so that a ‘new Israel’ entered the land), so now God would cut off a large part of present Israel because of their rejection of their King, and form a new Israel from what remained. From then on they and they alone would be the true Israel, and it would be open to all who responded to Jesus Christ.

Many seek to argue that some of the words spoken in what follows could not have been spoken by Jesus at this time, given the circumstances in which they found themselves. They claim that none of these things described actually happened to the disciples on these preaching trips. But that is to make unwarrantable assumptions on the basis of our lack of knowledge, and by reading between the lines. We do not in fact know what problems the Apostles encountered on their journeys, and when we think of the stirring impact that their mission must have made (twelve effective wonder workers appearing among them, compare Luk 12:17) it must be considered quite possible, indeed probable, that some of them were dragged before synagogue courts, and even before Herod and local governors, and given a beating before they were then let go as a warning to them. So if we do want to read between the lines, it would seem reasonable to suggest that we should do so in terms of what is written in those lines. (We have nothing else to go by, and the Scriptures often describe commands and warnings while not describing how they were carried out and fulfilled, even though they were, e.g. Exo 17:1-7).

And if some ask, why is it then not mentioned we have two replies. Firstly that the Gospels are concentrating on the presence and doings of Jesus Christ, and only cursorily mention the doings of Apostles, and secondly that, just as Matthew assumes that his readers will gather from these words that their mission actually was carried out (he does not actually say so), so he and the other evangelists may have assumed that their readers would recognise that these other things did also happen. We might also add that they were probably so used to it in their own ministries that they did not see it as anything unusual (note how James the leading Apostle could be martyred and it only be mentioned briefly so as to indicate an attack on the Apostles in Jerusalem. There was no interest in the actual martyrdom (Act 12:2).

There is in fact nothing described in Jesus’ words, apart from His own firm demands on them, that would not be reasonably anticipated by someone who was familiar with the Law and the Prophets. Consider for example:

The treatment that was to be meted out to those who were seen as false prophets (Deu 13:1-11), which was the same as that described here.

What had happened to the Old Testament prophets (e.g. 2Ch 24:21; Jer 18:18; Jer 37:15).

The prophetic warnings about what was to happen in the future (Mic 7:6; Isa 66:5; Eze 22:7; Zec 7:10-12; Zec 13:7-9).

And we must ever remember Jesus’ deliberate tendency to exaggerate in order to bring home His point. We have only to consider the Sermon on the Mount to recognise the vividly exaggerated way in which He would lay out His case so as to prepare them for the worst (e.g. Mat 5:22-26; Mat 5:29-30). The One Who could give such warnings in such vivid terms would be likely to do the same here. And that is what we find. (Rhetoric must not always be take literally. It is intended to spur men on. Despite Churchill none of us ever fought the enemy on the beaches of the UK). But there is no reason to doubt that the persecution and family problems that He describes did actually happen and would go on happening, as they still do to some today. Families would treat converts to Jesus as ‘dead’ to the family, and there may well have been some cases of actual death. The fact that the Gospel writers saw them as simply a necessary part of their testimony, and therefore as not worth mentioning, should not make us say that they did not happen. For in the light of the way the Old Testament prophets were treated, what Jesus describes had to be anticipated. And this would especially be so given the fact that their erstwhile fellow missionary John was lying in prison, something almost totally ignored by the Gospels, and that the reputation of the Herod family for the arrogant treatment of their subjects was well known. We must therefore emphasise that there is nothing in Jesus’ words, (once toned down in order to take into account the deliberate exaggeration, and rhetoric), which could not have been their present experience, as we shall see further as we consider the text. The disciples had to expect the worst.

For Jesus would not have been fair to His disciples if He had not warned them of the dangers that lay ahead in these terms. They were the new prophetic men who were taking on the mantle of the prophets, and He must have expected them to be persecuted as the prophets had been (Mat 5:11, compare Mat 23:34-35). And this was especially so in view of His own words already on record from an early stage that He Himself expected a ‘taking away’ of Himself that would give His disciples reason for mourning (Mat 9:15). Thus He clearly already had a dark foreboding about the future. And besides He had Himself already experienced what close neighbours could do at Nazareth when they objected to the truth (Luk 4:29), and how volatile the people could be. Had He not been Who He was He might well already be dead. And He already knew of the fervency of the feelings of the Pharisees against Him (Mat 9:34). The Galileans were a fanatical people, and easily stirred in religious matters. Thus He would have had to be very shortsighted not to expect some kind of violent opposition from both the authorities and the people when His Apostles went out, especially as some of the Apostles might quite easily trespass on parts of Galilee where Gentile influence was more pervasive, in their aim to reach all Jews, even possibly causing a stir in Jewish parts of cities like Tiberias (which was mainly occupied by Gentiles), and may well in their enthusiasm not have been guarded in their words. In fact His aim to limit their preaching to Jews may well have had as one reason behind it His reserve against their reaching out further until they were better trained, on the grounds of what might be the consequences from the point of view of the reaction of the authorities, which might be too much for them at the present time, and that even though He was quite clear in His own mind that God had a welcome for Gentiles (Mat 8:10-13; Mat 8:28-34; Luk 4:24-27). For in view of the fact that He had already arranged for some Gentiles to hear the truth about Him (Mar 5:19-20; compare also Joh 4:4-42), even though in a way to which none could not object, we do need to have some explanation of why His concentration was so wholly on the lost sheep of the house of Israel. For we must remember that His early life had been sustained by gifts from Gentiles (Mat 2:11).

Once examined the whole passage is in fact seen to be a basic unity, being put together in the form of a chiasmus, the second half reflecting the first in reverse order, whilst also expanding on the thoughts contained in it.

Analysis of Mat 9:35 to Mat 11:1 .

a Jesus goes through all their towns preaching the Good News of the Kingly Rule of Heaven and healing disease and sickness, but when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd (Mat 9:35-36).

b Then He says to His disciples, “The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth labourers into His harvest”. And He called to Him His twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the public servant; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him (Mat 9:37 to Mat 10:4)

c These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, “Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, The kingly rule of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give” (Mat 10:5-8).

d Get you no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your purses; no food wallet for your journey; neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff. For the labourer is worthy of his food” (Mat 10:9-10).

e “And into whatever city or village you shall enter, search out who in it is worthy, and there stay until you go forth. And as you enter into the house, salute it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you” (Mat 10:11-13)

f “And whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, as you go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet, truly I say to you, It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Mat 10:14-15)

g “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be you therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Mat 10:16).

h “But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you, yes and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” (Mat 10:17-18).

i “But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you shall speak, for it will be given you in that hour what you shall speak, for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Mat 10:19-20).

j “And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated of all men for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved” (Mat 10:21-22).

k “But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for truly I say to you, You will not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come (Mat 10:23).

j “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household!” (Mat 10:24-25).

i “Do not be afraid of them therefore, for there is nothing covered, that will not be revealed, and hid, that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak you in the light, and what you hear in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops” (Mat 10:26-27).

h “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mat 10:28).

g “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall on the ground without your Father, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mat 10:29-31).

f “Every one therefore who shall confess Me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Mat 10:32-33).

e “Do not think that I came to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law, and a man’s foes will be those of his own household” (Mat 10:34-36).

d “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who does not take his cross and follow after Me, is not worthy of Me” (Mat 10:37-38).

c He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mat 10:39).

b “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever will give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you he will in no wise lose his reward” (Mat 10:40-42).

a And it came about that when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities” (Mat 11:1).

Note that in ‘a’ Jesus went all about their towns and saw the crowds that were thronging Him as being like sheep without a shepherd, and that in the parallel He goes out to preach and teaches in their towns. In ‘b’ He commissions His disciples for their preaching ministry and, calling them by name, gives them Kingly authority over evil spirits, death and disease, and in the parallel declares that because they go out in His Name their being received will be the same as if those who received them were receiving Him, and thus receiving Him Who sent Him. In ‘c’ they are to go to Israel freely giving of themselves, and in the parallel this is seen as losing their lives for His sake (compare Mat 19:29). In ‘d’ they are to take no provisions with them because the labourer is worthy (axios) of his hire, and in the parallel such worthiness is spelled out. In ‘e’ they are to offer or withhold peace, and in the parallel He points out that for the majority His purpose is not to bring peace. In ‘f’ He warns of judgment on those who refuse their testimony, and in the parallel those who do not confess Him will not be confessed before His Father. In ‘g’ they are to go forth as sheep and to be as harmless as birds, and in the parallel they are treasured because they are more important than birds. In ‘h’ they will be brought before different types of court, and in the parallel they are not to be afraid of those who can kill the body but not the soul. In ‘i’ they are not to be anxious because the Spirit of their Father will speak in them, and in the parallel they are not to be afraid of men because Jesus Himself will tell them what to speak in the light and they will hear in their ear what they are to declare from the housetops. In ‘j’ households will be divided because of Him and they will be hated of all men for His Name’s sake, and in the parallel because men have called Him Beelzebub they will call them the same. And centrally in ‘k’ in the face of persecution they are to persevere with their ministry until He comes to them.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Prayer to Send Forth Disciples into the Harvest Fields Mat 9:35-38 is the third of three important narrative sections placed immediately after three witnesses of Jesus’ healing ministry that reflects the theme of the upcoming discourse (Mat 10:1 to Mat 11:1), which is the divine call to discipleship and Christian service in the Kingdom of Heaven. This third section tells the story of how Jesus healed the multitudes; then He called His disciples to pray for the Lord to send them into the harvest field of souls. This story is placed within narrative material that places emphasis upon Jesus training His disciples (Mat 8:1 to Mat 9:38) in order to send them out to do the work of the ministry (Mat 10:1-42).

The Sitz im Leben of the Second Discourse Both Mat 4:23-25; Mat 9:35-38 share the common element of being transitional passages between narrative and discourse. In additional, they share an almost identical verse (Mat 4:23; Mat 9:35) that gives the circumstances ( Sitz im Leben) surrounding the upcoming discourse. Some scholars place Mat 9:35-38 within the second discourse material because it seems to offer the circumstances ( Sitz im Leben) in which Jesus delivered this message to the Twelve. [420] Other scholars assign this passage to the narrative material while acknowledging its transitional nature. For example, David Turner keeps it within the narrative material because it fits neatly within a three-fold structure that alternates between miracles and discourse. [421]

[420] Robert E. Morosco, “Redaction Criticism and the Evangelical: Matthew 10 a Test Case,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 22.4 (December 1979): 323-331.

[421] David L. Turner, Matthew, in Baker Evangelical Commentary on the New Testament, eds. Robert Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Ada, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 262-263.

The Compassion of Jesus – In Mat 9:35-38 Jesus is moved with compassion for the multitudes. Jesus is moved with compassion on many other occasions and responds by healing the sick (Mat 14:14), teaching the people (Mar 6:34), raising the dead (Luk 7:13), feeding the multitudes (Mat 15:32), healing two blind men (Mat 20:34), and healing the leper (Mar 1:41).

Mat 14:14, “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”

Mar 6:34, “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”

Luk 7:13, “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.”

Mat 15:32, “Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.”

Mat 20:34, “So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.”

Mar 1:41, “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.”

This compassion of Jesus was at the heart of three parables; The Good Samaritan (Luk 10:33), The Prodigal Son (Luk 15:20), and the Unmerciful Servant (Mat 18:27).

Luk 10:33, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,”

Luk 15:20, “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

Mat 18:27, “Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.”

In this passage, compassion moved Jesus to pray to God for laborers to be sent into this great harvest. Here for the first time, we find the Lord equipping others to do the work of the ministry. Up until now, Jesus had carried the burden alone, and He had done the work by Himself.

One morning I woke up with a heaviness on my heart for a lost and dying world. I wept as this burden rested upon me. It was not my natural feelings, but something from the Spirit of God. I was allowed to actually feel the heart of God as He sees this world lost in sin. Shortly afterwards, the Lord gave me a song. The song goes:

First Stanza:

“There are souls to be gathered in the fields of life,

Can’t you see, lift your eyes, my friend?

They are white unto harvest, these fields of men,

Won’t you gather these souls bound in sin?

Chorus:

“Won’t you come with me harvesting men?

Can’t you see how they’re crying within?

There are souls who are dying in sin.

Please come, bring the Gospel to win.

Second Stanza:

“Shod your feet and be ready, spread this message of light,

Of how Jesus has suffered for men.

How He died on the cross, left His glory above,

Now is risen and conquered sin.

Third Stanza:

“Come with tears of weeping for these souls to have life,

Bearing seed, so precious, my friend.

You will come back singing, bringing sheaves so ripe,

Oh, the joy, such joy, within.

Jesus prayed for and taught us to pray for God to send forth laborers into this great harvest. The word “send forth” in the Greek has a literal meaning of “driving out,” expelling or throwing out. Figuratively, it means, “to send out, send away, release, or lead out.” This same word is used in the Greek in Mar 1:12.

Mar 1:12, “And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.”

After Jesus’ water baptism, the Spirit of God literally drove Him into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. Evidently, when we are ready to go into the ministry, it is a difficult thing to understand in the natural, and it takes a strong inner drive by the Holy Spirit to push us over into that area of our lives, much like a bird pushing her young ones out of the nest for the first time.

In his book A Daily Guide to Miracles Oral Roberts says, “So in 1947 God thrust me into a healing ministry that spread all over the world.” [422] I sense in that statement that Roberts had the same struggle that everyone has when they take that great step of faith into the ministry.

[422] Oral Roberts, A Daily Guide to Miracles and Successful Living Through SEED-FAITH (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Pinoak Publications, c1975, 1976), 262.

Kenneth Hagin tells of his near death experience as he struggled against his inner man to launch out into the field ministry in 1950, and to leave the pastorate. [423] I believe that this strong Greek word for sending forth is used because of the struggle that takes place in all of us as God launches us forth into new areas of ministry.

[423] Kenneth Hagin, The Spirit Upon and the Spirit Within (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c2003, 2006), 105-9.

Jesus equipped the disciples and the early church for the work of the ministry in two ways. He equipped them by first giving them power, or authority, over the devil by giving them his Name. The disciples said that the devils were subject to them through his name Luk 10:17.

Luk 10:17, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.”

In Mat 10:1 Jesus teaches his disciples how to do the work of the ministry and gives them the authority to use His name.

Mat 10:1, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

The second way that Jesus equipped the church for the work of the ministry was to empower it with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We see this Act 1:8.

Act 1:8, “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

In Acts 2, the promise was fulfilled as the Holy Spirit was poured out upon those in the upper room in order to empower them with the anointing and gifts of the Spirit.

The Relationship between Prayer and the Harvest of Souls In Mat 9:35-38 Jesus gives us insight into the direct relationship between prayer and the harvest of souls. Todd Bentley speaks regarding this two-fold relationship in the context of the great harvest that will precede the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“While traveling to an evening crusade I was caught up in an interactive vision. I saw the great harvest field already white. The angels were working in this field. Then Jesus came to me. I knew in my spirit He was the Lord of the Harvest, but He came to me dressed as the Good Shepherd (John 10) and holding a staff. I wondered why the Lord of Psalms 23 was the Lord of the Harvest. Then I understood this is not just about winning souls, but also about discipling these same souls. Jesus doesn’t want to just be savior, but He also wants to be the great overseer of their souls and He wants to lead them into the depth of Psalms 23. He desires to restore their souls and to lead them beside the still waters. Immediately, these Scriptures came to my mind: Psa 24:1, Rev 11:15, Isa 40:15, Psa 2:8.

“This was a faith level where whole cities and nations can be saved in a day. The Lord said to me, ‘Todd, enter into My harvest power! It’s the Harvest of Amo 9:13, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.”’

“There is coming an acceleration of the laws of sowing and reaping. The seed will be planted and as soon as the seed is sown, it will be reaped. There will be harvest until the days of sowing and sowing until the days of harvest a holy overlapping of continual sowing and reaping. When this acceleration happens, men and women will cry out, ‘What must I do to be saved?’

“As I continued to walk in the harvest I noticed a tent in the field and asked, ‘Lord, what is that tent doing in the harvest and why does it look so old and ragged? It’s not as glorious and golden as these fields.’ The Lord responded, ‘Todd, this is the tabernacle of David and it looks that way because, for many, prayer is so inviting. It is a matter of perspective and priority. To many, prayer is tedious work, but to others it is the glory. Most importantly, the tabernacle releases the Amo 9:13 harvest.’

“In the book of Acts, Paul, Barnabas, Peter and their ministry teams are seeing tremendous harvest in cities. Churches are being planted and the Holy Ghost is falling on the Gentile believers as well as the Jews. In Acts 15 they meet for the Jerusalem council and give reports of the harvest and discuss whether Gentile believers need to be circumcised. In the midst of this James quotes Amo 9:11-12, ‘In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.’

I said, ‘God there it is again the great harvest and the house of David.’ Night and day prayer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week is already taking place in the Church. These houses of prayer are essential to the releasing of an end-time signs and wonders movement, healing revival and the geographic healing centers.” [424]

[424] Todd Bentley, Journey Into the Miraculous (Victoria, BC, Canada: Hemlock Printers, Ltd., 2003), 327-9.

Mat 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.

Mat 9:35 Comments – Mat 9:35 is clearly a repeat of Mat 4:23. Both passages in which these verses are found (Mat 4:23-25, Mat 9:35-38) share the common element of being transitional passages between narrative and discourse. Jesus used this pattern of ministering in Galilee because of the receptivity of the people. As He taught, faith rose in the hearts of the people to receive a miracle of healing and deliverance. In contrast, Jesus faced more objections and persecutions during His Judean ministry. As a result, He operated in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a demonstration of His divinity because the multitudes were not as receptive.

Mat 4:23, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”

Mat 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.

Mat 9:36 Comments – When Jesus saw people (you must be among them to really see them), He was moved with compassion. It is by being among people and seeing their struggles that we are moved with this same compassion. Jesus saw people as being fainted and scattered. God wants us to see world as Jesus saw it. Therefore, in verses 37-38, Jesus sees the harvest and the need to recruit workers. Then, in chapter 10, we see the answers to their own prayers of sending laborers into harvest.

Jesus was working as hard as possible to teach and minister to all of these people. We do not hear from His lips a confession of frustration and of complaining about tiredness and over work. His was a confession of genuine love and compassion for people.

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

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

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Continuation of Christ’s Teaching and Healing Ministry.
A ministry of the Gospel:
v. 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.
Another summary of Christ’s prophetical work, like chapter 4:23-25. Repeatedly, without becoming weary, Jesus makes His trips through the Galilean country. The people of the country had full opportunity, not only to know the truth, but to become established in the truth. He visited not only all the cities, but also the villages, teaching in preparation for the acceptance of the message which He brought, preaching the Gospel-news itself, and giving proof of its divine character by the miracles of healing which He performed. The Gospel of the Kingdom He proclaimed, not of a kingdom of this world, neither a temporal principality nor a social reformation, but a communion of believers in union with Him as their Head. “That means to be in the kingdom of heaven, if I am a living member of Christianity, and not only hear the Gospel, but also believe.”
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Mat 9:35 . Here we have the commencement of a new section, which opens, Mat 9:35-38 , with the introduction to the mission of the Twelve, which introduction has been led up to by the previous narratives. Comp. Mat 4:23-25 .
] Masculine . Comp. Mat 4:23 , Mat 11:1 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

VIII
Triumph of Christ over the reviling of the Pharisees. Royal preparation for the mission of the Apostles. The power of Christ unfolding in all its fulness, as also the misery of the people. The one Helper about to manifest Himself by many helpers.
Mat 9:35-38
35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel [good news] of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and everydisease [weakness, infirmity, ] among the people.27 36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted [were harassed28],and were scattered abroad [abandoned], as sheep having no shepherd. 37Then saith he unto [to] his disciples, The harvest truly [indeed] is plenteous [great, ],29 but the labourers are few; 38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
The general narrative given in the text serves as introduction to the following section, which describes the mission of the Apostles. At the same time, it also forms the conclusion of the preceding narrative. As the Lord unfolds His power, the misery and need of the people increasingly appear; He stretches forth His arms and raises up the Twelve Apostles, to carry on the work, and to spread its blessings. Thus His prophetic merges in His royal work.
Mat 9:35. And Jesus went about.From the parallel passages we gather that Jesus now travelled along the lake, through the cities and villages of Galilee. It is but natural that the popular misery should then unfold to His view in all its fulness. Accordingly, we distinguish three missionary journeys of Jesus in Galilee. 1. To the Mount of Beatitudes; 2. across the sea; 3. through the valley, along the shore, in the direction of Jerusalem. It is to the latter that the text refers.
Mat 9:36. They were .Explanations: 1. The common reading, , faint, tired. So some. a. With reference to the people, who had travelled a considerable distance and were faint (Fritzsche). b. In a figurative sense, a flock without a shepherd, and hence tired by going astray (Kuinoel).2. According to the meaning of , to tear, to plague. a. Bretschneider: torn by wolves. b. De Wette: plagued by hunger, by cold, by ravening beasts, etc. c. Meyer and the Vulgate: vexati. But the first point to be ascertained is, whether the term refers to the difficulties of a flock without a shepherd, or to positive sufferings which it had to undergo. As the latter is evidently conveyed by the verb, we explain it as meaning afflicted, beaten down, and scattered by thorns, by anxiety, by ravenous beasts, and plagues of every sort. (, to cast down, to stretch down), not scattered (Beza, Luther, Authorized Version), but cast down, beaten down by flight or by weariness (Kypke, de Wette); or stretched down as sheep that are worn out (Meyer).
Mat 9:37. The harvest is great (occurs in Luk 10:2, at the sending forth of the seventy);i.e., the number of people who are accessible to the Gospel, and ready to receive it, is great.The laborers are few.As yet, Jesus was the only laborer. Their prayers were intended to prepare them for their mission.
Mat 9:38. The Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers.His work is the work of God: , the urgent necessity existing, should determine the Lord of the harvest to drive forth, or to thrust forth, laborers.30 De Wette calls attention to the circumstance, that it is God who is asked to send laborers. He is so far right, as the call of Christ ultimately proceeds from God, just as the kingdom of the Saviour is that of God.
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. The deep need of the world determined the Lord to manifest His royal dignity. Neither the priesthood nor the kingdoms of the ancient world were capable of bringing any real help to men. Even chosen Israel, with its high priests, sanhedrim, rulers, and rabbins, were but a scattered, broken-down, hopeless, and helpless flock. Under these circumstances it was that Christ manifested Himself as the Shepherd of His people, which implied that He was the Shepherd of all nations.31 The deep moral misery of the people appeared most clearly in the rich and fertile district of Galilee, with its numerous and prosperous cities.
2. In the same moment, when Christ was about to manifest Himself as King, and in His compassion to condescend to the boundless misery of His people, He prepared to found the apostolic office, which He graciously endowed with His gifts and His Spirit, for the salvation of the world.
3. In the life and actings of Jesus, we always find these two elements combined: provision for what is future and distant, with provision for what is present and immediatea due regard for what was general, and care for that which was special and urgent.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
Jesus went about doing good to all (Act 10:38): 1. The extent of His labors (about all the cities and villages); 2. the order of His labors (teaching in their synagogues); 3. the characteristic feature of His labors (preaching the gospel of the kingdom); 4. the seal of His labors (healing every sickness, etc.).While the Lord passed through rich cities and villages, His attention was mainly directed to the need and the sufferings of the people.How wants seem to grow in proportion as the Lord gives help: 1. This help brings them to light; 2. it inspires with courage to make them known.But when He saw the multitudes He was moved with compassion on them.Christ looking on the scattered flock of man: 1. A look of penetration; 2. a look of sorrow; 3. a look of saving mercy.The impression which the people made on the Lord: 1. Not admiration, but pity; 2. not aversion, but pity; 3. not discouragement, but pity.The Church under the hierarchical shepherds of older and more modern times: 1. Without a shepherd, and therefore without protection, and broken down; 2. without a shepherd, and therefore not led to the green pastures, and cast down.Christ born to be the Shepherd of men, and in His compassion the Shepherd of His people.Christ born to be the King of men, by His compassion the King of His people.What induced Christ to manifest Himself as King instead of Prophet.The compassion of Christ enlisting heaven and earth for our succor: 1. The grace of the Father; 2. the prayer of His people; 3. the service of His messengers.The harvest is great, but the laborers are few.How those who judge according to the letter reverse this saying; but those who judge according to the spirit feel its deep import.The great need of man, the great harvest of God.The prayer to God for laborers forming the commencement of the kingdom of heaven: 1. The commencement of the apostolate; 2. the commencement of the Church; 3. the commencement of missionary labors; 4. the commencement of the final completion of the Church of God.The right laborers; 1. They are sent by God; 2. in answer to the prayers of His people; 3. furnished by Christ for the work; 4. consecrated for the spiritual and temporal wants of the people; 5. instruments of mercy in the hands of Christ.Our Father in heaven, the Lord of the harvest: 1. The seed is His; 2. the field is His; 3. the harvest is His.How Christ is employed about the harvest of God. He takes charge, 1. of the seed, as being the Word from the beginning; 2. of the field, as being the great Laborer and Servant of the Lord; 3. of the harvest, as being the Son and the Judge of the world.How Christ summons His own to coperate with Him, in order to spread through them His blessings over the earth.32The great King, in whom the grace of God itself has appeared to His people.
Rieger:The Lord always looked upon the common people with pity, treated them with indulgence, and traced the cause of their misery to their leaders, who exclude others from the kingdom of heaven.
Starke:Good shepherds are one of the most precious gifts of God, even as bad pastors are the greatest misfortune and plague of the world.Quesnel:The whole earth is the field where the harvest of the Lord is to be gathered.Many labor in the name of the Lord; but few will He own as His servants.Osiander:Ministers are fellow-workers with God, 1Co 3:9; 2Co 6:1.Successful laborers are obtained in answer to prayer.Cramer:This prayer enters into the three first petitions in the Lords Prayer.The prayer of the pious members of the congregation is mightier than the protection of the state.
Heubner:What an accusation against the scribes and priests!Oh, if people would only pray as they ought for pastors!That He send them () by the mighty impulse of His Spirit.
Footnotes:
[27] Mat 9:35.[The words of the text. rec.: among the people, , are retained by Lange, but omitted in all modern critical editions, German and English (including Wordsworth), and were probably inserted from Mat 4:23.P. S.]
[28] Mat 9:36.[Dr. Lange translates: zerschlagen, as he adopts the reading , jaded, [illigible words] (from , to strip, to lacerate, then metaph. to trouble, to vex; hence the Vulgata: vexati), which is supported by the best MSS., ., B., C., D., etc., the ancient versions, and the critical editors, Griesb., Lachm., Tischend., Meyer, Alford, Wordsworth. The reading of the Received Text: (from , to loosen, debilitate, , to faint, to be exhausted) has no weighty critical authority in its favor.P. S.]
[29] Mat 9:37.[Lange after Luther: Die Ernte ist gross, i.e., great, which is more correct than plenteous, since refers to the extent of the harvest field and the labor to be performed which far exceeds the capacity of the small number of laborers. Comp. Conant ad loc.P. S.]
[30][The verb , to expel, to cast out, like the Hebrew and , signifies sometimes to send forth; comp. Mat 13:52 (E. V.: bringeth forth out of his treasure); Mar 1:12 (driveth him into the wilderness); Mar 9:43 (sent him away); Luk 10:2; Luk 10:35; Joh 10:4 (he putteth forth his own sheep), comp. Mat 10:34, , I am come to send peace on earth. But perhaps there is some reference here to the urgent necessity of laborers, as Dr. Lange explains above, or to the Divine impulse, as Dr. Wordsworth suggests, which constrains men unwilling and unable of themselves to labor in so great a work, and makes them feel and say: Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel (1Co 9:16).P. S.]
[31][Dr. Whedon on Mat 9:33 : No doubt our Lord primarily has in view the Jewish multitudes before Him. Yet in more distant prospect is to be included the wide field of the world and its vast harvest in the coming age.]
[32][Dr. Whedon: Pray ye therefore.Divine operation waits upon human coperation. God will do, in answer to prayer, what will not be done without prayer. Low faith in the Church produces slow development of the work of salvation.P. S.]
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

What an interesting sight must it have been to have seen Jesus thus engaged, preaching the doctrines of grace, and confirming the word with ministering to all the wants of nature. And I beg the Reader not to overlook what is said of Jesus on those occasions: he was moved with compassion, that is, the compassions of Jesus were the compassions of God-Man, the divine and human nature blended. It is most essential to the proper apprehension of Jesus’ feelings of our infirmities, always to keep this in view. For the Lord Jesus, having the same human nature as we have, hath the same affections, the same feelings as we have. And therefore, though the infinite perfections of his divine nature give all that dignity and power which make his mercies divine, yet from his human nature being united to the Godhead, his compassions are no less human mercies also, Oh! the blessedness of such views of Jesus. See Heb 4:15-16 . The similitudes of a shepherd, and harvest, are too plain to need a comment. But as Christ alone is the shepherd of his flock, and the Lord of the harvest, the only One who can authorize to the ministry in the labors of it; we are to pray, but it is the Lord who must send suited servants to the harvest.
REFLECTIONS
READER! behold your God and SAVIOR in this chapter. See how he manifests who he is by what he wrought. As God! he pardons sin, as in the instance of the Paralytic! He reads the thoughts and reasonings of men’s hearts, as in the case of the Scribes. He cures the souls, gives health to the bodies, raiseth the dead, casts out devils, and as man, yea the God-Man Christ Jesus, he is moved with compassion, and his bowels yearn over the lost estate and misery of our poor, ruined, and diseased nature. Oh! who that had seen his grace; to Matthew; to the woman with the bloody issue; the ruler of the synagogue, and his dead child; to the blind and the dumb; but must have said with the Prophet, behold your God is come to save you! And who that had seen him, at the table of Matthew, encircled with Publicans and Sinners, but must have said, was ever grace like this, in the unequalled condescension of the SON of God!
Oh! blessed Lord Jesus! do thou now still regard thy people, still behold them in all the miseries and sorrows of a state of nature and sin, in their palsied, blind, dumb, dead, and dying circumstances. Oh! thou Great Shepherd of thy blood-bought flock! Exalted as thou now art, at the right hand of the Majesty on high, send forth thine underpastors in thy fold, and let thine heritage be no longer scattered. Yea! dearest Lord Jesus! come thyself and visit them as thou hast said with thy great salvation, and bring them home to thy fold in heaven, from all places whither they are now scattered in the dark and cloudy day! Amen.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

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.

Ver. 35. And Jesus went about, &c. ] He was not by any affronts or hard usages of the enemy disheartened from well doing; but as the moon continues her course, though dogs bark and leap at her, En peragit cursus surda Diana suos; so did he, and so must we. “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds,” Heb 12:3 . Convitia spreta exolescunt. The attacks are ignored. (Tacitus.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

35 38. ] OUR LORD’S COMPASSION FOR THE MULTITUDE. Peculiar to Matthew . In the same way as ch. Mat 4:23-25 introduces the Sermon on the Mount, so do these verses the calling and commissioning of the Twelve. These general descriptions of our Lord’s going about and teaching at once remove all exactness of date from the occurrence which follows as taking place at some time during the circuit and teaching just described. Both the Sermon on the Mount and this discourse are introduced and closed with these marks of indefiniteness as to time. This being the case, we must have recourse to the other Evangelists, by whose account it appears (as indeed may be implied in ch. Mat 10:1 ), that the Apostles had been called to their distinct office some time before this . (See Mar 3:16 ; Luk 6:13 .) After their calling, and selection, they probably remained with our Lord for some time before they were sent out upon their mission.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Mat 9:35-38 . These verses look both backwards and forwards, winding up the preceding narrative of words and deeds from chap. 5 onwards, and introducing a new aspect of Christ’s work and experience. The connection with what follows is strongest, and the verses might, with advantage, have formed the commencement of chap. 10. Yet this general statement about Christ’s teaching and healing ministry (Mat 9:35 ) obviously looks back to Mat 4:23-24 , and, therefore, fitly ends the story to which the earlier summary description of the ministry in Galilee forms the introduction. It is, at the same time, the prelude to a second act in the grand drama (chap. Mat 9:35 to Mat 14:12 ). In the first act Jesus has appeared as an object of general admiration; in the second He is to appear as an object of doubt, criticism, hostility.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 9:35-38
35Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Mat 9:35-38 There are two possible ways of relating this summary statement (1) as a summary going back to Mat 4:23 or (2) an introduction of the mission of the Twelve in Matthew 10.
Mat 9:35 “proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom” The kingdom of God was the focus of Jesus’ first and last sermons and most of His parables. It apparently referred to the reign of God in men’s hearts now that will one day be consummated over all the earth (cf. Mat 6:10). See special topic at Mat 4:17.
The term “gospel” (euangelion) is used in summary statements by Matthew in Mat 4:23; Mat 9:35. It is used by Jesus in Mat 24:14; Mat 26:13. The term becomes a standard way of referring collectively to the life, teaching, death, resurrection, second coming, and offer of salvation in Paul. Only in the second century does the term begin to denote the four written accounts on Jesus’ life (i.e., Gospels, in Ireneaus and Clement of Alexandria).
Mat 9:36 “He felt compassion” It is comforting to know how caring Jesus the Messiah was (cf. Mat 14:14; Mat 15:32; Mat 20:34) to the socially and religiously outcast. His compassion for them is expressed in these same terms in Luk 13:34.
“like sheep without a shepherd” “Shepherd” was a common metaphor for religious leaders (cf. Num 27:17; 1Ki 22:17; Eze 34:1-16). It was sometimes used in the sense of false shepherds (cf. Ezekiel 34; Zec 11:5). Jesus is the good shepherd (cf. John 10; Zec 11:7-14; Zec 13:7-9).
Mat 9:37-38 God sees His world in an entirely different light than humans (cf. Isa 55:8-9). Believers need to be praying for God to thrust or drive out laborers into His harvest field. Seeing the need does not constitute a call but, thank God, when we pray, God sometimes allows us to go! Notice that the world is seen as God’s harvest field. This is His world. He loves it. He wants it redeemed (cf. Joh 3:16; 1Ti 2:4; 2Pe 3:9).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

synagogues. See App-120.
preaching = heralding. Greek. kerusso. See App-121.
the gospel of the kingdom = the glad tidings of the kingdom. See App-140.
gospel = glad tidings, good news.
of = concerning. Genitive of Relation. App-17.
every. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus), App-6. Put for every kind.
sickness. Greek. malakia. Occurs only in Matthew (here; Mat 4:23; Mat 10:1).
among the People. All the texts omit these words.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

35-38.] OUR LORDS COMPASSION FOR THE MULTITUDE. Peculiar to Matthew. In the same way as ch. Mat 4:23-25 introduces the Sermon on the Mount, so do these verses the calling and commissioning of the Twelve. These general descriptions of our Lords going about and teaching at once remove all exactness of date from the occurrence which follows-as taking place at some time during the circuit and teaching just described. Both the Sermon on the Mount and this discourse are introduced and closed with these marks of indefiniteness as to time. This being the case, we must have recourse to the other Evangelists, by whose account it appears (as indeed may be implied in ch. Mat 10:1), that the Apostles had been called to their distinct office some time before this. (See Mar 3:16; Luk 6:13.) After their calling, and selection, they probably remained with our Lord for some time before they were sent out upon their mission.
Fuente: The Greek Testament

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.
This was his answer to the blasphemous slanders of the Pharisees. A glorious reply it was. Let us answer calumny by greater zeal in doing good. Small places were not despised by our Lord: he went about the villages as well as the cities. Village piety is of the utmost importance, and has a close relation to city life. Jesus turned old institutions to good account: the synagogues became his seminaries. Three-fold was his ministry: expounding the old, proclaiming the new, healing the diseased. Observe the repetition of the word every as showing the breadth of his healing power. All this stood in relation to his royalty; for it was the gospel of the kingdom which he proclaimed. Our Lord was the Great Itinerant: Jesus went about preaching, and healing. His was on a Medical Mission as well as an evangelistic tour. Happy people who have Jesus among them! Oh, that we might now see more of his working among our own people!
Mat 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.
A great crowd is a demand upon compassion, for it suggests so much sin and need. In this case, the great want was instruction: they fainted for want of comfort; they were scattered abroad for lack of guidance. They were eager to learn, but they had no fit teachers. Sheep having no shepherd are in an ill plight. Unfed, unfolded, unguarded, what will become of them? Our Lord was stirred with a feeling which agitated his inmost soul. He was moved with compassion. What he saw affected not his eye only, but his heart. He was overcome by sympathy. His whole frame was stirred with an emotion which put every faculty into forceful movement. He is even now affected towards our people in the same manner. He is moved with compassion if we are not.
Mat 9:37-38. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
His heavy heart sought solace among his disciples, and he spake to them. He mourned the scantiness of workers. Pretenders were many, but real labourers in the harvest were few. The sheaves were spoiling. The crowds were ready to be taught, even as ripe wheat is ready for the sickle; but there were few to instruct them, and where could more teaching men be found? God only can thrust out, or send forth labourers. Man-made ministers are useless. Still are the fields encumbered with gentlemen who cannot use the sickle. Still the real ingatherers are few and far between. Where are the instructive, soul-winning ministries? Where are those who travail in birth for their hearers salvation? Let us plead with the Lord of the harvest to care for his own harvest, and send out his own men. May many a true heart be moved by the question, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? to answer, Here am I! Send me.
10:1. And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
See the way of making apostles. They were first disciples, and afterwards teachers of others: they were specially his, and then they were given to be a blessing to men. They were called unto him; and thus their higher call came to them. In the presence of their Lord they received their equipment:
He gave them power. Is that so with us in our own special office? Let us come to him, that we may be clothed with his authority and girded with his strength. Their power was miraculous; but it was an imitation of their Lords, and the words applied to it are very much the same as we have seen in use about his miracles of healing. The twelve were made to represent their Lord. We, too, may be enabled to do what Jesus did among men. Oh, for such an endowment!
This exposition consisted of readings from Mat 9:35-38; Mat 10:1; Mat 13:3-8; Matthew , 18-23.
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Mat 9:35. , of the kingdom) sc. of God.-, …, every, etc.) sc. of all who were brought to Him.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Mat 9:35-38
2. THE NEED OF MORE LABORERS
Mat 9:35-38
35 Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching. -This was Jesus’ second missionary tour in Galilee; the first Mat 4:23. “Cities and the villages” were about the same as in modern times; villages were unincorporated and cities were larger centers of inhabitants. This is identified with the tour recorded by Luk 8:1; the first tour occurred some six months before this. His work is expressed by “teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” “Synagogue” was the place of study and worship among the Jews; Jesus visited the synagogue at the hours of worship as a teacher; he had a new message; he both taught and preached; he taught them the will of the Father and proclaimed the glad tidings, or “the gospel of the kingdom.”
Jesus was doing some preparatory work to sending out his disciples. In addition to his preaching and teaching he healed “all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.” “Disease,” a weakness, want of health and vigor; “sickness,” positive ailment; he healed their temporary ailments and also their permanent ailments. His chief purpose was to teach and preach, but he healed their diseases. He was a divine healer and by his power to heal their diseases he established his claim as a teacher come from God. Many lost sight of his teaching and were blessed only by his healing.
36 He was moved with compassion for them.-The sympathies of Jesus are deeply moved by the sight of great multitudes, hungry for the bread of life, and yet more by their spiritually forlorn condition. This is frequently stated of Jesus (Mat 14:14; Mar 1:41; Mar 6:34);when he saw the vast multitudes attracted by the fame of his miracles, and heard their cries for mercy, he was moved with pity; this continued throughout his ministry in Galilee. He saw the people not only afflicted with all manner of diseases, but they were as “sheep not having a shepherd.” They were scattered abroad. Many of them came from other parts of Galilee and beyond the Jordan and were fatigued with journeying and dispersed about the fields in search of food and the necessary things of life. He saw the people neglected by those who ought to have been teachers; they were ignorant, helpless, hopeless, dying, and unfit to die; the sight moved him to deep pity. The figure of the flock and shepherd was familiar in Palestine. They were in a pitiable condition as they were shepherdless and scattered. He was their true and rightful shepherd; he came to revive them and bring them back to the fold. Those who should have been interested in them were like wolves instead of shepherds he was deeply moved for the poor misled people whose guilt he merges in their misery, imputing that guilt all the more severely to those who had been instead of their shepherds their deceivers.
37, 38 The harvest indeed is plenteous.-Such a scene would call forth this statement. The figure is changed from flock and shepherd to field and harvesters. There was an abundant harvest; so much teaching needed; the people so ignorant and helpless;but the laborers were few. The harvest of souls was ready, but there were but few laborers or those who were interested in the spiritual condition of the people. The harvest is a frequent symbol in the Bible of spiritual work. God is the husbandman (Joh 15:1);the world is a field (Matt. 13 38);faithful disciples are workmen whom the Lord employs (Mat 20:1); souls are God’s husbandry (1Co 3:9); the faithful children of God are separated from sinners by a process of threshing and winnowing (Isa 21:10; Mat 3:12); the end of the world witnesses the gathering of the grain in the barns and the destruction of tares (Mat 13:30). The more bountiful the harvest, the greater number of laborers needed; this was true while Jesus was on earth; it is equally true today.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest.-The spiritual condition is uppermost in the mind of Jesus; the scribes and Pharisees, the teachers of the people were worse than worthless as shepherds and bishops of human souls; the great mass of people had no religious shepherds and were in an ignorant state concerning the law and the prophets. Jesus exhorts his disciples to “pray” for more laborers. They could not pray for laborers without being impressed that they were to labor themselves. Jesus is about to send his apostles out and this exhortation is a part of their preparation to do faithful work. No one can set limits to the resources of the Lord of the harvest when his sympathizing people cry unto him for help. It is the duty of all Christians to pray that faithful ones may be prepared to go into the harvest to gather souls unto salvation. In the harvest, when the grain is ripe, men go in with sickles and gather it, bind it into bundles to be kept in the garners, leaving the tares to be burned; so the world at that time was likened to a harvest because men were ripe for knowledge, ready to hear, and in many instances to become disciples of Jesus. Only teachers were wanting to instruct them in “the gospel of the kingdom.” Jesus immediately appointed and sent on a short mission the twelve disciples.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Planning the Harvest
Mat 9:35-38; Mat 10:1-4
A new chapter in our Lords ministry opens at this point. As He walked amid the crowded towns and villages of Galilee, His heart was deeply moved. His was the shepherds nature, which, ever forgetful of self, expends its all for the flock. Jesus loved the poor people tenderly-those vast multitudes were a scattered, harassed flock. Fainted has the meaning of being cast panting on the ground. It was as though they could not move another step. Let us-like our Master-behold, pity, intercede, do our best to send out laborers, and go ourselves, even to a cross, if only we may save.
Pray for laborers, and you will become a laborer. Begin as a disciple, and you will become an apostle. Our Lord is king, and if He sends, He gives His signet ring of authority. See Mat 28:18. How little did these men dream that their names would be engraved on the foundations of the New Jerusalem, Rev 21:14.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Mat 4:23, Mat 4:24, Mat 11:1, Mat 11:5, Mar 1:32-39, Mar 6:6, Mar 6:56, Luk 4:43, Luk 4:44, Luk 13:22, Act 2:22, Act 10:38
Reciprocal: Mat 19:2 – General Mat 21:14 – General Mat 24:14 – this Mar 1:14 – preaching Luk 4:15 – he Luk 8:1 – that Joh 18:20 – I spake
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN
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.
Mat 9:35
This feature of our Lords ministry was neither accidental or inevitable. Nothing in His work was accident; all was deliberate; all had an object. Nothing in His work was inevitable, except so far as it was freely dictated by His wisdom and His mercy.
I. Teacher and physician.We may infer with reverence and certainty that Christs first object was to show Himself as the Deliverer and Restorer of human nature as a whole; not of the reason and conscience merely, without the imagination and the affections; not of the spiritual side of mens nature, without the bodily; and therefore He was not only Teacher, but also Physician.
II. The present function of the human body.We see in it at once a tabernacle and an instrument; it is the tabernacle of the soul and the temple of the Holy Ghost. And thus the human body is, in our idea, itself precious and sacred; it is an object of true reverence, if only by reason of Him Whom it is thus permitted to house and to serve.
III. The destiny of the body.As we Christians gaze at it we know that there awaits it the humiliation of death and decay; we know also that it has a future beyond; the hour of death is the hour of resurrection. It is the Lord who shall change our vile body.
Canon Liddon.
Illustration
To suppose that this union of prophet and physician was determined by the necessity of some rude civilization, such as that of certain tribes in Central Africa and elsewhere, or certain periods and places in medival Europe, when knowledge was scanty, when it was easy and needful for a single person at each social centre to master all that was known on two or three great subjectsthis is to make a supposition which does not apply to Palestine at the time of our Lords appearance.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

9:35
Jesus taught in the syna gogues because he could meet the Jews assembled there to hear the reading of the Scriptures. Gospel of the kingdom means the good news that the kingdom of heaven was near. Healing every sickness and disease is significant. Modern professed miracle workers will select such ailments that are not apparent so that their failure to effect a cure cannot be known.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Mat 9:35. And Jesus went about, etc. An appropriate introduction to what follows, as well as a fitting close to this account of the leading miracles performed by our Lord; almost identical with Mat 4:23, which precedes the Sermon on the Mount, describing (as the tense in the original shows) a customary course of action. Luke indicates three journeys through Galilee, the second of which precedes the journey to Gadara, and is mentioned by him alone. If this verse refers to a journey distinct from that spoken of in Mat 4:23, it must be the third. This third circuit seems to have begun before the Apostles were sent out (chap. 10), and to have continued until their return. The verse may, however, be only a general description of Christs ministry, closing the group of miracles.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Section 2. (Mat 9:35-38; Mat 10:1-42.)
His Messengers.
The Lord refuses, then, the leaders of the people as representing the people themselves. They are mere misleaders, shepherds not feeding the flock, but injuring and rending them. As He goes up and down Galilee, constantly bearing testimony of the Kingdom at hand, and doing every where the mighty deeds which were the demonstration of the power of God already among them to bring it in, His heart is moved with the misery of their condition. Yet the sheltering wings of divine mercy were manifestly ready to be folded over them. It depended but upon themselves whether they would welcome the love that was seeking them. The abundant miracles, appealing as they did to the very senses of men; by the relief of need in every form and however desperate, could not but appeal to every legitimate self-interest on man’s part. And, however it might be with the nation at large, He is assured of the harvest that will reward labor in these beckoning fields. But the laborers, where are they? He bids His disciples, therefore supplicate the Lord of the harvest that He would thrust forth laborers into His harvest – not merely “send” but impel them to go out and then He turns these praying ones into laborers themselves. He gives them authority to do the works that He is doing – power over the whole power of the enemy and every outward consequence of sin; and sends them out to testify thus by word and work of the Kingdom drawing nigh.
The messengers thus sent out are themselves significant. We are familiar with their manifest deficiencies from a mere human point of view, deficiencies which made them only the more dependent upon that divine power which worked in them and through them. The apostle of the Gentiles afterwards, himself a man of very different up-bringing from these Galilean fishermen; and just when addressing himself to the vain and luxurious inhabitants of a wealthy pagan city, expressly stripped himself of any natural advantages that he might have, and “came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto them the testimony of God.” And this was expressly that his speech and his preaching might not be with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1Co 2:1; 1Co 2:4). It is certain that these rude instruments, as we should call them, yet moulded and energized by the Spirit of God, did a work such as has never since been done. Doubtless there was a fitness so given to them, transcending all the power of the schools to accomplish since. It is remarkable, with but an exception or two, how little we know of this or of them. In the Gospels themselves we much more often have them held up as warnings to us, than for our imitation. In the Acts, where most we should expect to find them, only one or two – fewer than in the Gospels – are at all prominent. And even these soon pass from our sight, and scarcely even a fragment of tradition of them remains. The “Acts” are, as has been well said, rather the acts of the Spirit of God, sovereignly using any that He will, than the “Acts of the Apostles,” as they have come without warrant to be called; though Paul the apostle – not any of the twelve – is the principal figure in the latter half of the book. It is to the Spirit of God, evidently, that we are commended, and to practise the same utter dependence upon Him as they did.
No doubt, what we have of these earliest workmen should reveal to us much more than we have ever found in it. Even their names and their number should be significant. The Lord Himself connects them with the twelve tribes of Israel, over whom they are to rule in the day of the earth’s “regeneration” (Mat 19:28). And on the foundations of the heavenly city their names are also found (Rev 21:14). Twelve is indeed the number of manifest divine rule, as we have often seen, and these twelve names should have lessons for us in such connection. Their ministry is specially connected with the Kingdom, as Paul’s is eminently with the Church (Col 1:25*), and thus, probably, it is that their names are on the foundations of the city of God, which is the centre of divine government in that scene to which the book of Revelation carries us forward.
{*Where read “minister” – not “a minister” – “to complete the word of God.”}
But we have here only a preparatory testimony addressed to Israel, and the names are in pairs, six pairs, as they were sent out by the Lord, two and two, not disregarding apparently in this the natural or spiritual ties which link men together. Simon and Andrew are brothers, and Simon had been led by his brother to Jesus: here there were both links. The sons of Zebedee come next. Then Philip and Bartholomew, the latter supposed to be that Nathanael, whom Philip had brought to the Lord. Beyond this we are not able to go in realizing such connection, and as to the names and persons had better leave what can be said of them to develop naturally from the history.
Here they are upon a special mission to the “lost sheep” – already that -“of the house of Israel,” and are strictly forbidden to go whether to Gentiles or Samaritans. It is not at all an evangelization after the Christian pattern; and the directions given to them are only in part applicable to the present time. They were to proclaim the Kingdom as at hand, accompanying the proclamation with what the apostle calls, because of their connection with this, the “powers of the age” (not “world”) “to come” (Heb 6:5). Sickness and death would yield to them; leprosy, (which had to do also with defilement before God,) and the power of the enemy: blessings to be scattered far and wide, as manifesting the grace which they themselves also had received. They were to take no supply, whether of money or clothing, as not going out into a heathen world but among those professedly owning God, with whose message they came, and as under the guardianship of the King their Master, – having a right, therefore, to expect the sustenance due to His laborers. Referring to this afterwards, and appealing to their own experience of how this expectation had been fulfilled to them, He distinctly recalls this commandment, in view of their going out into die world after His rejection (Luk 22:35-36); and the laborers of an after-time are distinctly commended by the apostle, “because that for His Name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles” (3Jn 1:7). But now the King’s messengers were not to go as strangers: in every city or village those worthy were to be sought out, and with these they were to abide till they went forth from the city. The “peace” with which they greeted a house, made good, if it were worthy, with substantial blessing, would more than recompense all that they might receive. If it were not worthy, then the blessing would be as if it were not uttered. Finally, against house or city that would not receive them, they were to shake off the dust of their feet, as not willing to carry with them the least particle of that which belonged to those in hostility to their Lord. It would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for that city.
(2) Invitation and warning thus went hand in hand; but the Lord does not hide from the disciples the fact that the nation, nay, the world, would reject Him, and therefore them. He puts this indeed fully before them, to prepare them for it and encourage them in view of it: He was sending them forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, – a hopeless thing to natural expectation; they were therefore to be as prudent – or wary – as serpents, but pure as doves, – without the serpent’s deceit. Men would deliver them up to councils, or sanhedrim, spiritual courts connected with the synagogues themselves. But beyond this they would bring them before governors and kings, the secular Gentile powers, as we see in the Lord’s case, necessarily under a different charge, and with a malice which He would turn to a testimony in the highest places and to the Gentiles at large, whom grace was content to seek even in such a manner. Paul’s case illustrates all this fully at a later day.
But they need not be careful as to their defence at such times. They would not be left to mere unaided wisdom. As the cause of Christ the Spirit of their Father would take it up and give them words fitted. Yet the hatred of them would be so intense as to break through all natural ties, and change the strongest affections into bitterest enmity. Brother would rise against brother, father against child, children against parents: they must endure, and at the end would come deliverance. Fleeing from one city to another, they would not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man was come.
These last words make it plain that the mission of the twelve, while a mission to Israel only, and necessarily broken off by the judgment upon Jerusalem and the dispersion of the people, if not before, yet is not in the Lord’s mind at an end even now. It will be taken up again under similar circumstances, but in the face of bitterer persecution; and continued until the actual coming of the Son of man from heaven and the consequent deliverance of His own at a time yet future. No doubt the Lord’s words could not as yet be understood by those to whom He spoke; and they have been a cause of great perplexity to commentators, and variously interpreted by them in consequence. Had they not mostly confounded this testimony to Israel alone with the general publication of the gospel since, they would have had their perplexity increased. The occurrence of the same exhortation and encouragement with the distinct and detailed prophecy of the coming of the Son of man; in the twenty-fourth chapter, assures us as to the meaning here. Again there we are told that “he that endureth to the end shall be saved,” the special troubles of the last days are put before us, and the Lord’s coming at the end “with all His holy angels with Him.” But even as to the meaning of this, many have gone quite astray; while the lack of understanding of the parenthetical nature of the present Christian time has necessarily confounded things which should have been kept far apart. In the Old Testament prophecy the present time of grace to the Gentiles never appears; and to this character the words of the Lord here conform. The new dispensation was not yet in view, and could not be while yet the testimony to Israel was going on. But this is, on this very account, not yet the place to consider what will necessarily be before us a little further on. (See Mat 13:35.)
(3) The Lord urges now upon His disciples their necessary identification with Himself, so that they can expect no better treatment than He Himself received. If they had called the Master of the house Beelzebul,* how much more those of his household. Beelzebul means the “lord of the dwelling,” – the Satanic “master of the house,” who made the demon-possessed his habitation. They called Him this who was the lawful Master, the One stronger than the strong, who set the poor captives free (Mat 12:29). What, then; would they call the men of His household? But then from such raving there was nothing to fear. All would one day be unveiled and brought to light; and in that confidence they might proclaim upon the house-tops whatever they had heard of Him in greatest privacy.
{*So all the editors. Most commentators take it as a contemptuous alteration of Baalzebub, “lord of flies,” the Philistine god of Ekron. Edersheim says that zebul means, in Rabbinic language, only the Temple, and suggests that zibbul may be referred to, which means “sacrificing to idols.” Others take zebul as “dung;” but this is zebel. I give what seems most satisfactory, following Lange (Commentary on Matthew).}
It was true that in their enmity to it men might kill the body: this was their limit; by doing so they would only deprive themselves of further power. The soul would survive beyond their reach. God could destroy both body and soul in hell,* and He who has this power is the One only to be feared. We cannot but remember, in view of the Lord’s words here, that there was a Judas already among this little band of witnesses for Christ, – a man whose surname was “Iscariot,”** and who “from the beginning” was known by Him to be the traitor (Joh 6:64). Solemn words of our Lord in the presence of such an one; and surely for his ears.
{*Man has spirit as well as soul, but the Lord speaks of soul here, doubtless, because it is in closest connection with the body, – which is therefore called the “psychical” (not “natural) body” (1Co 15:44), – of which it is the “life.” Psyche, like nephesh in the Old Testament, is thus used for “life” and “soul.” Of “spirit” there is not in Scripture a possible question; of soul there might be; but the Lord affirms here its survival also. The common thought of body and soul being the whole man has clouded the truth of immortality, as if it had to be proved from a solitary text or so, as here; and also from its making man only what the beast is, in which there is also a “living soul” (Gen 1:30). Spirit is what is distinctive of man (1Co 2:11).
Again, when the Lord speaks of body and soul in hell, He does not speak of “killing” any more, but of “destroying,” – a word used as to “ruin” of any kind. (See, for a full discussion, my “Facts and Theories as to a Future State.”)}
**The surname “Iscariot” has had many interpretations: commentators in general having pretty well settled down now into the belief that it means “Ish Kerioth,” or the “man of Kerioth.” If so, he was the one Judean among the disciples, who otherwise were of Galilee; and some see much significance in this. But is it not much more probable that it is from the same root with, and akin to Issachar, “there is reward,” or “hire,” too near identity being naturally avoided with one of the fathers of Israel? There seems to have been a form of the word, shacar, from which is derived the word eshcar (Eze 27:15) of similar meaning. Iscariot might mean even thus the “trafficker,” more closely connected with his crime than “hireling” would be. Notice how we are reminded of this surname (which may have been given him afterwards) at the very time when he puts himself into Satan’s hands for the betrayal of the Lord (Luk 22:3).}
But He goes on to encourage them with the blessed thought of being in relation to such an one as Father, without whom not one of those sparrows which men sold two for a penny,* could fall to the ground, and whose tender care had numbered every hair of His children’s heads. They were of more account, then, than many sparrows.
{*An assarion, really equal to a cent, or a halfpenny sterling[ca.1899].}
But they must confess Christ before men: whoso confessed Him before men He also would confess before His Father in heaven; and whoso denied Him, He also would deny before His Father – He could not now say their Father – in heaven. Grace never sets aside the holiness of God, but conforms us to its conditions; while divine holiness does not set aside the grace, which always receives the penitent: and the chief of the apostles furnishes us with the illustration of this.
(4) {Verse 34, ‘send’: Ballein is to put on over a thing, as clothes, armor, or to put [into the mind]; but rather the former here with put peace upon the earth,” “clothe the earth with peace;” “send” is too much as if the sword were His intention, whereas it is the result of the world being away from God.}
The test of true discipleship is found then in the preference of Christ to all things whatsoever else. The Prince of peace had come into the world, and yet the effect of His presence would not be to produce peace as between man and man; but on the contrary to bring out all the opposition of the heart to Him. For this they must be prepared. Variance would be introduced into families, – an effect with which the truths has been invariably reproached. Professing disciples would have to take their choice, therefore, between Himself and all else, were it father, mother, son or daughter: the inmates of a man’s house would be his foes. No one would be fit to be a disciple of His who did not accept this, and take up his cross to follow Him. Here for the first time He intimates the death before Him, – the shame which He has turned to glory: a dread word now for those whom He is sending out as heralds of His Kingdom, but with all the intimation of sorrow and rejection. Humbling Himself to all that the enmity of man can do, His language is that of serenest, fullest consciousness of a title far more than royal – a divine title. With the world thus against Him, He putting forth no power to subdue it, nor even to shelter His people from the vindictive hatred which He predicts, He claims from all that will be His disciples the most perfect devotedness that could be shown by man. He is to be dearer than the dearest, nearer than those bound by the closest of ties. And under such constraint they are to follow Him as the perfect, supreme example of all that is highest to be attained: to be “worthy of Him” their whole ambition! How His glory shines out here from the depth of self-abasement.
(5) He goes on to declare the recompense, connecting it with the conditions already laid down. “He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life” – not simply as having done this, but – “for My sake, shall find it.” This is no principle of asceticism, or anything like that: it is His love governing in the face of a hostile world. Then He identifies Himself in the fullest way with those sent forth by Him: “he that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me.” This principle He now extends beyond those He is addressing: “He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.” That is, where mind and heart identify one with the prophet or the righteous man; God will identify him: the receiver of a prophet shall be blessed with the prophet. And divine love will forget nothing that is done for love’s sake: “whosoever shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary

Observe here, 1. Our Saviour’s great work and business in this world; it was doing good both to the bodies and souls of men; the most pleasant and delightful, the most happy and glorious work that a person can be employed about.
2. His unwearied diligence and industry, in this great and good work; He went about all the cities and villages, preaching the gospel, and healing diseases; he travelled from place to place, to seek occasions, and to lay hold upon all opportunities, of being useful and beneficial to mankind.
Observe, 3. The particular instance of our Lord’s goodness and compassion towards the people in those cities and villages where he travelled: they wanted the preaching of the gospel, that is, faithful dispensers of it. For though they had the scribes and Pharisees to teach them, they instructed them rather in their own traditions than in the simplicity of the gospel; Christ pities the people as sheep without a shepherd.
Thence learn, That idle and lazy, unskilful and unfaithful, labourers in Christ’s harvest, are no labourers in his account. They were as sheep having no shepherd. He who doth not instruct his flock, and feed them with the sincere milk of the word, from a heart full of love to God and of compassion to souls, deserves not the name of a true shepherd. Dr. Whitby.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Mat 9:35-36. Jesus went about all the cities, teaching in their synagogues See on Mat 4:23. When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion Having come from heaven to earth to seek and save lost sinners, he was affected to see such multitudes desirous of instruction, and yet destitute of it, and in danger of perishing without it, being either deserted or misled by their spiritual guides, and living in ignorance of the things which it most concerned them to know, and in a state of guilt and depravity. Because they fainted The original expression: , denotes here a kind of faintness, or weakness, which is caused by hunger and weariness. Perhaps the expression may refer partly to the fatigue of their frequent journeys in following Christ from place to place; for many of them came, not only from the several parts of Galilee, but also from Judea and Idumea, from beyond Jordan: and the borders of Tyre and Zidon. Faintness of soul, however, is undoubtedly intended here, rather than of body. And were scattered abroad Gr. , an expression which, according to Elsner, means exposed to continual danger, as sheep having no shepherd. And yet this people had many teachers; they had scribes in every city, and the priests, whose lips should have dispensed knowledge, and at whose mouth the people should have sought the law, (Mal 2:7,) were to be found in all parts of the land. But they had no teachers who cared for their souls; and none who were able, if they had been willing, to have given them such instruction as they needed. They had no pastors after Gods own heart. The teachers just mentioned, says Macknight, were blind, perverse, lazy guides, who every day discovered their ignorance and wickedness more and more. They either neglected the office of teaching altogether, or they filled the peoples minds with high notions of ritual observances and traditions, to the utter disparagement of moral duties, which in a manner they trampled under foot; so that instead of serving God, they served their own glory, their gain, and their belly. Wherefore, any appearance of religion which they had, was wholly feigned and hypocritical; insomuch that they rather did hurt by it than were of real service to the interests of [piety and] virtue. Besides, the common people, being distracted by the disagreeing factions of the Pharisees and Sadducees, knew not what to choose or refuse. The case therefore called loudly for the compassion of Jesus, which indeed was never wanting to them at any time, for he always cherished the tenderest affection toward his countrymen; but it flowed particularly on this occasion, when he considered that they were in great distress for want of spiritual food. And therefore being deeply touched with a feeling of their miserable condition, he resolved to provide some remedy for it; which, as the evangelist here states, he proceeded to do immediately, directing his disciples to intercede with God to send forth labourers into his harvest, and immediately afterward appointing and sending those labourers.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

LXI.
THIRD CIRCUIT OF GALILEE. THE TWELVE
INSTRUCTED AND SENT FORTH.
aMATT. IX. 35-38; X. 1, 5-42; XI. 1; bMARK VI. 6-13; cLUKE IX. 1-6.
b6 And he aJesus bwent about aall the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner sickness and all manner of sickness. [In the first circuit of Galilee some of the twelve accompanied Jesus as disciples (see Mar 16:15). As Jesus himself was sent only to the Jews, so during his days on earth he sent his disciples only to them.] 7 As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. [It was set up about a year later, on the day of Pentecost, under the direction of the Holy Spirit– Act 2:1-4.] 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give. [Here is the true rule of giving. Paul repeats it at 1Co 16:2. If we would obey this rule, we would make this a happy world.] c3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, a9 Get you no gold, nor silver, cnor money; anor brass in your purses; cneither staff, nor wallet, afor your journey, cnor bread, neither have two coats. anor shoes, nor staff: for the workman is worthy of his food. [The prohibition is against securing these things before starting, and at their own expense. It is not that they would have no need for the articles mentioned, but that “the laborer is worthy of his food,” and they were to depend on the people for whose benefit they labored, to furnish what they might need. This passage is alluded to by Paul ( 1Co 9:14). To rightly understand this prohibition we must remember that the apostles were to make but a brief tour of a few weeks, and that it was among their own countrymen, among a people habitually given to hospitality; moreover, that the apostles were imbued with powers which would win for them the respect of the religious and the gratitude of the well-to-do. The special and temporary commission was, therefore, never intended as a rule under which we are to act in preaching the gospel in other ages and in other lands.] b10 And he said unto them a11 And into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter, search out who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go forth. [The customs of the East gave rise to this rule. The ceremonies and forms with which a guest was received were tedious and time-consuming vanities, while the mission of the apostles required haste.] 12 And as ye enter [364] come into an house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. [The form of salutation on entering a house was, “Peace to this house.” The apostles are told to salute each house, and are assured that the peace prayed for shall return to them if the house is not worthy; that is, they shall receive, in this case, the blessing pronounced on the house.] bWheresoever ye enter into a house, there abide till ye depart thence. {c4 And into whatsoever house ye enter, there abide, and thence depart.} b11 And whatsoever place shall not receive you, and they hear you not [Jesus here warns them that their experiences would not always be pleasant], a14 And whosoever cas many as ashall creceive you not, anor hear your words, bas ye go forth thence, aout of that house or that city [The word “house” indicates a partial and the word “city” a complete rejection], {cwhen you depart from that city,} bshake off the dust that is under your feet {aof your feet.} cfrom your feet bfor a testimony unto them. cagainst them. [The dust of heathen lands as compared with the land of Israel was regarded as polluted and unholy ( Amo 2:7, Eze 27:30). The Jew, therefore, considered himself defiled by such dust. For the apostles, therefore, to shake off the dust of any city of Israel from their clothes or feet was to place that city on a level with the cities of the heathen, and to renounce all further intercourse with it.] a15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. [For comment on similar remarks, see 2Sa 12:20, Mat 6:16, Mat 6:17). When an apostle stood over a sick man to heal him by a touch or a word, he was about to send him out of his sick chamber, and just before the word was spoken, the oil was applied. It was, therefore, no more than a token or symbol that the man was restored to his liberty, and was from that moment to be confined to his chamber no longer. Comp. Jam 5:14. This practice bears about the same relation to the Romish practice of extreme unction as the Lord’s Supper does to the mass, or as a true baptism does to the sprinkling of an infant.]
[FFG 362-369]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

THIRD EVANGELISTIC TOUR
Mat 9:35-36; Mar 6:6. Matthew And Jesus was a going round all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every ailment among the people. Our Savior, now the third time, accompanied by the twelve apostles whom He had chosen, and the holy women who cooperated with their ministry, and not a few voluntary disciples, radiates out from Capernaum, traversing the whole country of Galilee, which included the tribes of Dan, Naphtali, Zebulun, and Issachar, preaching the gospel of the kingdom in all their villages and cities. Hence we see that Jesus was an evangelist of the most aggressive character, not only peregrinating the whole country, and preaching the gospel of spiritual salvation full and free, but indiscriminately healing the sick. And seeing the multitudes, He was moved with compassion in their behalf, because they were fleeced and abandoned, as sheep having no shepherd. N.B. These people were all members of the Jewish Church, gathering Sabbatically in their synagogues, which everywhere abounded, and enjoying the ministry of the scribes, their pastors, and the expositions of their cultured theologians (called lawyers, because they expounded the laws of Moses and the prophets). Now why does Jesus thus speak of those people, describing them as poor sheep having been sheared closely, and turned out of the fold to weather the storm and take chances with the wild beasts and robbers? The case is very plain. The word here, which I translate fleeced, is eskulmenoi, which also means harassed, vexed, abused, signifying the treatment which those people received at the hands of the ministry who had charge of them. And the other, errimmenoi, means forsaken, abandoned, cast away. Now, of course, these strong affirmations of our Lord have a spiritual signification, revealing the sad fact that these people were utterly destitute of competent spiritual guides.
Now do not forget that these were Jews, holding regular membership in the Church which God established, and enjoying all the privileges of the synagogue worship, with the living ministry faithfully serving them. What was the matter? Those preachers, with all their learning, were spiritually dead, the blind leading the blind, laying heavy financial burdens on the people, and neglecting their souls, thus practically abandoning them for the devil. O how history repeats itself! We do not have to go back to the Judaic ages in order to find the Lords sheep fleeced and abandoned for the wolves to devour.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Verse 35
The gospel of the kingdom; the gospel or good news of the kingdom of Christ.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

1. Jesus’ compassion 9:35-38 (cf. Mar 6:6)
This section summarizes the previous incidents that deal primarily with healing and prepares for Jesus’ second discourse to His disciples. It is transitional providing a bridge from the condition of the people that chapter 9 revealed to what the King determined to do about that condition (cf. Mat 4:23-25). Jesus’ work was so extensive that He needed many more workers to assist Him.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

This verse summarizes the heart of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. It also provides the rationale for the new phase of His ministry through the Twelve.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

B. Declarations of the King’s presence 9:35-11:1
The heart of this section contains Jesus’ charge to His disciples to proclaim the nearness of the kingdom (ch. 10). Matthew prefaced this charge with a demonstration of the King’s power, as he prefaced the Sermon on the Mount by authenticating the King’s qualifications (cf. Mat 4:23; Mat 9:35). However there are also some significant dissimilarities between these sections of the Gospel. Before the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus separated from the multitudes (Mat 5:1), but here He has compassion on them (Mat 9:36). Then He ministered to His disciples, but now He sends His disciples to minister to the multitudes in Israel. The Sermon on the Mount was basic to the disciples’ understanding of the kingdom. This discourse is foundational to their proclaiming the kingdom. Jesus had already begun to deal with discipleship issues (chs. 5-7; Mat 8:18-22; Mat 9:9-17). Now He gave them more attention.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

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