Jesus Has Compassion on the Crowds and Sends the Twelve to the Lost Sheep of Israel (Matthew 9:36—10:8)

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; 38 so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

1 Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; 4 Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

5 Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.

Before this passage, Matthew has shown Jesus teaching, proclaiming the kingdom, and healing the sick throughout Galilee. Jesus’ words and deeds reveal the arrival of God’s saving reign. In today’s Gospel, Matthew turns our attention to the compassion that moves Jesus. At the sight of the crowds, His heart is moved with pity because they are “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 36). Jesus does not see the crowds as a problem to be managed. He sees people who are burdened, vulnerable, and in need of faithful shepherding. His mission flows from this merciful love. He teaches, heals, calls, and sends because He has come as the Shepherd who seeks and gathers God’s people.

The image of sheep without a shepherd reaches back into the Old Testament. Moses prayed that Israel would not be left “like sheep without a shepherd” after his death (Num. 27:17). The prophets also used shepherd language for the leaders of God’s people. Through Ezekiel, God rebuked unfaithful shepherds and promised to care for His scattered sheep. He also promised to set over them one shepherd from the line of David (Ezek. 34:1-24). Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Shepherd who sees the people’s need and acts with mercy.

Jesus then says to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few” (v. 37). The image changes from sheep to harvest, but the meaning remains connected. The people are ready to receive God’s saving work, and the need is great. Jesus tells His disciples to ask “the master of the harvest” to send laborers into His harvest (v. 38). The mission begins with prayer because the harvest belongs to God.

Immediately after telling the disciples to pray, Jesus summons the Twelve and gives them authority over unclean spirits and power to cure every disease and illness (v. 1). The prayer for laborers is answered through the calling and sending of the apostles. In the Gospel, an apostle is one who is sent. The mission belongs to God. Those who serve it faithfully do not claim the work as their own or use it for themselves. They are laborers sent by the Lord of the harvest.

Matthew names the Twelve (vv. 2-4). The number twelve is important. It recalls the twelve tribes of Israel and points to the gathering and renewal of God’s people. Jesus is forming the foundation of His mission through those whom He personally calls and sends. Simon Peter is named first, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him, is named last. The list is realistic. The men Jesus calls are not presented as perfect men. They are called by Christ, formed by Him, and sent with His authority.

Jesus sends the Twelve first to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (v. 6). This follows the order of salvation history. Israel had received the covenant, the promises, the law, and the prophets. From Israel, according to the flesh, the Messiah came (Rom. 9:4-5). Therefore the kingdom is first proclaimed to Israel. After His Resurrection, Jesus will send His apostles to “all nations” (Matt. 28:19), but this first mission is directed to the people to whom the promises had first been given.

The apostles are given the same proclamation already announced by John the Baptist in Matthew’s Gospel: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v. 7; Matt. 3:2). Jesus Himself also proclaimed this message (Matt. 4:17). The kingdom of heaven means God’s saving rule. Because Jesus has come, God is now acting in a new and decisive way to restore His people. Jesus teaches with authority, heals the sick, forgives sins, and drives out evil. These works show that God is near to His people and is bringing them back to Himself.

The works given to the apostles also mirror the works of Jesus: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons” (v. 8). These signs show that the kingdom touches the whole person. Jesus brings healing, mercy, freedom from evil, and restoration to communion with God. The apostles act by the authority Jesus gives them. Their call, their mission, and their power to heal and cast out demons come from Him.

Jesus adds, “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give” (v. 8). God’s gifts are not merchandise. The apostles have received everything as a gift from Christ, and therefore they must give freely. This teaches the spirit of all faithful Christian service. The Gospel is entrusted to the Church as a gift for the life of the world. Those who serve Christ faithfully must do so with generosity, humility, and trust.

This passage also reminds every believer to pray for laborers in God’s harvest. The need for faithful shepherds and generous witnesses remains. Christ still sees the crowds with compassion. He still calls, forms, and sends. The Church’s mission begins in His heart and continues through those who receive His gifts and give them freely.

Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd of Your people, look with mercy on all who are troubled and abandoned. Send faithful laborers into Your harvest, strengthen those who serve Your Church, and teach us to give freely what we have freely received. Amen.

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Sources and References

• The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Matthew 9:36—10:8 and notes on Matthew 9:37; 10:1-11:1; 10:1; 10:2; 10:5; and 10:8.
• Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Pages 23-24.
• José María Casciaro, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Pages 79-81.
• Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Pages 650-651, paragraphs 66-68.
• Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, Richard J. Clifford, Carol J. Dempsey, Eileen M. Schuller, Thomas D. Stegman, and Ronald D. Witherup, eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Pages 927-928.
• Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, with a Foreword by Pope Francis. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2022. Pages 1191-1192.