📊 Matthew 9:37-38 | Christ's Compassion

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Happy Tuesday, {{first_name| everyone}}!

Excited to dig deeper into the surrounding passage of our memory verse today! If you missed yesterday’s email, you can read it here.

In today’s email…

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Then he said to his disciples, “The _______ __ _________, but the _________ ___ ___;

therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Matthew 9:37-38

Matthew 9 gives a fast-moving snapshot of Jesus’ ministry — teaching, healing, restoring, and even calling Matthew himself. Everywhere Jesus goes, broken things become whole again.

Then comes a moment that shifts everything:

This language echoes the Old Testament’s longing for true shepherds (Numbers 27:17; Ezekiel 34:5). Israel needed a leader who would not exploit them or abandon them, and Jesus steps directly into that role.

Immediately after seeing the crowds, Jesus turns to His core group of disciples and names the problem:

There is a massive need…and not enough willing to meet it.

Now note this connection between our memory verse and Matthew 10:1-8.

First, Jesus tells them to pray to the “Lord of the harvest” to send workers:

And in the very next chapter, He sends them (Matthew 10:1–8).

Their prayer became their calling.

This short passage reveals the true nature of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Those who follow Jesus are called to labor for the sake of God’s Kingdom. True discipleship must lead to Kingdom participation.

The kingdom of heaven isn’t built by spectators. It grows through ordinary people (like you and me):

Jesus’ compassion always moved Him toward people. He didn’t simply feel for the crowds, He stepped into their pain, healed, taught, and invited His followers to join His work. His love was never distant - it was active, present, and costly.

Living out Matthew 9:37–38 begins the same way: letting compassion slow us down enough to truly see people.

The tired coworker. The neighbor no one checks on. The friend carrying quiet sorrow. Compassion starts in the eyes before it reaches the hands.

Jesus never treated people as interruptions. He saw image-bearers in need of care. When we see people that way, we naturally step into the harvest — meeting needs, praying for more workers, and becoming one ourselves.

📖 Reflect: As you read Matthew 9 again, notice how Jesus pauses for people others overlook. Ask yourself: Who in my life feels “harassed and helpless”?

🤝 Act: Do one concrete thing this week that flows from compassion — a call to a lonely friend, volunteering in your community, or offering encouragement to someone who’s struggling.

🙏Pray

Lord of the harvest, give me your eyes for the people around me. Move me beyond sympathy to action. Teach me to love with your compassion and serve wherever you send me. Amen.

Our friends at Compassion International just released a free 30-day prayer devotional — and the math behind it is incredible.

If 10,000 Malachi Daily subscribers pray for just 5 minutes a day using this guide, that adds up to nearly 3 years of continuous prayer mobilized for children living in extreme poverty.

The devotional is built on Matthew 25:40 — those shocking words of Jesus: "Whatever you did for the least of these… you did unto Me."

Because it turns out Jesus doesn't measure us by our accomplishments or platform size. He measures us by how we treat the little ones, children, brothers and sisters considered “the least.”

Each day gives you a short reflection, a powerful verse, and one simple action you can take. Prayer leads us to act — and when we pray in unity, God moves our hearts with compassion.

Click below to get your free devotional and join thousands of us praying together!

Click one of the options below to choose your answer. Let’s see how you do…

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Matthew 9:37-38