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Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every
disease and illness. 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. Matthew 9:35–36
Jesus was quite zealous for souls. Zeal is an energy, a passion and
a drive to accomplish some task. The task that Jesus was zealous
for was the conversion of every heart that He encountered. As He
walked from town to town, encountering person after person, Jesus
could see into their hearts. He saw that so many people were
“troubled and abandoned.” He could see they were like “sheep
without a shepherd.” And this moved Him to compassion with a zeal
to become their Shepherd, to remove the trouble from their hearts
and to let them know they were invited to belong to His new
Kingdom.
The image of Jesus encountering numerous people who were troubled
and abandoned is a good image to ponder. The reason is that this is
us. Each one of us has our own interior troubles. We can feel
alone, confused, uncertain and lost at times. The person who
doesn’t feel this way is either a perfect saint or is not being
honest. Deep holiness and union with God does, of course, cure this
interior struggle that many have. In that case, the person clearly
knows they belong to the family of God, understands himself or
herself as a son or daughter of God, and finds deep peace in this
truth. But for those who struggle, this Scripture passage is
especially for you.
First of all, to be “troubled” could be caused by many things. For
some, they struggle with memories of the past, broken
relationships, a lack of direction, serious sin, anger and the
like. So the first question to honestly ponder is whether or not
you have a troubled heart. Even the greatest of saints will find
some areas they struggle with. So what is that for you?
Secondly, feeling “abandoned” is a heavy cross. The reason Jesus
came was to enable us to belong to His family. That is accomplished
by the gift of eternal salvation which must begin now. By receiving
the forgiveness of sins and growing in a life of prayer, we come to
know God in a very intimate and personal way. Yes, He is the
Almighty God and Creator of all. But He is also deeply personal and
intimate, and He wants to form a real relationship of love with
you.
If you struggle with either of these, being troubled and/or
abandoned, then consider the zeal that Jesus has for you. His
tireless and extensive travels, by foot, while He was engaging in
His public ministry, should be seen as a sign to you of His zeal to
come to you, personally, to become your Shepherd. He wants to lift
every burden and clear the way for you to discover your place in
His family. The “Gospel of the Kingdom” that Jesus preached was one
that invited everyone to become a member of that Kingdom. As He
comes to you, know that His heart is filled with compassion for
you, just as it was when He traveled the countryside so long ago.
He sees you, gazes at your heart with love, and never takes His
eyes off of you in your need, weakness and sin.
Reflect, today, upon the zeal that Jesus has for your own eternal
salvation and holiness of life. You cannot make it through this
world without Him. Let Jesus seek you out, come to you, speak to
you and invite you to allow Him to shepherd you. He wants to do so
with every fiber of His being; let Jesus fulfill His mission in
you.
My divine Shepherd, You seek out all people with the greatest of
zeal and compassion. You see every hurting and broken heart, and
You desire to heal each one. Thank You for coming to me, dear Lord,
for being my Shepherd and Guide. Help me to see You as You gaze at
me in my weakness and pain. And help me to open my heart to You now
and throughout my life. I love You, my Lord. Jesus, I trust in
You.
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Featured image above: Christ Preaching (The Hundred
Guilder Print) By Rembrandt, via Wikimedia
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