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Sheep without a Shepherd and the Politics of Compassion

Sheep without a Shepherd and the Politics of Compassion

Last updated on: June 11, 2026 at 6:30 pm by Herb Montgomery

Sheep without a Shepherd and the Politics of Compassion 2026-06-11T18:30:04-04:00 Herb Montgomery

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When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. | Photo Credit: Tanner Yould.

Our reading this week is from the gospel of Matthew:

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

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This is Part 1 of the series The Harvest Is Great, the Laborers Few

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. (Matthew 9:35-10:8)

In our reading this week, Jesus travels through cities and villages, teaching, healing, and proclaiming what Matthew calls the “good news of the kingdom.” The passage concludes with Jesus looking upon the crowds with compassion because “they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” He then tells his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” These verses still carry profound implications for us today because they reveal a vision of community and a spirituality rooted in compassion for those neglected and wounded by systems of power.

First, the passage reminds us that genuine spirituality is inseparable from public compassion. Jesus does not isolate himself from suffering people. He goes directly into towns and villages where ordinary people struggle under poverty, sickness, exclusion, and political oppression. In the first-century Roman world, many peasants lived under crushing taxation, economic exploitation, and socio-religious hierarchies that often favored the wealthy and powerful. When Jesus sees the crowds as “harassed and helpless,” he recognizes not merely personal pain but also collective social suffering. His response is compassion.

This compassion is deeply political, in the best sense of the word. Jesus identifies failed leadership as part of the problem. The phrase “sheep without a shepherd” echoes past Hebrew prophetic critiques of rulers and religious authorities who neglected the vulnerable. Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Micah all condemned leaders who enriched themselves while the poor suffered. Matthew’s Gospel continues this prophetic tradition. Jesus exposes systems that abandon people while presenting himself as radically different.

This passage also teaches that justice requires action, not mere sympathy. We’ll pick up with this in Part 2.

Begin each day being inspired toward love, compassion, justice and action. Free.

General Christian

Politics and Religion

About Herb Montgomery

Herb Montgomery, director of Renewed Heart Ministries, is an author and adult religious educator helping Christians explore the intersection of their faith with love, compassion, action, and societal justice. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

June 4, 2026

Practicing a Preferential Option

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June 10, 2026 When Compassion Leads to Action

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