See What Jesus Sees

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Imagine this for a moment. Have you ever walked through a busy crowded street? Hundreds of people pass by. Some are smiling. Some are talking. Some are rushing to get somewhere. Now here’s my question: What do you usually see? People? Faces? Crowds?

Now let me ask another question: What did Jesus see? In today’s Gospel, Jesus looked at the crowds, but He didn’t just see a crowd. He saw people who were hurting. St. Matthew tells us that Jesus was “moved with compassion, because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” That word compassion is powerful. It doesn’t simply mean feeling sorry for someone. It means allowing another person’s pain to touch your own heart. That’s the heart of Jesus.

Before Jesus preached, He noticed people. Before He taught, He cared. Before He corrected, He loved. Sometimes we are so busy that we stop seeing people. We see the waiter, but not his tiredness. We see the student, but not her anxiety. We see our family every day, but we no longer notice what they are carrying inside. Jesus always noticed. And that’s something the Holy Spirit wants to teach us.

Here’s something interesting. In the Gospel, Jesus first heals a man who cannot speak because he is possessed. Then immediately, Matthew tells us Jesus looked at the crowds with compassion. Why place these two stories together? Because Jesus heals not only individuals but also communities. He wants people to have a voice again. He wants those who feel forgotten to know they matter. Then Jesus says something surprising: “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” Notice what He does not say. He does not say, “The harvest is impossible.” He says the harvest is ready.

Sometimes we think the world has become too far from God. But Jesus says there are people already searching for hope, already asking questions, already longing for peace. The problem isn’t that God has stopped working. The problem is that too few people are willing to join Him. Then Jesus tells His disciples, “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers.” Have you ever thought that maybe the answer to that prayer could be… you?

Not everyone is called to be a priest or a religious sister. But every baptized Christian is called to bring someone closer to Christ. Maybe by listening. Maybe by forgiving. Maybe by encouraging. Maybe simply by noticing someone everyone else ignores. Sometimes the greatest miracle is not saying the perfect words. It’s making someone feel seen.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me Your eyes to see beyond appearances. Help me notice those who are lonely, forgotten, or carrying heavy burdens. Fill my heart with Your compassion, so that I may become a sign of Your love. Send me into Your harvest – not only with words, but with kindness, patience, and joy. May someone come closer to You today because they met me. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko