Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 9:35

"And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness." — Matthew 9:35 (ASV)

Verse 35 summarizes the heart of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and prepares us for the new phase of mission via the Twelve . Like the Lord in the OT (cf. Ezekiel 34), Jesus showed compassion on the shepherdless crowds and judgment on the false leaders. The “sheep” Jesus sees are bullied and oppressed; and in the face of such problems, they are “helpless,” unable to rescue themselves or escape their tormentors. Parallels with the OT (e.g., 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Isaiah 53:6) remind us not only of the theme’s rich background but also that the shepherd can refer either to God or to the Davidic Messiah whom God promised to send (cf. 2:6; 10:6, 16; 15:24; 25:31–46; 26:31).