Jesus knew that people needed what he brought them, both the message of the kingdom and physical healing; he came for our good, not his own (Jn 3:16-7). It is to our own hurt when we do not serve the Lord (Jer 2:13; Hos 7:1, 13; 13:9), and it hurts him because it hurts us. We can approach him with our needs precisely because we know how much he cares for us.

When lacking God-appointed leaders, God's people in the Hebrew Bible often appear as sheep without a shepherd (Num 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chron 18:16), inviting the compassionate Lord to shepherd his people himself (Ezek 34:11-16), including feeding them (Ezek 34:2-3; Mt 14:19-20), healing them (Ezek 34:4; Mt 9:35; compare harassed in 9:36, literally "torn") and bringing the lost sheep back (Ezek 34:4-6; Mt 18:12-14). This implies that the religious leaders of Israel who purported to be their shepherds had failed to obey God's commission (Ezek 34:2-10; Mt 23). The disciples will carry on Jesus' mission to these sheep (10:6).