Posts
- Earlier in
Matthew 4:23, Matthew described Jesus ministering all around Galilee.
- In our
passage for today; Jesus took another missionary journey visiting all the towns
and villages of Galilee.
- In verse
35, Matthew stressed for his readers the complete inclusiveness of Jesus'
ministry that he came for every person to heal every disease and every illness
in each of the people with whom Jesus came into contact.
- This
suggestion from Matthew leads us to ask a serious question. We often ask why
everyone is not healed and the short answer is because the kingdom of heaven is
not yet complete.
- The
Gospels record for us that in every instance where people put their trust in
Jesus, he healed their brokenness as a sign of the presence of the kingdom.
- Today, God
heals for similar reasons, but not everyone is healed.
- Up to this
point in the ministry of Jesus, he has been the
chief actor. He alone did the preaching and teaching, healing and exorcisms.
- But now
Jesus was about to commission his disciples to become actors and agents who
join with Jesus in carrying out the mission of God.
- Let's look
for a moment at the little phrase "the gospel of the kingdom."
- This
important phrase occurs only a few times in Matthew's Gospel and Matthew used
it to describe the joyful news of the
dawning or sprouting of God's reign on earth in the person of Jesus Christ.
- In Jesus, God has come near. He is not far off.
He has come to save. As we've already seen, the signs that testify to the
kingdom are preaching and teaching the gospel, and healing of every kind of
disease and illness.
- But (and
this is a big but)Jesus would not be a king of an earthly kingdom like his
ancestor David, but King of a spiritual
kingdom, the kingdom of the heavens, a kingdom that will one day fill the
whole earth.
- It is a kingdom that is already here, but not yet
complete.
- Matthew told
his readers that when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion upon them.
- We need to
notice that it was as Jesus was among the crowds ministering to them that he
had compassion.
- This
compassion is a strong word. It refers to emotions that literally tear us up
inside over the troubles of others and burn us out.
- That is
the kind of compassion that Jesus felt for the crowds and he felt that
compassion because their shepherds failed them, leaving them weary, beaten,
troubled, trodden down, helpless, and confused.
- The people
of Israel had no one to guide them. We could argue, in fact, that the Pharisees
and teachers of the law exploited the people and placed religious burdens upon
them that were too heavy to carry.
- The crowds
were smitten with Jesus, but unwilling to commit to him.
- What they
did not realize is that the answer to their problems was standing right before
them. He is the good shepherd.
- Then Jesus
told his disciples. "The harvest is great, but the workers are few."
- The needs
of the crowds who followed Jesus because of his unequaled ministry were great
and compared to the crowds, Jesus and his disciples were merely a few.
- Matthew
pictured for his readers in these words of Jesus, a task which appears
overwhelmingly impossible, but Matthew shares with his readers that Jesus had
more to say.
- "So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send
more workers into his fields."
-
According to Matthew, Jesus told his disciples that the solution for overwhelmingly impossible tasks is prayer.
-
Because the harvest is great, and the workers are few, Jesus instructed his
disciples to pray that God the Father would bring up more workers to join in
the harvest.
-
Always God's mission is too great for the church and always the solution is
prayer.
-
Great tasks require great prayer.
-
God is the Lord of the harvest. He is the one in charge and he alone is able to
bring up new workers for the harvest fields.
-
But here's the clincher: if we want the
Lord of the harvest to bring up new workers for the harvest fields, then we
have to ask (and keep on asking).
-
To accomplish God's mission, we need more workers, but we have to ask for them
to be sent.
-
Our tendency is to think of money first when we talk about sending workers out
into the mission fields but prayer is the first need, everything else comes
second to prayer.
-
Always God's mission is too great for the church and always the solution is
prayer.
-
The early church also understood at this, as recorded in Acts chapter 13 for
example.
-
Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of
Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene),
Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and
fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work
to which I have called them.” 3 So
after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them
on their way. (Acts 13:1-3, NLT)
-
Intercessory prayer is the means through which God chooses to bring up new
workers and impact the lives of others for Jesus Christ.
-
Always God's mission is too great for the church and always the solution is
prayer.
-
The apostle Paul understood that he was not only sent by prayer, but also that
his successes were dependent upon answered prayer.
-
2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful
heart. 3 Pray
for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his
mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly
as I should. (Col. 4:2-4, NLT)
-
Always God's mission is too great for
the church and always the solution is prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment