Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY
Matthew 9:35-10:8 (NLT) The Need for Workers
35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Chapter 10 Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
1Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2Here are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon (also called Peter),
then Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James (son of Zebedee),
John (James’s brother),3
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew (the tax collector),
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,
4Simon (the zealot ),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
5Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
I am not going to read through the rest, but there is a further parenthetical reading continuing through Matthew 10:9-23, where Jesus gives detailed marching orders to the disciples. What to wear, what to take with them – really what to NOT take with them, how to act, how to enter each city. At one point, Jesus says to the disciples (Matthew 10:16), “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”
Matthew 9:36 (NLT) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.Wherever Jesus went, crowds gathered.
But when Jesus saw these multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them. In the NLT, the crowds were “confused and helpless,” other translations have the people as “weary and scattered.” The word for "weary" can also mean "troubled," "bewildered," or "despondent" - synonyms that stress man's helplessness without God. Jesus considered the Pharisees to have failed in leading the people to God, who were therefore left without a shepherd.
Jesus looked at the crowds following him and referred to them as a field ripe for harvest, but the laborers to bring in the harvest are few. These "laborers" were the disciples, then few in number. Jesus commanded his disciples to pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers. The "Lord of the harvest" refers to God. The verb translated "send out" is a strong term, meaning to "thrust forth." In this context it speaks of a strong push to get workers into the field. These laborers must warn people of coming judgment and call them to repentance. Many people are ready to give their lives to Christ if someone would show them how. We are to pray that people will respond to this need for workers. Often, when we pray for something, God answers our prayers by using us. Be prepared for God to use you to show another person the way to him. The reading continues in Chapter 10 which describes this mission and what it will involve in more detail.
In Chapter 10, Jesus sends out the 12 disciples. Though this was the first time they went out on their own, they had been given authority from Jesus to carry on the work of preaching and healing.
Matthew 10:1 (NLT) Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.These twelve men had Jesus' authority over the forces of evil. Jesus empowered his disciples to drive out evil spirits. The disciples could speak the word, and God's power would cast out the demons. Jesus also gave these disciples power to heal every disease and sickness. It was important that they have these powers because Jesus was extending his mission through them. Jesus directly confronted demons and sicknesses. The disciples carried Jesus' purpose and his power.
The list of Jesus' twelve disciples does not give us many details—probably because there were not many impressive details to tell. Jesus called people from all backgrounds and occupations—fishermen, religious activists, tax collectors. He called common people and uncommon leaders; rich and poor; educated and uneducated. Today, many people think only certain people can follow Christ, but this was not the attitude of the Master himself. God can use anyone, no matter how insignificant he or she appears. When you feel small and useless, remember that God uses ordinary people to do his extraordinary work.
Matthew 10:5-6 (NLT) 5Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6but only to the people of Israel
"but only to the people of Israel"— God’s lost sheep.
Jesus' command to go rather to the lost sheep of Israel , who would have been the Jews. This was their short-term mission to Galilee. Later, these disciples would receive the commission to "go and make disciples of all nations"Our reading ends with these words from Christ Jesus: “Freely you have received, freely give.”
You may recall that a few years back my baby sister, Thia, had been diagnosed with an aggressive metastatic melanoma, already at Stage 4 by the time she saw any doctors. Through it all, Thia worried a lot, but not like you might think. She worried of course about leaving her three daughters, two who were at home and one soon to be married. But mostly she worried about leaving behind a world where so few people knew her Lord and Savior; she worried about leaving behind a job unfinished. Through prayer and faith and advanced new treatments at Dartmouth-Hitchcock she was put into remission, with frequent extensive check-ups – first monthly, then every other month, then every three months, every six months – each visit a long day of tests and followed by an agonizing wait for the results.
On June fifth, I received this email from Thia.
______________
Hi Family,______________
I spent a long day at Dartmouth today for my 6 month check-up and this marks the 4 year anniversary of remission and the big milestone of 5 years since recurrence! I do not have to go back for ONE WHOLE YEAR!
I have a small bump that is not too suspicious that needs to be biopsied, but everything looks great.
Thank you for all the major support to us during that very difficult year and I know you all rejoice with us at this good news. I love you all!
Thia
and she closed her email with this bit of scripture:
Psalm 126:3 "The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."______________
You can imagine how this news has been greeted by my family, my mother. But the real story is that of a young woman who, facing near death, knew how much she had received that her only desire was to continue to freely give, above all else.
Whatever our present condition or state of mind may be, we all have and continue to freely receive the bounty of a loving God. Knowing that, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice for us, reflecting on the strength of those like Thia, should it be so hard to freely give?
Should it be so hard for each of us to freely give?
It should not.It should not.
In response, let us sing together “Freely, Freely” UMH389Michael R. Martin • June 15, 2008
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM
