Encounters with Jesus #7
Our encounters with Jesus [in Matthew 9] come to a close today.
Well… when I say ‘close’ I mean, of course, ‘begins’!
Jesus travelled 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. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matt 9:35-38 NLT)
There are no encounters with Jesus that are simply dead-end encounters; they will always lead somewhere… after all he is the Good Shepherd and what shepherd worth his salt doesn’t lead.
Here Jesus doesn’t encounter just one person [full of faith] but a whole crowd.
Now, on first reading, you may not think that the crowd are demonstrating faith in the same way as the characters who have encounter Jesus so far in this chapter. In some ways you are right, but they are still full of faith. They are lost, confused and helpless but they stand in front of Jesus because of faith. Perhaps not faith in Jesus being the Messiah or anything like that, but faith that there is something ‘out there’ that makes sense of this life, that cares if they live or die. Deep down this is the ‘faith’ that fills everyone we meet every day; no-one, no matter what their conscious beliefs, are looking for something that says ‘you are noticed’ when you pass away. Most people place all their hope on a grave stone, something ‘immovable’ that says they are beloved of someone. Something that says they were here, that someone noticed. But those who noticed will someday fade too.
As Christians we have someone who noticed us, someone who will never fade; we have an empty tomb rather than a gravestone that assures us of this.
“It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first instalment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.” (Eph 1:11-14 MSG)
When Jesus saw the crowd full of [a desperate] faith, looking for something to hope in, something that won’t fade, disappoint or disappear, he looked to his disciples and said, “…pray to the Lord… ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
This is a delightfully dangerous prayer that he gave them [and us] because the answer to this prayer is always praying the prayer; it is a call to us first and foremost. Whether we are timid or bold, extraverted or introverted, eloquent or tongue-tied, out of [eternal] compassion we are called to ‘clock in’ for work, to play our part [whatever it may be]. Once we respond to this prayer God adds to us.
Our encounter with Jesus [always] calls us to share; to give something to those who are hungry for hope. Will you clock in for ‘work’ today?
Well… when I say ‘close’ I mean, of course, ‘begins’!
Jesus travelled 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. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matt 9:35-38 NLT)
There are no encounters with Jesus that are simply dead-end encounters; they will always lead somewhere… after all he is the Good Shepherd and what shepherd worth his salt doesn’t lead.
Here Jesus doesn’t encounter just one person [full of faith] but a whole crowd.
Now, on first reading, you may not think that the crowd are demonstrating faith in the same way as the characters who have encounter Jesus so far in this chapter. In some ways you are right, but they are still full of faith. They are lost, confused and helpless but they stand in front of Jesus because of faith. Perhaps not faith in Jesus being the Messiah or anything like that, but faith that there is something ‘out there’ that makes sense of this life, that cares if they live or die. Deep down this is the ‘faith’ that fills everyone we meet every day; no-one, no matter what their conscious beliefs, are looking for something that says ‘you are noticed’ when you pass away. Most people place all their hope on a grave stone, something ‘immovable’ that says they are beloved of someone. Something that says they were here, that someone noticed. But those who noticed will someday fade too.
As Christians we have someone who noticed us, someone who will never fade; we have an empty tomb rather than a gravestone that assures us of this.
“It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first instalment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.” (Eph 1:11-14 MSG)
When Jesus saw the crowd full of [a desperate] faith, looking for something to hope in, something that won’t fade, disappoint or disappear, he looked to his disciples and said, “…pray to the Lord… ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
This is a delightfully dangerous prayer that he gave them [and us] because the answer to this prayer is always praying the prayer; it is a call to us first and foremost. Whether we are timid or bold, extraverted or introverted, eloquent or tongue-tied, out of [eternal] compassion we are called to ‘clock in’ for work, to play our part [whatever it may be]. Once we respond to this prayer God adds to us.Our encounter with Jesus [always] calls us to share; to give something to those who are hungry for hope. Will you clock in for ‘work’ today?
-Andrew Carey
posted by Andrew at 8:45 am
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