35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9
I have probably said before that I was raised in a conservative Methodist church. And so I took quite seriously, at least for a while, Jesus’ request to pray for workers in the field. I remember praying that missionaries would be sent overseas to bring Christianity to those who were lost and going to hell. I still pray for workers, but perhaps now in the same way.
First of all, and some of you may find this offensive but I merely ask you to hear me, I don’t necessarily pray that others would be converted. Jesus is talking about bringing healing and the hope of the good news to others. What is the good news, it seems to be that Jesus says it is that the kingdom of God is here, right here. Is in our midst and in us. The place where God is, is here. And that in that place God is on our side. He brings healing, forgiveness, mercy, hope and …….resurrection! A new life, another chance, freedom from the death that sin brings.
So it sounds to me that Jesus wants to send out the workers to bring healing, spiritual and physical to people. The disciples are going out to the Jews. They are not converting them to Christianity. They are converting them to love, forgiveness, justice. Jesus calls us to righteousness. Righteousness is simply this: right relationship—with God, others, and creation. Right relationship is found in forgiveness and justice and mercy and love.
The other thing I no longer pray for is for workers to reach the heathen of other lands. If we understand that we are proclaiming the righteousness that is in the Kingdom of God as a right relationship, we have plenty of unrighteous heathen in our own backyard. Can I hear an “Amen”?
And so our prayer is that workers would go out into the United States of America, as well as other lands, to change the hearts and minds of people.
How is this done? What is it we are called to here?
A couple of weeks ago we heard the scripture of the Great Commission.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28)
What are disciples? Followers of Jesus. Not believers, followers. That is a big difference. What are we teaching them? Not all our doctrine and dogma, but the commands of Jesus. Which by the way are summed up in one word! Love! Love God, your neighbor, and one another. Love!
And so, I am going to step out on a limb here. (Please God catch me if it breaks.) What are these laborers supposed to be doing in the fields ready for harvest? What did Jesus do when he saw the crowds? Have compassion.
Definition for compassion? Merriam Webster reads this way: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.
And then this is added to the entry:
Compassion and empathy both refer to a caring response to someone else’s distress. While empathy refers to an active sharing in the emotional experience of the other person, compassion adds to that emotional experience a desire to alleviate the person’s distress.
Folks, the desire to alleviate the person’s distress is not found in the words “get over it” or “it isn’t my fault” or “stop your whining.” Nor is it found in words like “Well, I”m not a racist.” or “She got herself into that mess.” or “Just get out and get a job.” or “According to my religion that’s a sin.”
Each of those statements may have some truth to them, please hear MAY, but they do NOT alleviate the other person’s distress nor do they have the desire to do so behind them.
Also notice, please, that Jesus did not say build a building for them to come to. He sent the disciples out to them, where the crowds lived, worked, walked, and played.
Yes, the way I pray this scripture has changed. But something else has changed as well. I have learned that God answers prayer and sometimes I am the answer to that prayer. I am the one being challenged to evaluate how I respond. I am the one being called to look into my own heart for compassion. I am the one being called to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus, not just a believer.
God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes (to be confident or trusts) in him, shall not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3: 16)
Jesus says in the 17th chapter of John that eternal life is being one with the Father.
For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved (healed, forgiven). (John 3: 17)
We are not here to point fingers and judge and condemn each other. We are here to bring the love of God to each other. To have compassion for each other. To bring one another good news.
And so here it is, the Good news:
God loves you more than you can imagine and desires for you to be united with him. In that unity compassion for the other will grow.
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