Proper 6 (Wednesday)

Wanted — Kingdom Workers

Last Wednesday evening we saw the unworthiness of the servants God calls by mercy. Tonight the emphasis is still on the ministry of the Word but the focus shifts from the servants to the people they serve. The compassion and love of God has for his people is so great that he calls ministers of the Word to share his grace and mercy and while pointing forward to the coming Kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus saw the crowds of people, he had compassion on them. And Jesus fulfills Ezekiel 's prophecy: “I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd” (Ezekiel 34:23). More than that, he ensured that each of the people gathered from the Spirits bountiful harvest would be tended by his under-shepherds. The 12 disciples listed are the first in a long line of New Testament ministers sent out of God's compassion for his people. They come with a message for the helpless and peace for the afflicted. God protects, empowers, and sanctifies us through the ministry of the Word that shows us mercy and forgiveness and leads us to the glory of heaven.

There are no unemployment lines in the Kingdom of God. Our Lord always needs more workers.

Workers needed who share Jesus’ compassion for the lost.

An entire world of confused and lost sinners lies before us.

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36).

The word for having compassion used here is σπλαγχνίζομαι; σπλάγχνα, and it occurs 12 times in the New Testament. Matthew's use of the word is always in the context of God or his Son intervening with mercy.

We were also at one time part of that confused and wandering crowd

“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:25

“At that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (Eph 2:12).

Our Lord’s unmerited compassion moved Him to come to our world to seek and to save the lost by dying for the world’s sins and bestowing the forgiveness of sins by the gospel Matt 9:35 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” His undeserved compassion moved Him to seek and to find us with His life-imparting Gospel in our baptism.

Now, our Lord wants His forgiven and renewed people to share His compassion for the lost (Matt 9:38) “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Workers are needed who are sure of their call and mission.

Just as no one will work without having been hired, so no one will work in God’s kingdom without having rightly called to do so; our Lord carefully called the apostles by name (Matt 10:2-5); this same Lord has carefully called each of us by name in our baptism.

He gave the apostles careful instructions as to their particular mission

(Matt 10:5-6) “These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

He has also given us our mission today (Matt. 28:19) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Some He calls to fulltime kingdom work such as Pastors, Missionaries, etc (Eph 4:11) “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,”

1 Tim 3:1 “The saying is trustworthy: If a man aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.”

But all His baptized people are called to testify to His grace by word and deed (2 Corinthians 5:15) “and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again;”

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

Workers are needed who have been properly equipped for their work

Jesus equipped his apostles with their necessary tool—the message about the Kingdom, the Word.

Matthew 10:17 “But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.”

It is the same word about Christ that his church is to take him to the world today. Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” God's own almighty power always accompanies his Word, and is inherent in it.

Matt 10:8 “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

Rom. 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Christ gives individual gifts and talents to his people to be used in service to his Kingdom (compare and contrast the different apostles, versus 2 through 4 ).

So today our Lord gives his people different gifts and talents 1 Corinthians 12.

The Church of Christ has established elementary schools, Middle and High schools, along with colleges and seminaries in order to develop these gifts and talents and to equip people for professional service in his church.

There will never be any unemployment problems in Christ church. Moved by his Holy Spirit, let us eagerly and joyfully serve our Lord and our respective callings, whether professionally or non professionally, as we sing, “Let none hear you idly saying, ‘There is nothing I can do.’ ... Answer quickly when he calls you, ‘Here am I. Send me, send me!’”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.