Matthew 9 throuh 10 2008
February 25
God commended His love toward us in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us. - Rom. 5:8. .
Man can show no greater love than to die for his friends.
No mortal, however, will think of giving up his life for outright enemies. “God commended His love toward us in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” Here we see God’s kind of love. What shall we say, then, of this wonderful love of God that spared not His only-begotten Son, but gave Him into death, that His enemies, we sinners, might live? Truly such divine love surpasses all human understanding.
As wonderful as this love is, many people still do not understand it, nor do they appreciate it. It is truly sad when we hear people say that they cannot believe in this love of God or in the giving of Jesus Christ’s life on the cross as the payment for sin because it goes against their idea of who God is. It goes against their idea of what a just God is like – a God that knows right from wrong, rewards the right and punishes the wrong, a just God. They ask, "How can a God be just if He can sentence His holy and innocent Son to die in the place of sinners?" They say, Is not this the worst injustice, to punish the innocent instead of the guilty? What kind of justice is that? After all, no human and just judge would do such a wicked thing. How much less, then, can a just and holy God do this?"
But these poor, blind people only betray their ignorance as regards to both God's justice and God's love. Because something is impossible for man, does it follow that it is then also impossible for God? For God, all things are possible. It is possible for God to be perfectly just, and yet compassionate, loving and merciful.
What kind of love does a compassionate God show. It is a love that is quite different from what we call human love. God’s love is given to those that do not deserve it. What kind of love is this? It is sacrificial love. It finds its center in sacrifice. How can we understand this? What sacrifices will not a loving father and mother give for their children, especially when they are sick? What sacrifices will not a loving father or mother give for their wayward children, children that are even breaking their hearts? True love is long suffering, it is patient, and it is kind. True love never gives up, always has hope. True love is offered when knees get dirty as they are knelt down in prayer. There are plenty of examples of this kind of sacrificial love around us. We read about parents like these in the papers. Even more, we share these pews with them. To be just in a worldly sense would normally mean that a parent should abandon their children to their own wayward sinful misery, to let them lie down in the bed that they created for themselves, their own bed of nails. We need to ask ourselves, is this the kind of behavior that we appreciate? Would we rather see justice or would we prefer sacrificial love?
Now, if poor, sinful mortals can love in such a way, why not God, the Source and Fountain of all love and mercy. Should we not understand that if we can love, God who is love, and the author and creator love can love in a way that surpasses all the understanding of man? Of course the answer is yes!
God is just. Yet God is loving and merciful. He pardons sinners because His divine justice is satisfied through His own divine, self-sacrificing love. In Jesus Christ, in His life, death and resurrection we see the perfect and complete justice, love and mercy of God. What God can only do, God has done. What man cannot do God has done through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. Jesus Christ’s life is given to fulfill God’s justice and His holy decree that the person that sins must be put to death. In Jesus Christ God’s fatherly love is given to us in sacrifice, patience and long suffering. Through Jesus Christ He calls us to Himself and offers us forgiveness, life and salvation.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. The wonderful thing about notes of music is that what gives them life is movement. They don’t stay in one place, otherwise we wouldn’t hear them. Rather, they move, vibrate, resonate throughout a whole space. So it is with the notes of God’s amazing grace.
Last week we talked about this amazing grace of God given to the wretch Matthew. We understand how he was and we are, on the receiving end of God’s love. We are endeared to the parents that show sacrificial love to their children. That is as it should be, because in them we see a glimpse of God’s love towards us. But there is a perspective that we need to see all the more. It is the perspective of the wayward child that deserves to lie in the bed of nails that they have created for themselves. We need to imagine the relief that is had when the stupidity and blindness of sin is taken away, in its place the revelation that there is a parent or person that has loved them, sacrificed for them, prayed for them, hoped for them and patiently waited for them to come to their senses. How does such a child relate to a person or parent that has given them such love. When such a love is realized it transforms life. It motivates and it moves and it resonates into action just like the sond of a note. What is the result? We see it in Jesus call to Matthew, a call that we too have received. Jesus said, “Come, follow me!” Then He gives those that follow a job to do.
In the gospel lesson we are told by Matthew, what that job is, “When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into His harvest fields.” What comes next is amazing. He sends His disciples out to do His work. There is a saying, “Don’t send a boy out to do a man’s job.” Here we might change the statement and say, “Don’t send a man out to do a God’s job.” That is exactly what Jesus does. He takes these people whom He has called, whom He has redeemed, whom He has loved and forgiven and He gives them His work to do. Jesus said to them, “Preach the message, Heal the sick. Raise the dead and drive out demons…freely you have received, freely give.
That grace of God that resonates through us like notes from a musical instrument is used by God to transform the world around us. Now maybe you would like to heal the sick. Maybe you would like to raise the dead and cast out devils. Me, I am pleased to preach the life saving message of God’s amazing grace in Jesus Christ. This is something that we have all been called to do. This is something that we can all do. We can share the message of Jesus Christ to the people of our lives. We can offer forgiveness to wayward children. We can offer God’s love to even those that are unlovable.
We know and have received God’s underserved love. We have His amazing grace given to us through Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. This gift of God was free. Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give. He is not talking about money. He is talking about sharing the life, salvation and forgiveness that we have in the name of Jesus with all people. So Jesus sent out His disciples for this purpose. The disciples have gone on to heaven. Their work falls to us. What do you think about that? Does this bring you joy? Does this bring you fear. Fear not. Our Lord and God calls us to serve in different ways. Not all are preachers, not all are teachers, not all are evangelists. But all of us can pray.
I am asking your help on this day and everyday…Evangelism committee…139, 12…
Guide our words, give us strength, and let us be faithful. Just as we do these things you do them with us. You participate in a real and personal and yes, powerful way. Will you go with us? In this way?
Jesus called Matthew. He calls us. Matthew followed, so do we. We go, we share, we preach…we pray. “The harvest is plenty. When it comes to the Lord’s work we are all farmers and it is always harvest time of God’s amazing grace. Amen