Matthew 9:35-38 and 10:5-10

Matthew 9:35-38 and 10:5-10

And Jesus went around to all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every ailment.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest." These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, saying, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.  Do not carry any gold or silver nor copper in your belts, no bag for the journey, not even two shirts, no shoes, nor a staff. For a worker is worthy of his food....

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. 

Dear congregation, Jesus looks at the world of that time – the people to whom he belongs, his people, and a sadness takes hold of him that "turns his insides around." This is the Greek word that Luther translates as "he was moved with compassion”. 

When Jesus looks at his fellow human beings, he is troubled. It makes him feel stressed and unsettled. In other words, it is not just a spiritual, but also a physical reaction. If you are confronted with people’s hardship for too long and if you let it affect you too much you will soon become sick yourself. We know this today, thanks to medical and psychological research. The suffering of the world can get to us and become overwhelming. 

On the other hand, compassion is one of the most important qualities of humankind. So, what now: have compassion, be warm and understanding and alleviate suffering or distance yourself? For Matthew, this is not an 'either-or' but, as is often the case in life: both belong together. Let's look at Jesus and take from this passage how he practices critical awareness. How does Jesus react to the experience that 'his insides turn within him'? 

Jesus does not become paralysed; he becomes mindful and engages his reason. He analyses the situation and realizes: "The harvest is plentiful." This means: There is much to be done. And do you notice how clever he is? He takes an image where there is much to do, but in the end, there is a celebration. For me, this is not a coincidental image; when Jesus realizes how incredibly much there is to be done, he is not overwhelmed by the daunting task. Instead, he thinks of a picture of hope: people busy harvesting. This is different from people working in a quarry. Or people working underground in mines. "The harvest is great!" is, on one hand, a great challenge for a farmer, but at the same time, it is also a great joy. Who wouldn't be happy about a bountiful harvest? It mobilises people: they employ harvest helpers and let the work begin! And while the harvest is being gathered in, confidence grows that the next winter can be endured. 

When we look at our world, it can make us feel "the guts twisting in our belly." Compared to the world that was still quite manageable back then, the situation the world is in today is much harder to bear. At least regarding the suffering in the world. How do we react? I often hear that people are overwhelmed and become hopeless. Often our reaction is: what I do is just a drop in the ocean. Often when something troubles us, we do not engage in joyful action, but rather in paralyzed passivity. This could change if we internalize the image from Matthew: 'The harvest is plentiful!' This means that the work assigned to us as Christians, as followers of Jesus, is hard work, but in the end, there is a celebration. 

I believe the reason for being so overwhelmed and without hope, desperately concerned about the magnitude of the task, might also be our secret thought: We must save the world. However, this is not mentioned in Matthew. Saving the world is God's task. So here too I see both: On the one hand, Jesus's human perspective on the world – that we are troubled and stressed by the suffering around us. And then there is the divine view - the harvest is plentiful! It is up to us to change things. 

I want to take another look at the passage to find out what worries and affects Jesus so deeply. It is the impression that people are wandering around like sheep without a shepherd. He is shocked at how little trust people have. He is astonished to see that they have forgotten that they must choose to have hope. Disease does not overwhelm Jesus. It is part of life to experience both good and difficult days. Illnesses are a natural part of our lives. Death, accidents, childhood diseases, chronic illnesses, and life-threatening procedures; all of these exists.  Jesus is shocked by how little people are aware that suffering and feelings of personal inadequacy are part of the shared human experience. It is an illusion that one can always become healthy again and that eventually suffering and death might be banished from the world. Jesus does not nourish this illusion. The hope that Jesus provides is not that we will come through life unscathed, or have a life free of accidents, or that human mortality can be overcome. Jesus teaches that in this world, where there is desolation and human suffering, the dark difficult side of life, the kingdom of God is nearby. Through the cracks in our lives the light can shine – this is how Jesus sees God in this world. God grants us the resilience we need to get things done, so that we can celebrate in the end. God gives us the confidence which guides us through dark phases and allows us to experience moments of joy again. Jesus teaches us that everything has its time: birth and death, illness and health, peace and conflict. Jesus preaches and finds words to reach people’s hearts, and people feel God is close to them. And Jesus sends out people who have experienced this. The harvest is plentiful. This is a wonderful task. Join in! Contribute to this great hopeful work. 

In this service, we explore this passage in different ways: I preach. But equally important: We celebrate communion: A feast of reconciliation. A source of strength for our trust. A pre-harvest festival! A moment to pause and reflect on what has been achieved in two thousand years since Jesus: how many people have been comforted, healed, accompanied, encouraged. And then in the end, we are blessed and sent back into the world to bear witness: The kingdom of God is near! What a relief - we do not have to save the world, but we can experience and attest to what the Saviour is doing in this world!

May the peace that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.