God’s grace, peace
and mercy be with you. Happy Father’s Day to all you dads. My sermon is
entitled Context, Compassion and Call, and my focus is our Gospel (Mt
9:35-10:8). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I
rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”
Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we
listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply
as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Have you ever had
anyone paint a portrait of you? When I served as Chaplain for the Sisters of
Divine Providence, one of the retired sisters told me that she taught a
painting class. She invited me to sit for a session so that her students could
paint my portrait. I was given one, but I did not come to appreciate what the
artist saw in me. That said, have you ever thought of Matthew as someone who
painted a picture of Jesus? The Gospel of Matthew portrays Jesus as Teacher,
Lord, Master and God. To appreciate Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus, we focus on
three points: Context, Compassion and Call.
First, context. We
define context as the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or
follow a specific word or passage, influencing its meaning or effect. It is the
set of circumstances that surround an event or situation. It came into usage in
the English language in the 15th century and meant the weaving
together of words. This developed logically from the word’s Latin source, contexere
meaning to weave or join together. Today, context refers to the environment or
setting in which something exists. We place words and actions in appropriate
settings. For example, if we were talking baseball, and I used the terms can of
corn, pickle, jam or tater, you would know that I am not talking about food.
Context involves setting. Hence, when we read what Jesus said and did, the
setting matters.
Our text opens
with verse 35, “Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and
healing every disease and every affliction.” Several times, Matthew
mentions Jesus teaching, proclaiming and healing. In 4:23, he wrote that Jesus “went
throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel
of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the
people.” At the end of the Gospel, the Risen Lord instructed the Eleven
to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He commanded.
Apart from the
Paschal Mystery, the most significant aspect of Jesus’ ministry was teaching.
Teaching was more important than preaching or healing because Jesus came to
establish a Church – a community – to usher in the Kingdom of God. For Jewish
followers of Jesus, a messiah without a community was unthinkable. It would be
like a pastor without a congregation.
Another reason
Matthew valued Jesus as Teacher and presented his material in “five books” was
to establish Him and his teaching as greater than Moses and the Mosaic
tradition. Hence, the Lord’s teaching started on a mountain – Sermon on the
Mount – and ended on the Mount of Olives. In short, Matthew wrote a catechism
for 1st-century Christians with The Beatitudes as Lesson One and The
Great Judgment as the Final Exam.
Matthew wrote for
a Church where believers needed instructions on how to handle life as Jesus
did, which is why the Lord taught about anger, lust, divorce, oaths,
retaliation and love for enemies. He taught his disciples how to pray, fast and
care for the poor. He knew people needed instruction on trusting God, handling
anxiety and avoiding judgment.
Yes, his
proclamation of God’s Kingdom, love and forgiveness, his ability to walk on
water, multiply loaves and fishes, heal the sick and raise the dead were
essential, but “miracles do not certify teaching. It is the other way around!
In themselves, miracles are ambiguous events. It is the authenticity of Jesus’
teaching that renders his miracles significant. He is Messiah of Word before he
is Messiah of Deed.”[1]
Through acceptance and openness to Christ and his message, healing follows.
And yet, this
Teacher was not like stoic philosophers or the wanton shepherds of Israel. He
was recognized by rabbis and Romans, Pharisees and Sadducees, but he was also
rejected. He was unlike other rabbis and philosophers because he embodied his
own teaching. In a word, Jesus was compassionate.
We move, then,
from context to compassion, my second point. Compassion is the combination of
two Latin words: com meaning with or together and pati meaning to
suffer. As a noun, compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy or sorrow for
another stricken by misfortune or a strong desire to alleviate suffering. There
are many synonyms for compassion, including pity, commiseration, condolence and
sympathy.
Our Gospel’s
second verse reads, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,
because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
This image – sheep without a shepherd – is deeply rooted in the Old Testament.
In the Book of Numbers, Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, “Let the Lord,
the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who
shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and
bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have
no shepherd” (27:15-17).
In the First Book
of Kings, Micaiah prophesied against Ahab, “I saw all Israel scattered on
the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd” (22:17). Against the
shepherds of Israel, Ezekiel proclaimed, “So they were scattered, because
there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep
were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My
sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or
seek for them” (34:5-6).
These verses speak
of Israel being leaderless and vulnerable; but Jesus had compassion for the
people around him. By showing compassion for the distressed flock and the lost
sheep, he presented himself as the promised “David,” the shepherd chosen and
anointed by God.[2]
Yet, notice that Jesus’
compassion is not actualized in his own activity but in the suggestion that
others must become involved.[3] After writing about his
compassion for the crowd, Matthew recorded that Jesus “said to his
disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray
earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’”
(10:37-38).
Up to this point
Jesus had been the sole missionary. In chapter ten he made his disciples
partners in his work. The command to pray for laborers seems a bit out of
place, since he is about to send out the Twelve. But, by placing the saying
here, Matthew is concerned primarily not for the context of the story, but the
significance of this prayer for his readers. Readers of Matthew – then and now,
1st-century Jewish Christians and 21st-century Christians
of every denomination – are challenged to pray that the work delegated by Jesus
to his followers may involve more and more of those who acknowledge him as
Lord. Now, before I move to my next point, a question: When is the last time
you personally prayed to get more involved in the work of Jesus Christ and His
Church? If it has been a while, take time today and pray to God for guidance to
lead you deeper into Christ and His Church.
My third point,
Call. Though we use the word, call, to shout, it is also a command or request
to come. I trained Travis and Maggie to come to me when I call them, and they
do. During this service, I will call you to the altar to receive the Lord’s
Supper. Sometimes, we don’t even use our voices to call people; we use a bugle,
a whistle, a fire siren or a church bell. Interiorly, a call is a divine or strong
prompting to a particular course of action.
Often, it is God or Christ who calls.
When Joseph rose from his sleep and took Jesus and Mary and departed to
Egypt until the death of Herod, this fulfilled what the Lord had spoken by the
prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Mt 2:14-15). Jesus called James
and John away from their father and their fishing boats. He called people to
repentance when he said to the Pharisees, Go and learn what this means:
‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners” (Mt 9:13).
In writing to the Romans, Paul wrote,
“Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he
also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (8:30). He
reminded the Corinthians that they were “were called into the fellowship
of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor 1:9). He was astonished that
the Galatians so quickly deserted “him who called you in the grace of
Christ and are turning to a different gospel” (1:6). And that their
call to freedom was not an opportunity for the flesh, but to serve one another
through love (5:13).
By the time the
reader of Matthew reaches chapter ten, he is already familiar with the names of
the apostles. They are called by the Lord to be Jesus for others through their
teaching, proclaiming and healing. And, as he always ties Christology to
ecclesiology – or his understanding of Christ to his understanding of Church –
Matthew reminds his audience that “Not only is the mission of the disciples the
same as that of Jesus; their mission has the same serious consequences for
others.”[4]
The Apostles
played a unique role in salvation history. The reign of God in Jesus had broken
into history, fulfilled the Old Testament promises to Israel, and saved all in
faith to follow Jesus as his disciples. God did a new thing in Jesus, and as He
shepherded God’s people and gathered the lost sheep of Israel back to himself
through Christ and the Apostles, He reconstituted the true Israel.
While the apostles
were to give absolute priority to those villages where there were Jewish
settlements familiar with the Messianic message, we know that their mission –
as well as the Church’s – would continue after the resurrection to the entire
world.
Having told how Jesus
saw his own work, he also showed how that work was to continue in the future through
the Church. Whenever the Apostles exercised their ministry, it was empowered by
Jesus, shaped like His, and centered in the message about the reign of heaven.
So, it would be for the Church.[5] When they taught, preached
or healed, they were empowered by the Spirit of the Father working in them.
Such was their call.
So, there you have it – an
understanding of context, compassion and call in today’s Gospel. But I would be
remiss if I sent you from here with only an understanding and not a challenge
to put understanding into practice. Therefore, I ask: What does this all have
to do with us? What is our call? How do we practice compassion? In what context
do we live both?
As Christians, we
live in the world, but as St. John reminds us, we do not belong to the world.
In the early Church, Jews and gentiles abandoned their former lives and
lifestyles and embraced Christianity when faced with choosing professions and
political parties or their faith in Jesus as Lord and Master. Soldiers and
politicians who pledged loyalty to the Roman emperor as a god resigned their
posts to follow Christ and His teachings, to embrace the Trinity and Church.
Others, heeding the words of Jesus, put relationship with fellow disciples
before family and friends. As the Evangelists remind us, “Stretching out
his hand toward his disciples, [Jesus] said, ‘Here are my mother and my
brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and
sister and mother’” (Mt 12:49-50). And “You are my friends if you
do what I command you” (Jn 15:14).
Our call is to make
our relationship with Christ and Church first. That does not mean that you
neglect your family. Your family is part of the Church. Whether or not they
attend is another matter – a serious one if they do not, but another matter for
another day. My relationship is not only with Jesus as personal Lord and
Savior, but with Church. From our congregational meeting last Sunday, I see
that this is a church that values people’s lives beyond our walls. The Blessing
Cupboard and your desire to serve together and work together demonstrate the
compassion of Jesus. As a Synod, we value human life at all stages and uphold traditional
marriage while other denominations have abandoned divine law.
As church members,
as community members, as responsible citizens and parents and grandparents, we
know that many people in our world are lost sheep following the calls of
movements that advocate destruction and death rather than respect and reverence
for God, human life, humanity and creation. As people of Law and Gospel, we
know well that “the wage of sin is death, but [more importantly] the free
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23).
Friends, our call
is to be Christ for others and pray to the Harvest Master to send our Church
and world more men and women with compassionate hearts to be pastors and
teachers so that within the context of their worlds, we all might draw all
people closer to Christ as Lord and God. May our embrace of the Gospel be
evident in our compassionate teaching of others seeking answers, justice and
happiness. When you do that, may the peace of God that surpasses all
understanding keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
