Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he 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 field” (NIV).
Jesus has called all of His disciples to be ministers. Since Jesus is our example and our strength, we need to see what He did.
First, Jesus taught. One example of His teaching is found in what is now termed “The Sermon on the Mount.”
And Jesus commands us to continue teaching about Him, which He clearly stated in what we now term the Great Commission, which was given after He was resurrected. Now some have the gift for public teaching, as Timothy did. Those of us with that gift should be encouraged as Timothy was encouraged in I Timothy 4:13-14. I love teaching.
Now some do not have a gift for public or formal teaching. Yet most people “teach” a person or people in some manner. Parents teach their children. Even if parents do not methodically teach children lessons for life, just by their own behavior they are teaching. Children learn much from the actions of their parents.
Christians teach their co-workers by their behavior. After I became a Christian, I slowly learned that co-workers were noticing my actions, and how I lived a different life than others. I realized I had an added responsibility in my daily life. Most of us have opportunities to teach people about Jesus by our daily behavior, as is detailed in I Timothy 4:12.
Second, Jesus preached “the good news of the kingdom.”
And disciples with the gift of preaching should preach. Jesus instructed His disciples to go and preach, as recorded in Matthew 10:7 and Mark 3:14. Timothy was likewise encouraged to preach as recorded in I Timothy 4:13-14. Now a large number of churches restrict preaching to a tiny group of academic elites. This is not biblical in my view. Now ministry preparation is needed. For example, my preaching class at CCU was one of my best classes among many great classes at CCU. Yet successful preaching is a result of a lifetime commitment to learning from Jesus! If you are called to preach, you must work hard just to get the opportunity to preach in America, and then you will need to engage in the hard work of preparing and presenting sermons. Yet fruit will result.
Third, Jesus physically healed people, as is stated in this passage and is shown throughout the first four books of the New Testament.
Physical healing was also an apostolic calling, which is recorded in Matthew 10:1 and 10:8. Yet I advocate the call from Jesus for the apostles to physically heal people of diseases and to even raise people from the dead was specific to the apostolic age. Yet the Holy Spirit can still assist with physical healing in unique ways and within unique circumstances. This is aside from a spiritual gift of a person, and aside from diligent church attendance.
In this day and age, healing for the soul is a daily work of the Holy Spirit. In the summer of 1998, I attended my third Promise Keepers event at the basketball stadium in Denver. Near the conclusion of a full day of preachers on Saturday, Coach Bill McCartney preached. Then he called people who needed healing to come down to the “floor” of the arena. Then he called pastors to come down to pray with the people who needed healing. One sentence of Coach McCartney stuck with me. He said, “God can heal a broken heart.” That is the work of the Lord God Almighty right here and now. Jesus is the One who did miracles to physically heal people when He ministered here on earth. And Jesus is the One who can do miracles to bring spiritual healing to all those who have faith in Him since His resurrection. We disciples of Jesus need to keep encouraging people to turn to the Healer of our hearts.
Having set the standard, Jesus makes a statement to His disciples: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few….” This applies today! I have long found ministry positions to be few and far between. I consider ministry work to be one of the most challenging careers to enter. Yet Jesus is not referring to open positions in Christian institutions at any given time. Jesus is referring to the field of the human race. For example, how many people in your neighborhood have received Jesus as his or her Savior and Lord?
God’s plan of salvation was the sacrificial atonement of Jesus on the cross. All of us people have sinned, thus all of us people deserved the resulting punishment of spiritual death. Yet Jesus took our sins upon Himself on the cross, and suffered the resulting punishment of those sins, dying physically and spiritually. Now God’s plan continues as He calls disciples of Jesus to tell the good news of Christ’s atonement. We Christians are called to proclaim the good news now! The role of each Christian will vary according to her or his gift. Yet God is calling all of His disciples to be ministers!
Scripture makes it clear there is a special calling and office of church ministers, as is described in places such as I Timothy 3:1-13. Yet all followers of Jesus are members of the royal priesthood stated in I Peter 2:9, and all followers of Jesus are called to contribute to carrying out the “Great Commission” in a manner fitting for each individual.
Loving ministers for Jesus are needed. I will refrain from telling some stories from some experiences I had this summer which illustrate the moral disaster taking place in our society. You may have your own stories from this summer.
Amidst this moral disaster, Jesus has compassion. Called by the Father to minister to the Israelites for three years in this world, Jesus had compassion for them. His compassion continues for everyone. Jesus wants you to love people. Jesus wants you to use your gifts to proclaim the good news of His atoning death on the cross. Jesus wants you to be a minister for Him.
Hunter Irvine
