june 13-14

Matthew'

Jesus' proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom by teaching people, healing them and casting out Satan. He combats ignorance of God and misunderstanding of His will, and the human brokenness caused by sin. Jesus attacks the spiritual forces at work within us. The human condition evokes compassion from Jesus. He sees them as "harassed and helpless." It could be paraphrased as “mangled and thrown away.”

That crowd of people was angry about Roman oppression. The Jews often rioted and were considered unruly by the Emperor. Jesus warned them to choose another way. He told them that, because they failed to embrace Him as Messiah, the Temple would be destroyed and people would flee for their lives. [Mt 23:37—24:44]. In 70 A.D., Rome destroyed the Temple and the surviving Jews lost their land.

We often see the compassion of Jesus. He is deeply moved because He thinks of them as sheep without a shepherd. When He sends out the apostles, He will call them lost sheep. Yet He also warns His disciples that they will go out as sheep among wolves. We do well to recall that a crowd will demand He is crucified [Mt 27:15--26]. Crowds are notoriously unstable. In large groups, people are prone to scapegoating and mindless violence.

Jesus still sends His church out to heal, exorcise and teach in His name. Proclaiming the Gospel—the Kingship of God and the need to have a new mind and reformed heart—is our duty bound, even if we will often fail. Judgement Day is coming, but not in our life time. We are to be sheep among wolves. We are destined to be taken before their tribunals, betrayed by those nearest and dearest to us. In the last month, I have come to see that it could be soon.

It is hard to see the world as a harvest field, to care more about their needs and brokenness than we do our own safety. Self- preservation is a powerful passion at work in my sinful soul. We seek a group identity for protection, rather than the ministry of Jesus which embraces everyone. Too often we are shaped more by our politics than our faith. I often hear erudite opinions about societal issues, but they rarely include an adequate grasp of the church’s mission. To be clear: My own failure to grasp the fullness of Jesus’ teachings and to live in accordance with His words weighs more heavily upon me each day.

It hard to look at the crowds and see lost sheep in need of love and healing. It is hard to be a shepherd when the need is so great.

It is also hard to be a sheep walking among the wolves. It is hard to love those who would gladly devour us with their sharp teeth.

Our destiny is to be hated by all because of Jesus’ name. Our duty is to love all in Jesus’ name. He is with to the end.