The Compassion of Jesus Moves the Ministry

+ In the Name of Jesus +
The Compassion of Jesus Moves the Ministry
Sermon on Matthew 9:35—10:8
for Pentecost 3 (Proper 6)
June 15-19, 2023

1. Here at St. Stephen’s, we have been thinking very intently about ministry for several months. In February we called for a teacher to replace Miss Geiger. In March and April, Pastor and Mrs. Dorn were deliberating their calls. We called for a pastor to replace Pastor Dorn at the end of April, we will be calling again in Sunday’s voters’ meeting. Two weeks ago we celebrated the teaching ministries of Miss Geiger and Miss Hensler as they retire, and last week we celebrated the preaching and teaching ministries of Pastor and Mrs. Dorn. And in our area, Pastor Bryan Prell will be installed Sunday afternoon as the new pastor at St. John’s in Fox Lake, and next Sunday Pastor Nicholas Mount will be installed as the new pastor at St. John’s in Juneau.
2. What is this “ministry”? The most basic understanding of ministry is this—the message is the ministry. The word “ministry” is often connected with the word “gospel” as in “gospel ministry” or “ministry of the gospel.” The message of the gospel does its own work. Jesus talked about this in many parables. The Word is spread like seed in a field. All by itself the seed grows. (Mark 4:26-29)[1] In Romans 1 St. Paul called the gospel “the power of God that saves” (Romans 1:16-17).
3. And this is the message: God loves you. God wants you. God calls you. God values you. God has rescued you by sending Jesus Christ to be your Savior. He has cleansed you and forgiven you by Jesus’ sacrifice. He wants you to turn from selfish things and self-destructive things and turn to him and walk with him, because he has so many better things for you. In today’s reading we heard that gospel message connected to the word “kingdom.” That means “God wants to rule in your hearts. He wants you to be his. He wants to guide you, heal you, bless you.” That was the ministry and message of John the Baptist, “Repent because he kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). It was the starting point for Jesus’ preaching. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom.” It was Jesus’ instruction to his disciples: “Proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’”  God wants you.
4. So, this gospel ministry, this work that the gospel does by itself, is something that has touched every Christian. It is how the Holy Spirit calls us, enlightens us, sanctifies and strengthens us. It gives us value when we feel worthless. It gives us pardon and forgiveness when we feel lost and failed. “Those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). And this gospel does its ministry through Christian people. When one Christian friend encourages another with the gospel of Jesus—that is gospel ministry. When a Christian parent tells a Bible story to a child or teaches a child to pray—that is gospel ministry. The Word is doing its work.
5. Then there are the ministers. That’s what we think of first when we think about ministry. But without the message there would be no ministry. Groups of Christians, congregations, church bodies or synods, and other Christian organizations get together and call individuals to serve us with that gospel. That is public ministry. After services on Sunday we will extend a call to public ministry, someone called to serve us with the gospel, to lead us in worship, to proclaim the word to us, to teach the word to us, to bring the word to us when we are sick, when we are sad, when we are troubled.
6. In today’s reading we saw Jesus call his twelve disciples, and a verse later, Matthew calls them twelve apostles. That means they went from being disciples or learners to being apostles, that means messengers, preachers, teachers, literally, people who are sent out. That was a call to public ministry. For the original Twelve, it was a call to do what Jesus was doing. At the beginning, middle and end of todays reading we see it. Jesus was teaching, proclaiming, healing, then he called the twelve and gave them authority to do the same thing, and then he sent them out and told them to proclaim, heal, and do the same things he was doing.
7. Jesus once told his disciples, “Whoever listens to you listens to me.” (Luke 10:16). What we say at the end of a reading is not just a liturgical response. It’s the proclamation of a truth. I’d call it our shortest creed. “The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.” It’s not the Word of Heyer or Stratman or Dorn. It’s the Word of the Lord. The Gospel of the Lord. When we prepare a sermon or a Bible study or a catechism lesson, we do should do it with that in mind. We’re not here to do our own thing. The ministry is not first connected to the minister but to the message. Jesus said, “Where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am among them.” So when we gather in a worship service of dozens or hundreds, or in a hospital room with just one—the goal is the same—to bring Jesus to people… to bring Jesus by bringing his Word… to connect people to Jesus also with the waters of baptism and his body and blood in the supper. We begin most of our services “In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.” That is a reminder of our baptism. It should also be a reminder that we are not here to do what we please. We are here in God’s name to hear his Word and do his work.
8. What was Jesus’ reason or motivation for this? For calling disciples, for sending apostles, for creating this ministry and message. It was his compassion. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” The twelve were a perfect example of that. There was Simon the Zealot—Zealots were terrorists who threw bricks, started fires, started riots to protest the Romans—terrorists. There was Matthew the tax collector, an agent for the Romans, someone who cheated and fleeced his countrymen. There was Peter—while he was with Jesus, he was really a work in progress. Sometimes bold. Sometimes bumbling. Sometimes afraid and ashamed to be a disciple. Before they encountered Jesus, they were like sheep without a shepherd, going with the flow of the world. Living for self. Hurting and being hurtful to others. Their faults did not stop Jesus form calling them with the gospel, enlightening them, working a change in their hearts with that gospel, and then calling them to service. His compassion moved him to make the unworthy worthy. He empowers the weak. He renews his holy image in us. That is the ministry of the gospel—the work the message does. That’s the same gospel that has touched you and me.

Amen.

Matthew 9:35—10:8

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:

“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

[1] Augsburg Confession, Article V. That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ’s sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake.