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Jesus' Compassion For the Dying Crowd and You
By Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow
(Preached at Life BPC, 10.30 am service, 1 July 2001)
Text: Matt 9:18-38
Jesus’ life on earth was always crammed from morning to night.
Before he could finish teaching the parable of old bottles and new
bottles, there came Jairus, a synagogue officer, to Jesus pleading
with him to raise his 12-year-old daughter who had just died.
On his way to Jairus’ house, great crowds followed Him. In the
crush, a woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years touched his
garment, and was instantaneously healed. Then came the mighty
miracle of Jairus’ daughter rising from the dead.
As soon as Jesus came out of the house, two blind men begged Him to
open their eyes, and their eyes were immediately opened. No sooner
had this happened than a man, possessed by a dumb devil, had his
mouth opened and he began to speak. All the people marvelled and
gave glory to God, but the Pharisees maligned our Lord that He cast
out devils by the prince of devils.
Sickness, including the mental and spiritual, with possession by the
evil spirit, and finally death are the lot of mankind fallen into
sin, and our Lord is ever ready to give help and relief to all who
come humbly to Him.
What lesson do we learn from Jesus’ healing ministry? The Church
should also have such a ministry of mercy, especially in the mission
field, like Cambodia and Indonesia, where medical services are few.
The two medical missions we sent to Cambodia whereby a total of
2,500 were treated brought relief to the sufferers and glory to God.
The one we sent to Batam not too long ago is going to be repeated
today, when 10 doctors, nurses and dental surgeons are taking part,
is in line with Jesus’ work of mercy. The difference is whereas
Jesus can cure all, our medical teams cannot. We cannot raise the
dead nor cast out devils, nor open the eyes of the blind. Yet God is
pleased with healing such diseases as are curable by the latest
methods.
In Singapore there is no necessity of running a clinic or operating
a hospital, for here they are available from the Government or from
private practitioners. But here come the Charismatics who claim they
can open blind eyes and cause the ones born lame to walk. They
believe that the miraculous powers given to the Apostles are given
to them today. Deceiving others and deceiving themselves they make
the situation worse. In Cambodia a certain American faith healer who
could do nothing in a so-called miracle healing campaign, was chased
out of the country. He could have been lynched by the crowd. When
will the Charismatics learn?
While Jesus had full compassion on the physically sick, his main
ministry was to heal rather our souls’ diseases. In Mark 1:37-39 it
is recorded, "And when they had found him, they said unto him, All
men seek for thee. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next
towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. And
he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out
devils."
In Matthew’s account it is recorded, "And Jesus went about all the
cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the
gospel of the kingdom (first), and healing every sickness and every
disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was
moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were
scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto
his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are
few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send
forth labourers into his harvest."
That Jesus was moved with compassion on them refers not to our
Lord’s concern for these people’s physical illness but rather for
their lost condition, the need of their souls’ salvation. They were
like lost sheep, fainting and scattered about with no shepherd to
deliver them.
Today as you watch the crowds pouring out of an MRT station, do you
not see the anxiety on their faces, going to work, struggling for a
living, for survival? Of the minority of Christians who may look
composed, the rest are without God and without hope in the world.
Who will go and bring them to the Great Shepherd of the sheep, our
Lord Jesus Christ?
Here is a great harvest of souls, but labourers are few. So we are
to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth labourers into
the harvest. In Chapter 10 the labourers to be sent into the harvest
field are the Twelve Apostles, fully equipped. To think these are
the only ones to be sent is totally wrong!
How can Twelve Apostles do the job? How can three pastors in Life
Church take care of 1,700 members? Jesus in Luke 10 appointed other
seventy also. So as you pray you yourself may feel the call. You
need not be high theologians to tell the simple message of salvation
to every hearer. This was how the China Inland Mission could send
part of seven to eight thousand missionaries to all China to
expedite the Gospel in 1927. Many women, strong believers with a
passion for souls, were sent.
Labourers to the plenteous harvest fields of the world are you! We
need the trained ones like the apostles and pastors. But we need the
seventy lay people, two by two to go before the Lord. We need
volunteers to go and help the missionaries in Cambodia. We need
Sunday school teachers who go to Kuantan and thank God we have young
ladies who go. We need those who go with pastors on mission trips
and follow up with whatever they can contribute. We need retirees
who, instead of sitting at home, can also come and be involved.
Elder Leong Yin Chu, an inspector of schools, who retired with his
wife in 1982, has been serving in the field for nearly 20 years now.
He urges you who are like him, to join him as a labourer in the
harvest field.
The labourers are not apostles and pastors only, but you! And you
who have compassion on the lost souls.
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