Yonsei University Church 6.14.2020(명지전문대 Lee, Seong-moon) 

Title: The Work and Compassion of the Lord

Scripture: Matthew 9 : 35 – 10 : 4

In Matthew 9:35, there are three major ministries that Jesus focused on during public life. Let's read it together. Let's read it together. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”

That's the ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing that we know very well.

For this ministry, Jesus went “through.” Because if you go around, you can see what you need. We can see that Jesus wanted to know the needs of the people, and that he visited wherever he needed them.

We are living in the COVID-19 era. What is needed for those who live in this era that requires uncontacting such as social distance and life distance? What kind of place did Jesus go to in these times?

The terms untact and uncontact are commonly used, but some people find contactless to be more grammatical. For convenience, we will use the term ‘uncontact.’

It can be said that it is more necessary to communicate the uncontact trend in order to keep the contact safely in the era of pandemic. Telecommuting, online shopping and distance education, unmanned merchandising, video streaming, factory automation such as smart factories are in progress, and churches are also conducting online worship services.

I am requesting a connection, but I am making an uneasy face-to-face contact.

An online market has recently expanded to 120 trillion won since coronavirus broke out. I think our Korean society has a culture of high-ranking persons’ gathering together at work and having long-lasting meetings.

But now, the stories of people who have a lot of accurate knowledge beyond their ranks are being transformed into a conference culture.

Voluntary isolation, as Alvin Toffler had earlier predicted, the era of telecommuting, office-free, and experience have confirmed that telecommuting is more efficient. Telecommuting jobs are expanded mainly to large companies, and manufacturing industries are being automated because telecommuting is difficult.

Factory automation, logistics automation, and business automation. With this series of automation and onlineization, there are neighbors who are exposed to difficulties due to labor alienation. We need to seriously consider these people.

For example, Amazon injected 800 billion dollars to help them get a license in a situation where automation forced them to reduce the number of workers, helping them find new jobs voluntarily.

Experts say that large discount stores of large companies will be closed due to early morning delivery and one-day delivery, laundry will also be delivered early in the morning, cyber universities will have a greater advantage in content than ordinary universities, and in an era when offline authority collapses, only "content" will remain when authority disappears.

As the environment changes, in an era when talented people are recognized, authority and loyalty disappear and only "skill" remains.

There are also movements aimed at securing the realm of cash use, with consumers adapting to a digital non-face-to-face environment, uncontact divide (uncontact gap), and marginalized groups struggling in a cashless society. Since the future has no choice but to go in this direction, there is also a recommendation that the state should make efforts to bridge the gap between the elderly and especially the rural areas where many elderly people live.

The fourth industrial revolution, autonomous driving, climate change, common infectious diseases, mosquito habitat expansion, and malaria deaths are more common than corona deaths. Problems caused by globalization, urbanization, etc.,

Non-face-to-face payment for 5 months, development, selection, and selection based on developed results, all appearances, races, and educational backgrounds that have been valued in the past are blindly selected

Accepting these changes can overcome them. It is often said that "crisis is an opportunity," but a crisis is not an opportunity, but a crisis is a crisis. Crisis becomes an opportunity only for those who are prepared (Kim Yong-seop, 『Uncontact』).

The social quarantine system has to help not only the virus but also the areas of depression and unemployment, so we are living in an era where the construction of a quarantine system is required in solidarity and consideration.

In today's scripture, it is said that, "Jesus went through all the towns and villages" It is very interesting to note that Jesus went to not only all cities but also local villages. In an era when traffic was not advanced, in order to carry out the ministry most efficiently, one should focus on cities and provinces where many people congregate or come and go, but Jesus considered all the places in the provinces and countryside together. It is worth noting that Jesus visited not only the city but also the local villages.

Several Jewish synagogues were also places where people felt as they needed something. It was also a meeting place for those who wanted to learn the law, so they taught there and proclaimed the gospel. In addition, there were those who gathered with physical illness and spiritual pain. Here, Jesus healed their diseases and all their pains.

In the case of Yonsei University, if Yonsei University and chaplain are responsible for the preaching, Yonsei University is in charge of teaching, and Severance and Counseling Center are in charge of healing. From this point of view, Yonsei University, a school corporation, is the most leading and exemplary institution that practices Jesus' three major ministries.

In order for this ministry to be possible, there are spaces and systems that need to be prepared. These are the workers who have a heart that 'empathizes' the crowd. As the spiritual theologian Henry J.M. Nouwen introduced in his book, Compassion, “The English word for ‘compassion' is derived from the Latin 'pati' and 'cum'. Combining these two words means ‘to suffer together’. Compassion urges us to go to the place where the wound is, go into the place where the pain is, and share the broken pain and fear, chaos and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry with those who are in misery, to mourn with lonely people, and to cry with tears. Compassion requires us to be with those who are vulnerable and weak.

In Matthew 9:36, Matthew said, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus looked upon the crowd and showed mercy, “compassion” (Matthew 9:36). This is a rather unique part. Jesus was surrounded by a group of followers, but he had no words of pity so far. But now Jesus began to look at the crowds from a new perspective. Because they saw them, like the Israelites of the Old Testament, “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (9:36).

It is no wonder that Jesus conducted a compassionate ministry to Israel of his day, and that he was compassionate towards Israel that had no leader. Not only did Jesus describe the Israelites as sheep without a shepherd, he said that the time of harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (9:37).

The parable's parable reflects God's compassionate heart toward the Israelites. God did not leave the Israelites without shepherds. In fact, God became a good and merciful shepherd (cf. Psalm 23). Likewise, Jesus is the one who does God's will and is a merciful shepherd for Israel without a shepherd (cf. 2:6; 25:32; 26:31). Likewise, His disciples (and the church) were also given the work of compassion and a compassionate shepherd.

You can see in the Romans that not only Matthew but also the Apostle Paul captured that Jesus had a compassionate heart.

As can be seen in Romans 5:1-8, in verse 6, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” You can see that Christ Jesus showed mercy for the weak and ungodly. 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In other words, Christ's death, which proved God's great love to die for us when we were sinners, is the best example of compassion.

Then, how can we have Jesus' compassionate heart and compassionate ministry? Romans 5:5 provides the answer.

In chapter 5, verse 5, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” We can see that God must pour out His love into our hearts. The point is that we cannot have agape love, unconditional love, and dedicated love on our own. This love is possible only when God pours on us.

As to how we can have God's love, the Apostle Paul saw that God pours out His “loving heart, the compassionate heart,” through the Holy Spirit.

On the second Sunday after the Advent, we can see how important and desperate the work of the Holy Spirit is to us.

As Jesus resurrected two thousand years ago, he did not leave Jerusalem, but waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Through the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, we can see that the work of the Holy Spirit is not only necessary in the early church, but also in the 21st century.

Through the Holy Spirit, we can see that when we have the heart of God's love and compassion, we can become harvest workers who go to the harvest field.

The parable of the worker in Chapter 9:37 indicates that this is a pressing task. Let's read verse 37 together. So he said to his disciples.”the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." We can't afford to waste time when the harvest is imminent—the harvester must appear on the field of the harvest without delay, Jesus saw the crowds and saw them as those who should soon harvest.

We needed a lot of workers to harvest them. So Jesus said to his disciples, "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."(9:38). Jesus said this to his disciples. This is a ministry that can no longer be delayed. We can't afford to delay the church or our Christians going to get stronger, richer, and more trained. Because the time of harvest is imminent. Now workers have to “go out to the field to harvest.” (Thomas Long, 140-141).

Jesus is first asking the disciples and the crowd to pray for the harvest workers to be sent in the prayer request.

“When a human reaches the limit of their power, God intervenes and tries to do his great work. Therefore, the disciples, too, are not supposed to serve themselves, but are asked to pray. Humans cannot create new things they need. God alone chooses his worker. Therefore, prayer is needed.” (E. Schweitzer, Gospel of Matthew, 247).

The psalmist also said in verses 116 and 1-2, “I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” You can see the confession. We must be confident and pray that there is a Lord who listens to our prayers. As in Genesis 18, Abraham foretold the three men who manifested themselves in the midst of the daylight at the side of Mamre's oak tree and would have a son to Sarah, who is already menopause and will have a child. “Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.” You can see that Sarah is pregnant and has a son Isaac. We must remember that God is always listening to our prayers yesterday and today, and that we are waiting for and fulfilling our prayers.

Furthermore, Jesus calls the crowds and disciples not only to pray, but to become workers to harvest now. This Jesus prays for us to send the harvesters of this era to the harvest field today, and at the same time, Jesus is inviting us to be the workers. In Matthew 10:1 and below, which is the scripture of the day, we can see Jesus raising his twelve disciples as workers to harvest.

Matthew 10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

The purpose of raising the twelve disciples as workers to harvest is clear. It is to make them succeed the ministry of Jesus so that they can now take care of healing and ministry. You can see Jesus empowering his disciples to cast out demons and heal every kind of sickness and every weakness. Though not read together, in 10:7, the disciples were given the mission of preaching the Gospel, "The kingdom of heaven has come near.’" and in verse 8, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.“ Healing is also part of their mission. But the Lord's special request to the twelve disciples was, "Freely you have received; freely give." This is a part of reminding us that when we perform the preaching and healing ministry, it is done by God's grace, not human effort.

From today onwards, we wish to deeply ponder and advance where harvest fields are in the uncontact age and how we should live as harvest workers.

It becomes evident that the disciples themselves were the answer to the prayer that Jesus asked his disciples to pray, “send out workers into his harvest field.”(9:38). Jesus called them and gave them the power to drive out impure spirits and heal every disease and sickness (10:1). According to the list of twelve disciples, “both the one who hated Rome and the Roman courtier Matthew became disciples of Jesus. Jesus' new community embraced and transcended all the conflicts in the old Israeli community” (John Meier, Matthew). In this way, Ih hope that we Christians will be able to embrace everyone.

Matthew makes it clear that he believes that Jesus and his disciples were limited to “the house of Israel” in their lifetime. For example, unlike John's Gospel (see John 4:7-42), Jesus urges not to go to not only Gentiles, but also 'Samaritans' when sending twelve disciples in Matthew 10 (Matthew 10:5-6). Other Gospels do not have this restriction. Matthew uses the word “foreigner” only to mean “outsider,” including “Judas,” who were kicked out of being members of the church community (18:17). Even when Matthew wrote this Gospel, it was clear that his church included Gentiles. (Dale B. Martin, Reading the New Testament: History and Literature, 179).

Lord, who called us vulnerable and lacking in the hardships and pains of the world to be harvesters of this age, just as He used to gather the crowds and twelve disciples 2,000 years ago to harvest. Use us as a holy tool for you on this earth, the field of harvesting, where we are still hesitant. I pray in the name of the precious Jesus Christ. Amen.