January 29, 2016
YOU'RE HIRED!
Matthew 9:18–38
John Holcomb
Central Truth
God calls us to be obedient, to have faith, to trust Him, and to do His work!
Key Verse | Matthew 9:37
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." (Matthew 9:37)
Matthew 9:18–38
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly 1 9:22 Greek from that hour the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak
32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 9:18–38
As you previously read in Matthew 9:12 (NIV): “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Jesus is our great physician!
He continues to heal those who come to him in faith. He heals a sick woman, a dead girl, two blind men, and then later a mute man. Why did He do all of this? He did it because of their faith. Two blind men approach Jesus asking for Him to have mercy on them. Jesus asked them “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They replied, “Yes, Lord.” He then touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith be it done to you.” (Matthew 9:27-29) They believed and trusted in God.
Where do you stand? Do you believe that God is able to heal you from all your pain and sins? If so, He is calling you to work for Him. Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 9:37: “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” Jesus doesn’t say that the believers are few, or that the disciples are few, or that the worshipers are few. He says that the workers are few. He doesn’t say that we need more worship services, more sermons to preach, more songs to sing, more money to invest, and more opportunities to seize. Instead, He says, “The workers are few.”
We are called to work out our salvation rather than just being a consumer. Are you willing to be employed by God to do His work? If so, come jump in! Serve. Love your neighbor. Have faith. Trust God. Be healed. And work hard.
Check out the job posting from Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney:
Wanted: Gifted volunteers for difficult service in the local expression of the kingdom of God. Motivation to serve should be obedience to God, gratitude, gladness, forgiveness, humility, and love. Service will rarely be glorious. Temptation to quit place of service will sometimes be strong. Volunteers must be faithful in spite of long hours, little or no visible results, and possibly no recognition—except from God for all eternity.
Discussion Questions
1. What is holding you back from working hard for God?
2. Two thousand years ago, the world was changed forever by just twelve men. If you took your faith to the next level, what could God do with you?
3. What people do you have in your life that you need to share your faith with?