MISSION MOTIVATOR: JESUS COMPASSIONATE HEART (MATTHEW 9) By Dr. Lemuel Musa

Compassion is the nature of God who is the mission sender that is why He so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son (John 3:16). It is because of this His great love that we are not consumed and his compassion never fail, but is new every morning great is His faithfulness (Lam. 3:22 – 23). Therefore, we need to show this compassion by teaming up with the Lord of the harvest through praying for missions and evangelism, sending labourers to the harvest field, giving our resources as we release them and going into missions compassionately like the Lord to harvest souls into the kingdom of God in this final task. Matthew chapter 9 unveil Jesus missionary movement and outreaches across all the villages and cities demonstrating his compassion for the people that were harassed and wounded in their hearts through his preaching, teachings, healings, miracles and deliverances ministration.

In verses 1 and 2, Jesus did not only heal the paralytic, but was moved with pity and sympathy to also forgive his sin. This is because the man was held stationary in life and sin, and need to be set free. It takes compassionate heart to see how sin and corruption have paralysed people today and kept them still in bondage and not able to move forward into their God given mandate and purpose.

Verses 9 to 13 presented Jesus dinner with Matthew the Tax Collector. This was a man that the people do not want to associate with in the community, but call them sinners. Today in your community are the under-reached prostitutes, drug addicts, destitute, Almajiris, child traffickers, rapist, armed robbers, armed bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram and the cannibals. Yet, the heart broken Jesus identified with such in his time on earth as a missionary sent by his Father not to call the righteous but sinners who are isolated and need to be free to relate with the Lord of the harvest of all nations (v. 13).

The pity and sympathy of Jesus caused him to be deeply moved (18 -26) to the house of the ruler whose daughter was dead to be brought back to life. Compassion does not write off the dead cases of people who are not saved, but moves us to address the issues and the need for new life in Christ. It is God’s promise to father Abraham that all nations must be represented in heaven (Rev. 7:9). Therefore, Jesus is waiting and asking for prayer to send compassionate likeminded men with the heart of Jesus pity and sympathy to go and rescue these dead ones in sin and offer them eternal life in Christ Jesus. Jesus on his way was interrupted by the quiet touch from the woman with 12 years bleeding case (v. 20 – 22). This has deprived this daughter of Abraham from enjoying public life for fear of shame. She could not attend naming ceremonies, birthdays, weddings and fellowships. Therefore, compassionate Jesus identified with her publicly, though she quietly touched his clothe for fear of shame and not to be known and disgraced. His identifying with her openly, gave her a new life full of grace in the public domain. No wonder, Matthew reported in verse 22c (KJV) that, “And the woman was made whole from that hour”.

In verses 32 to 34, we see the compassionate (pity and sympathising) Jesus could not let go those possessed by demons (evil spirits) and depriving them of expression. Many have been kept mute and in bondage by evil spirits and we need heart of compassion to deliver them from being mute, suicide, drug addiction, rapping, kidnapping, cannibalism, witch craft, prostitution, and other vices. You can pray, give and reach them as your mission field in your community, even when you may not be called to go cross culturally.

Your movement into action by heart of mercy will result in amazement and praise to God by many (vs. 8, 33), despite the negative reaction of the Pharisees and teachers of the law (vs. 3, 34). We should expect oppositions, persecutions and killings, if the kingdom of God is to advance and not let the gates of hell prevail against it. We must lay our lives daily on the altar as living sacrifices and as our act of reasonable service to God, and do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transform by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1 - 2). For the Lord’s compassion never fail but is new every morning to strengthen us face the challenge of reaching the lost and finishing the task of the harvest.

The gospel written by Matthew in chapter 9 verses 35 and 36 pointed out that it was because of compassion that Jesus went through all the cities and villages not turning down the Kanuris, Hausas, Fulanis, Boko Haram, Terrorists, Child traffickers, Kidnappers, Arm bandits and others. But was willing to preach, teach, heal the sick and deliver the oppress and possess by evil spirits. Yet, the masses (crowds) were after him because of his compassionate heart that can see their rotten state by sin, evil, corruption, religion, culture and Satanism; which led them into harassed and helpless life without shepherd to guide them. It takes the compassionate heart of Jesus planted in you to asking (pray) the Lord of the harvest to send missionaries to our villages, cities where the unreached and under-reach souls are found. Is your church praying, sending young men, giving resources for the labourers (missionaries) into the harvest field to finish the task?

One requirement for the happenings in all the villages and cities that Jesus went to was faith (2, 22 and 29). Faith comes by hearing the word of God, which requires someone preaching it, and the preacher, evangelists and missionaries have to be sent by the Lord and his church along with our prayers, finances and other resources (Rom. 10:14 – 17). In the midst of the evils, confusion and problems, the compassionate heart of Jesus sees opportunities for the gospel, the salvation of lives and deliverance from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God and light. You are God’s missionary to your community or the cross culture that will show the compassionate heart of Jesus in finishing the Lord’s Harvest task of reaching all the nations with the gospel of the kingdom of God.