Desperation

Matt 9:18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. 23 When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land. 27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" 28 And when He had come into 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 let it be to you." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it." 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!" 34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons." 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

It is said it doesn’t matter how you come to Jesus – only come. All must.

Have you come to Jesus? How did you come?

If you were to ask those who came to Jesus in Matthew 9, all would say they were incredibly desperate for Christ. (Not the man Jesus – but the Messiah, The Christ.)

In our day, we often find ourselves attracted by the smoothness of the speech, or the attractiveness of the building, or the multiplicity of the programs, or the youth ministry, or the music, or the friendship and fellowship of like-minded people.

But perhaps this explains why fashionable, high-minded churches have attendees, but not disciples of Christ. There is a relevance to Jesus in their lives, but there is no desperation for Christ.

Ask the woman with the flow of blood. What was her need? Ask the ruler whose daughter had just died. Who did he have need of? The blind men? The mute, who was demon-possessed? All these were absolutely desperate for Christ. All came to Christ in a condition of absolute desperation. Now, again, have you come? How did you come?

It seems the world has always lacked for shepherds willing to tell the sheep the true desperation of their condition. And so they get fat and languish in the field. “The harvest,” Jesus says, “is plentiful.” Now we know the reason why.

-Pastor Bill