JESUS, THE HOPE OF ALL THE WORLD
Japan
Appoints' Loneliness Minister" It sounds rather funny. But it is true Japan
appointed on February 12, 2021, a "Minister of Loneliness" to try and
reduce loneliness and social isolation among its residents as the country deals
with rising suicide rates.
In October alone, more Japanese died
from suicide than had died from COVID-19 in all of 2020. There were 2,153
suicide deaths that month and 1,765 total virus deaths until the end of October." [1] In the U.S., 45,979 died
by suicide in 2020. On average, 130 people die by suicide.
Studies show that loneliness has
been linked to a higher risk of health issues like heart disease, dementia, and
eating disorders. We all may have experienced mild to intense loneliness and
isolation during this Pandemic. Psychiatrists often agree that prolonged loneliness
and isolation could lead to hopelessness. When a person arrives at that stage
of hopelessness, they might commit suicide to overcome the pain of despair
unless intervened.
These days wherever you turn, we see hopelessness, especially as we look
at the escalating war situation in Ukraine. Could this trigger a third world
war? When that happens, what would be the fate of the world? More at a personal
level, are you or your loved one struggling with hopelessness? Do you or
someone you know struggle with thoughts of committing suicide? Can suicide be
preventable? What is the solution to hopelessness?
Who can help us? Can we appoint
"Ministers of Loneliness" worldwide to help tackle hopelessness? During
this Lent season, you may find some answers to these questions. We will walk on
the ancient path of hope for the next few weeks to find hope. Today we
will look at someone who can truly understand the pain you are going through.
He is eager to intervene if you let him into your hopeless situation and pull
you out of your pit of despair and depression.
I.
The Opposition To Jesus Got Intensified!
From the beginning, Jesus faced
stiff resistance and opposition from the devil and people. It got intensified
toward the end of his ministry. The Pharisees were looking for an opportunity
to trap and kill Jesus. They followed him everywhere. On a Sabbath day, while
walking through the grain field, his disciples were hungry and picked up some
grain and began to eat.
Some Pharisees who saw it protested,
saying, "Your disciples are breaking the law." What Law did they
break? All the disciples did was they ate a few grains. According to the
Pharisees, it was like harvesting the grain. They blew things out of
proportion.
Jesus reminded
them what king David and his companions did when they were hungry. They broke
the Law of Moses and went into the Temple and ate the sacred bread that was
only permitted for priests. He challenged their wrong interpretation and
selective reading of the Law.
Jesus said, Mat 12:5, "And
haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may
work on the Sabbath?" He asserted that he was greater than the Temple.
Then he put them in their place by saying if only you knew the meaning of the
scripture, you wouldn't accuse my disciples. The problem we see here is not the
Law but how it was interpreted.
Then He laid out a higher and far
more significant order that we all should follow. Vs.7-8, "I want you to
show mercy, not offer sacrifices. For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the
Sabbath." In their zeal to follow the Law of Moses, the Pharisees have
forgotten the very fundamental principle of God, which is to show mercy rather than
offer empty sacrifices.
Jesus' accurate interpretation of
the Law must have only aggravated the Pharisees further. They followed Jesus
from the field into the Synagogue, looking for an opportunity to catch him saying
or doing something wrong on the day of the Sabbath so that they could bring
charges against Him. In contrast, Jesus looked for an opportunity to show mercy
and bring hope.
II.
Mercy Overrides the Law (9-15)
Vs.
9-10, "Then Jesus went over to their Synagogue, where he noticed a
man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Does the law
permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?" (They were hoping he
would say yes, so they could bring charges against him).
I wonder how the man with a deformed
hand ended up in the Synagogue on the day of Sabbath? It appeared that sick
people were only permitted to come and be healed during the six days of the
week but not on the Sabbath Day (Lk 13:14). So, this man must have been a
setup.
Whether he was a setup or genuinely
in need of healing, Jesus saw an opportunity to demonstrate his power to heal
and teach the Pharisees a critical lesson of the value of people. He silenced
His accusers with a logical answer. Vs.11-12, "If you had a sheep that
fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course,
you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the Law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath."
Three times in this gospel, Jesus
argued by showing a contrast between animals and people (cf. 6:26; 10:31). He
elevated the worth of human beings as they alone were made in the image of God
(Gen 1-2). On the other hand, the Pharisees showed no such regard for people. Jesus assumed that Pharisees would
have no hesitation to work on a Sabbath day to pull out their sheep from a pit
but had no compassion for a sick man who needed healing. Jesus interpreted the
Law rightly, saying, "Yes, the Law permits a person to do good on the
Sabbath."
Vs. 13. "He said to the man,
"Hold out your hand." So, the man held out his hand, and it was
restored, just like the other one! Here we see an example of God's Mercy
overriding the Law. Does it mean that God's Law was bad? No! The Pharisees
misinterpreted it for their advantage. Jesus broke several legalistic and
selfish laws and showed mercy to people by healing all those who came to Him.
In contrast, the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.
What does this all mean for us today?
God wants us to be merciful and compassionate to others than legalistically
following certain laws and regulations. When it comes to doing good to others,
it is okay to break undue laws. For example, be kind to immigrants and accept
refugees fleeing war. There is no law against practicing love, goodness, and
kindness. Gal 5:22-23
After healing the man with a
deformed hand and many others who came to him, Jesus warned them not to reveal
who he was. Unlike the Pharisees who trumpeted their charity and good works in
public, Jesus quietly wanted to slip away without any publicity even after
performing all those miracles. He did all that to fulfill an old prophecy of
Isiah concerning Him.
III. Jesus, The Hope Of All The World (Vs.
18-21)
"Look at my Servant, whom I
have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or
raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest
reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally, he will cause justice to be
victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world."
Is 42:1-4
Many things that Jesus said and did
were to fulfill the ancient prophecies. These four verses reflect Isaiah's
prophecy of 600 B.C. They show us the nature, what, and how the Lord Jesus
would accomplish His mission. Let us unpack this ancient hope-filled prophecy.
Here Jesus was referred to as God's
beloved and chosen Servant who was always going to do what pleased His father.
In Jesus' own words, John 8:29, "For I always do what pleases Him."
What pleases our heavenly father and how we might follow the example of Jesus?
During his ministry, Jesus was
loving and kind to the sinners. He reached out to those who were rejected by
society. He was called the friend of sinners. At the same time, he pointed out
the wrongs that the religious community was doing in God's name. He preached
the good news of the Kingdom. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and raised
the dead.
The Prophet Isaiah used a double
metaphor to convey how Jesus would do his ministry. "He will not crush
the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle." These metaphors indicate
that Jesus would move in compassion and mercy towards the weak and vulnerable
people.
We see how often Jesus was moved with
compassion during his ministry. For example, in Matthew 9:36, "When he saw
the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd." Out of such compassion, He invites the
weary and the burdened to come to Him so that He would give them rest. (Matthew
11:28)
Isaiah foresaw that the root of
Jesse (Jesus) would one day become a banner of salvation to all the world. (Is
11:10). In Matthew 12:21, we read, "And his name will be the hope of all
the world." There is no one earthly leader; however great they may be can
bring hope to the world. Regardless of who they are, all people can only find hope in Jesus. Through His ministry
of love, mercy, and compassion, Jesus offers hope to the hurting and broken people.
There are so many people living without hope these days. What causes such
hopelessness among people?
It is their ignorance and willful
denial of God's existence. Scripture tells us when people live without God;
they live without hope (Eph 2:12) because the God we serve is a God of Hope. Are you
or you know someone feeling hopeless today? Are you in need of physical,
emotional, and mental healing? Do you feel like giving up altogether on life?
Don't worry. If you are here in the service or listening to me on the
Livestream, I want you to listen to this truth carefully.
Jesus, the hope of all the word, is
here today, walking among us by the power of His Holy Spirit. He knows your
thoughts, the intense pain of despair. He understands your sorrow. He takes
note of you as he gazes through the pews, your homes, and wherever you might be
listening to these words. He is not going to ignore you. Like he told the man
with a deformed hand, he will say to you, stretch your hand to me, and you will
be healed and restored. Amen!
[1] Katie
Warren, "Japan has appointed a 'Minister of Loneliness' after seeing suicide
rates in the country increase for the first time in 11 years," Insider
(2-22-21)
