May 25, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 10 (NIV)
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;……Continue Reading
The commission of the twelve and what they are to do, expect, and ultimately receive. The commission of us really. We are to share His love and good news with the power of the Holy Spirit to also heal and help others through our faith in Him. We should expect oposition, rejection, and even persecution in the same way Jesus did. We receive His provision, protection, and eternal life with Him when we choose to believe and follow Him.
The key really is in verse 32 & 33 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.”
He has got us when we have Him! He provides what we need while we are on earth and has a space reserved for us in heaven. No matter what we face here on earth we are children of the Most High and and He loves, protects, and provides for His children!
Jesus forms His twelve disciples so that they will go into the world to heal, cast out demons, and to spread the gospel. Jesus sends them to Israel with no silver or gold, or two tunics, or sandals or a staff(Matthew 10:9-10), and to proclaim to the people there, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”(Matthew 10:7). They are to do this without asking for money in return and to find people who are worthy of God’s message and respond to it positively. If the house that they enter into is not worthy, they are to leave and shake the dust off of the bottoms of their feet after leaving. If the house is worthy they are to let their peace upon and if it is not, to let their peace return to them. Jesus says, “‘it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.'” meaning that rejecting the gospel obviously means judgement and a sentence to hell.
Jesus warns the disciples that they will be afflicted and there will be trials. They are to not worry though because if they are taken into custody, they should worry about what to say because the Holy Spirit will intervene and speak through them. There will be families who are torn in the towns and the 12 disciples will be hated. “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”(Matthew 10:22).
Jesus tells and encourages the disciples not to be afraid of their journey and the trials to come that lie within it, but to, “‘…not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.'”(Matthew 10:28). Jesus reassures them that the Father oversees even the smallest of events such as the selling of two sparrows for a penny. He informs them that they are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus has to not come to Earth to bring peace to it, but to bring a sword, to separate those who believe in Christ Jesus and those who do not. Families will turn on each other and peoples enemies will be of those even in their own family. Jesus tells us that whoever loves his father or mother,(or anyone), more than Him is not worthy of Him and his promises.
“‘Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.'”(Matthew 10:39)
Jesus tells us that whoever receives the disciples, receives Him, and whoever receives Him, receives the Father. Thus, disproving those who deny the Trinity, and only accept one or two of the three Figures of it do not actually believe in God, but a man-made version of what they want.(You MUST, obviously, hopefully know that in order to be saved you must believe in all three Figures of the Holy Trinity. If you deny any of them, you deny all of the Others as well.)
“‘The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.'”
I think that this verse is really great because it tells what we are to see God as. Which is God and nothing else. All-knowing, all-powerful, full of grace, truth, and love.
Regarding 10:32& 33…
The Lord makes clear that confessing and denying Him are determining factors whether he will do so for that person before God, at some later time. One should consider why it would even matter, for them. Who then is this Jesus? Is it serious that he would deny me before God the Father? The disciples believed Jesus was connected directly to God, it mattered enough for them to go tell others.
Souls are either confessing or denying Christ now, in word, deed, heart. May we somehow be able to share Christ’s love to our friends and relatives, lest they find Sodom and Gomorrah in more tolerable condition than they will later find. It’s hard to believe in something you can’t see, maybe we can heal their blindness. Peace,-reb
I think this chapter is as revealing about the character of God just as the sermon on the mount, if not more so. Some tough passages though, if the leader of the house is evil so will his household be, a man’s enemies will come from his houshold…etc
In Jesus giving the mission to the twelve disciples their is much detail given in Matthew but some additional information is given in Mark 6: 7-13. Even though Jesus has shared the gospel to Jews and Gentiles and need many miracles; He is now for this short period of time is commanding the twelve disciples to only go and preach and heal sicknesses, and cast out demons in Jesus name to the Jewish people. Matthew 10: 5,6. { These 12 Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying Go NOT into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye NOT. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.} Latter the disciples would go to all the world preaching the gospel. When Israel at this time rejected the Messiah then the door would be opened to the Gentiles to come to Christ. In Mark it says that Jesus sent them out two by two. { Mark 6: 7.} The message was that men should repent while they healed, cast out demons. Mark 6: 12,13. Acts 13: 46. { Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.} Thank the Lord that we Gentiles were given the chance to belong to Christ. Praise God! When sharing Christ we are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. This means that we are to teach the truth with godly wisdom with kindness, and patience and to have a listening ear. When sharing the gospel we should not be side tracked by other subject matter or other distractions. Have listened to a brother in the Lord { Ray Comfort} on U-Tube share how he when talking to someone about Christ he always brings it to their conscious and reveals their sin to them by sharing a few of the Ten Commandments for every one thinks they are good. And then brings the gospel to them. He often uses a illustration of a parachute. Unless someone puts on the parachute they will fall to their death. You make think and believe that the parachute will save you but unless you put your complete trust in it and put in on you fall to your death. We are all going to die and unless we take hold of Jesus we will surely perish. We cannot save our selves by being good or doing good works. We cannot fly and flap our arms so we won`t fall to our death. How silly is that; but yet people think that they can earn their way to Heaven. It is a free gift from God and all we have to do is accept it. Call upon the name of the Lord and you be saved. Jesus Himself used the Ten Commandments to reveal their sin to people. God bless.
Matthew 10
28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Jesus sends out the disciples and shows that an inherent part of being with Him and believing in Him is spreading the word and ministry of Jesus Christ. What a great aspect of His power is that He shares His power and these men will be associated with Him because they do and say the same thing as Him. But He also gives them counsel and provision. He mainly warns them of the way they will be treated as they represent Him and doing that will cause persecution and disfavor in this world. They/we should value His opinion of us more than the worlds and recognize the mistreatment we receive even from people closest to us is a mark of our association with Him. And He cares for us, values us, will take care of us and will never leave us alone. So we can be confident of the good things that will come to us and others as we spread His message.
“…be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” When you witness, avoid danger by wisely choosing when to stay and when to leave a situation. Go where you are welcome. There is no use in standing in front of sarcastic, critical people, sharing the gospel, and expecting them to suddenly change their minds. And do not give unbelievers any legitimate reason to accuse you of injustice or immorality. Keep your reputation as clean as you can.
”These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’“
Matthew 10:5, 7 NKJV
Jesus sends out the 12 to announce the Kingdom of Heaven to Israel. This is a test. Will they receive Him as Messiah? God is ready to establish His kingdom on earth, but Israel still isn’t ready. That is also part of God’s plan, to offer His son so that Jew and Gentile may enter.
”“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.“
Matthew 10:40 NKJV
These are instructions to the apostles and disciples. They are looking for those in Israel who will receive the message. What is the message? At this point it isn’t the gospel, Jesus hasn’t died and risen yet. The message is Jesus! The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We see the expected responses: rejection.
Another interesting thing in this passage is Jesus’ instructions to “do not fear”. Fear causes us to do/believe many things. Jesus is even talking about not fearing physical death, which most would agree, warrants some fear. So many times the Bible tells those that know God not to fear….even under threat of death.
”And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.“
Matthew 10:28 NKJV
”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”“
Joshua 1:9 NKJV
”Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.“
John 14:27 NKJV
Matthew 10
Matthew 10-18