Matthew Chapter 10

Jesus sends out His apostles
The word apostle means messenger, follower, disciple, and missionary. As chapter ten opens we find that Jesus has picked His 12 apostles. It is interesting to note that although Jesus had many disciples He chose 12 as a core group in which He invested heavily. In the OT the number 12 often symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel.

In all 4 Gospels Jesus’ calling of Peter is told. In the three synoptic Gospels the list of apostles always begins with Peter and ends with Judas but they are not always in the same order.

It says that Jesus gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal all kinds of illnesses and then He sent them out. I believe Jesus still wants to send us out as messengers to proclaim His Kingdom. This is a consistent message throughout the book of Matthew. He gave His disciples strict instructions that we should observe as well. He tells His disciples to go to His lost sheep-Israel. Jesus wanted His disciples to go out and speak to their own kind first. Go to those you are comfortable with first. Minister to your immediate circle of influence before going to another land or to another people group. If you don’t speak Spanish would you go to Mexico to preach the Good News?? No. Speak to those you relate well to and can converse easily with.

This chapter is one that missionaries the world over use as a guide to follow. It says first of all to give as freely as you have received. It says to not take any money or even basic provisions. As a follower of Jesus Christ you are to trust in Him and Him alone to provide for your every need.

Jesus says that as believers spreading His message we will be like sheep among wolves and we are to be on the ball. We are to be perceptive of our environment. When we are persecuted it is our chance to spread the gospel even more by our actions as well as our words. Jesus tells us not to worry either. If you don’t know what to say, God will speak through you by the power of the Holy Spirit. Again..... it comes down to trusting in God to see you through any situation.

Jesus warns us that His name will cause divisions amongst family members. In some lands when you become a Christian you are shunned, never to speak to your family again. This should not come as a surprise to any of us. The name of Jesus is offensive to those who don’t believe but it is pure joy to those of us that have been saved by His saving grace.

This chapter goes against so many of the messages we hear and see on the television and in our pews on Sunday morning. This chapter of Matthew is very seldom preached to congregations. If it were the seats would be empty the next week for sure!! It sounds discouraging.....we will be persecuted and hated!! Not to worry my dear brother or sister in Christ!! For those of us that are faithful we have a reward waiting for us in eternity. Stay the course, be strong and trust in Jesus to deliver you. If you put Him first in all that you do you have nothing to fear.

Don’t be a lukewarm believer!! Don’t give God your leftovers!! Love God with everything you have in you and then shower that same love on those around you. In a world that loves 12 step processes and charts and maps on how to get from A to B there is no easier plan than the one Jesus gives us in this chapter.
• A) Love Him more than anything else
• B) Trust Him in any situation
• C) Be prepared to give up some things
This last part is the hard part for many of us. I know for me giving up things that I like to do or take part in has been very difficult. It comes down to what Jesus says in verse 39, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

Are we prepared to give up our lives for Jesus? There was a Christian sister (forgive me I don’t remember her name) that was killed in the Columbine massacre. It is said that when the killers put a gun to her head and asked her if she was a follower of Jesus Christ she un-flinchingly said, “Yes, I believe in Jesus Christ.” Those were her last words on this earth but she is celebrating with our Lord in Heaven as we speak. Do we all have the same conviction as that dear sister?

Something to think about.

Have a great day.

God bless.