Matthew 10

Matthew 10:1

The story is told of Jesus’ return to heaven. After dying for the sins of humanity, He was greeted by the angel Gabriel. “An awesome thing You did, Lord,” Gabriel said. “Incredible! Does the world know?” Jesus answered, “Not really. As a matter of fact, only a few guys in Palestine understand what I did.” “Well, how is the rest of the world going to understand?” “I’m entrusting those guys with the message. I’m trusting they will carry My message throughout the world.” “But what if they don’t?” Gabriel asked. “What if they decide to return to fishing? Or what if they get afraid? Or what if they get tangled up in relationships? What happens if they don’t do it? What is Your plan then?” And Jesus replied, “I have no other plan.” This story, although it is just a story, is reality. The Lord entrusted the gospel of the kingdom to men and left it with them, sending them out to propagate the Good News that men’s sins are forgiven because of His death on the Cross. That was His only plan. And here in Matthew 10, we see the beginning of this plan unfolding as we see Him training His disciples. After learning from Jesus and hanging out with Jesus, now they are sent forth by Jesus. We saw in Luke 6 that, after spending the night in prayer, Jesus chose from among the many disciples who followed Him twelve to be apostolos, or “sent out ones.” After seeing Jesus’ principles recorded and His power revealed, here in chapter 10, we see His people released as He sends forth His disciples. Jesus was so radical. He entrusted His message not to the well-educated and impeccably trained, but to a rag-tag bunch of renegades made up of a tax collector, political rabble-rousers, and fishermen. The Lord will never ask you to do anything He does not enable you to do by the power of His Spirit. Since the greatest concerns of the culture in which they ministered were demon possession, sickness, and disease, Jesus specifically gave His disciples the power to meet those very needs.

Matthew 10:2

Luke 6 tells us that after Jesus spent a full night in prayer, He came down the mountain and chose twelve disciples from among the many who surrounded Him. “Mathetes,” or “learner,” is the Greek word for disciple. These men had been traveling with Jesus, listening to Jesus, and hanging out with Jesus. They were learners. Jesus called them disciples and transformed them into “apostles” or “sent out ones.” In the listing of the apostles, Peter always comes first and Judas is always at the end. Judas, of course, was the betrayer of Jesus, and Peter was one who had a special place in the apostolic order. Here we see that the Lord does have leaders among leaders. And Peter, indeed, was a leader amongst these leaders. Nonetheless, Peter was the apostle with the foot-shaped mouth, often saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Maybe you enjoy talking and your heart is as big as the world, but you have a tendency to speak and to think later. Peter was like this. The Lord changed Simon from one who was shifting and unstable into “Petros,” or “Rock.” The Lord renamed Peter because He transformed him from one who was shifting and unstable to one who would become solid and reliable. Andrew was known as the younger brother of Peter. Maybe some of you feel like Andrewalways in someone else’s shadow. Your older brother, your older sister, or someone else is always the star. Jesus chose someone you can perhaps relate toAndrewwho was always in Peter’s shadow. James and John were called the “sons of thunder” because of their volatile tempers. When one of the cities did not respond to the message of the gospel, James and John said, “Jesus, shall we call down fire from heaven and destroy them?” So Jesus chose a guy who said the wrong things, a guy who lived in the shadow of his older brother, and a couple of guys with explosive tempers.

Matthew 10:3

Then there were Philip and Bartholomew. Remember that Bartholomew is another name for Nathanael, the skeptic who asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Add to this group Thomas, a doubter, and Matthew, a rip-off artist. Would you have chosen these guys? James, the son of Alphaeus, is an unknown, since there’s nothing more we know about him from Scripture. Perhaps you feel that way. You’re somewhat shy and retiring, and you don’t make your presence known. But the Lord sees you just as He saw James and says, “Yeah, I can use you.” Then there was Simon the Canaanite, a political rabble-rouser. The Gospel of Luke tells us that Simon was a zealot. He was involved in a group trying to overthrow the Roman government. If Simon the Zealot and Matthew, who was employed by the Romans, had met in any other circumstance, Simon would have put a knife in Matthew’s back. But here Jesus brings them together. Just like us! We have some liberals and some conservatives, some Republicans, and some Democrats. And that’s the way it should be. People who would normally not hang out together find commonality in Christ Jesus. Even a traitor was chosen by Jesus. Were the disciples superstars? Hardly. How I appreciate the qualityor the lack of qualityof these men because it gives me hope that Jesus can use someone like me.

Matthew 10:5

Right away, Jesus put restrictions on them. Why? Because He was establishing priorities for them, saying, “This is where you startin your home country. Start where you’re at,” Jesus says. “Cross the street before you cross the ocean.” In addition to establishing priority, there’s another reason Jesus put this restriction on them. Had these apostles gone to the SamaritansGentilesfirst, no one would have received them when they came back home because the Jews despised the Gentiles. In Romans we read that the gospel went to the Jew first and then to the Greeks, or the Gentiles, not because of priority, but because of precedence. The Jews were prepared by the prophets, by the covenants, and by the promises. So the Lord sent His boys to the Jews first.

Matthew 10:7

The Greek word for preach is kerusso. Maybe you remember Enrico Caruso, the great opera singer who would shatter a glass from fifteen paces with his powerful tenor voice. Remember Caruso. That’s the word for preach. Sing it out. Sing out the gospel! What had Jesus been preaching and teaching? This very message: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Consequently, He was able to say, “You’ve heard it from Me. Now go and tell others.” Truly, there is power in the Word, for it speaks to any person in any place during any age.

Matthew 10:8

These would have been impossible tasks had not Jesus already empowered them to do these very things (verse Mat_10:1). Whatever God has given yougifts, abilities, money, talenthas been given to you freely by His grace. Now let these gifts freely flow through you to help those around you. You might be saying, “I feel so bankrupt. I don’t feel like I have a lot to give.” But the Word tells us that we have not because we ask not (Jas_4:2). Maybe we should be spending a little more time in prayer, saying, “Lord, I need to be blessed. I need to be empowered so that I might be a blessing to others.” Blessings are like the measlesyou can’t give ’em unless you got ’em!

Matthew 10:9

“I’m sending you out. Now go with the flow, and trust Me to take care of you. You don’t need to encumber yourselves with lots of gadgets and gizmos. I will provide.” When the disciples went out healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, and raising the dead, don’t you think someone might have asked them over for dinner? I do. I think what the Lord is saying here is, “If you’re going about doing good, preaching the gospel, healing the sick, and cleansing the lepers, the workman is worthy of his meat. I’ll take care of you. The people will respond to you, and blessings will flow freely to you because you are giving freely.” Whatever ministry you are involved in, know this: When God guides, God provides. People will be blessed, touched, and encouraged. And they will want to be a blessing in return.

Matthew 10:11

Whatever house you go in, stay there. The problem is, we so often get into a place and say, “Well, this is fine for now.” But we keep our eye open for a more influential or powerful place to stay. When I was a youth pastor years ago, I noticed the message of so many youth seminars and books was “Get the quarterback and the cheerleader converted, and you’ve got it made.” But in reality, it was the common people who heard Jesus gladly (Mar_12:37). We learned the hard way to focus not so much on the quarterback, but rather to go to the kids who sat by themselves, those whom everyone else ignored. When we went to these kids, there was an openness and a readiness to receive Jesus. I believe that’s essentially what Jesus was referring to when He said, “When you go into a house, be content to stay there. Don’t try to move around and move up. Just go in, pronounce peace, and stay until you leave the city.”

Matthew 10:13

Have you ever been visited by some Jehovah’s Witness missionaries? After closing the door, if you peek out the window, you see them shake the dust from their feet as they get to the edge of your sidewalk. They do this because they’re taking this verse literally and pronouncing judgment. In Jesus’ day, when the Jews would accidentally or unavoidably walk across Gentile territory, once they got back to Jewish soil, they would shake their feet. Everyone knew they were shaking off the defilement of Gentile dirt. Thus, when the apostles shook the dust from their feet, people watching would know exactly what was happening.

They would know the apostles were sending this message: “You’re lost, just like you think the Gentiles are lost. We come to you presenting the Good News, but if you reject it, you bring judgment upon yourselves.”

Matthew 10:16

Do you remember this story from the past? A twenty-five-foot boa constrictor took up residence in the basement of a house in Florida. Although the owners knew he was down there from the skins he shed, they couldn’t find him. He was trickytwenty-five feet long and still able to hide completely in cracks and crevices. Think about it. A snake has severe handicaps. It has no arms, no legs, and yet it gets around. It wisely maneuvers and stealthily hides itself. Jesus is saying that even if you feel as though you’re handicapped, be as wise as a serpent in how you get into places. But also be as harmless as a dove.

Matthew 10:17

The religious system and the government are going to come against you. But it’s for a purpose. “Opposition,” Jesus is saying, “brings opportunity. You’ll be brought before magistrates, judges, kings, and leaders as a representative of Me.” Whenever you’re called on the carpet because you’re serving the Lord, or because you’re taking a stand for righteousness, know this: Jesus said opposition would occur. He also said He would use it for His sake. You will be brought before people who will persecute you or come down on you because, in that way, He can use you as a witness. So don’t tense your shoulders and furrow your brow when you get called into your boss’s office. Realize the Lord put you there as a witness for Him.

Matthew 10:21

This prophecy of Jesus came to pass as the church went through ten tragic waves of persecution under ten Roman emperors. During this time, perhaps as many as 175 million Christians were killed. Until the rule of Constantine, Christians were systematically scourged, beaten, and burned. Caesar Nero had believers dipped in hot wax so he could ignite them and use them as torches in his palace gardens.

Matthew 10:22

Beelzebub, literally “lord of the flies,” was a Philistine god, worshiped by people who lived in what is today known as the Gaza strip. There were those who said, “Jesus is using demonic powers to do His work. He’s demon-possessed.” So here Jesus is saying to His disciples, “If they’re calling Me the lord of the flies, they’re also going to come down on you.”

Matthew 10:26

A day is coming when all things will be made right.

Matthew 10:27

“What I am telling you in the dark, speak in the light. What I am telling you in the quiet times, in your morning devotions, in your evening watches, spread abroad.”

Matthew 10:28

You might be treated unjustly at school, on the job, or in your family. But the Father is watching. Do you know this? When you feel like you’re getting ripped on and put down, the Father sees. Jesus says He sees when even a sparrow falls to the ground. Sparrows weren’t worth a whole lot. Two sold for a farthing, or one-sixteenth of a denarius. A denarius was a day’s wage for the poorest of people. So sparrows were sold very cheaply. In fact, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that five sparrows could be bought for two farthings. They were so common that you got an extra bird thrown in for free! Here, Jesus says the Father sees when even one of these birds fall. Are not you more valuable than they? You bet. So be assured that when you’re falling, stumbling, or hurting, the Lord is watching and caring.

Matthew 10:32

This verse is often misunderstood. People ask, “Does this mean the Lord will deny me if I don’t stand up for Him?” No. The very night Jesus was led away to be crucified for Peter’s sins, Peter was cursing, swearing, and denying Him. Yet after He died, Jesus found Peter and said, “Peter, feed My sheep. Feed My lambs. Keep going, Peter.” Jesus did not damn Peter, disown Peter, or disqualify him from service. We need to remember that when Jesus ascended into heaven, He became our High Priest who ever lives, Hebrews says, to make intercession for the saints. He’s praying for us right now. If we deny Himif we don’t stand up for Himwe will miss the benefits He wants to bestow upon us, and we will be the poorer. Thus, in my opinion, this verse has nothing to do with our salvation. It has to do with the blessings God bestows upon us as we stand up for His Son. Secondly, it has to do with eternal rewards, crowns, and benefits. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.Dan_12:3 Daniel declares that you who are soul-winners are wise because you’re going to shine as stars forever. If you’re standing for the Lord and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, you will be confessed by the Lord when you stand at the Bema Seat of Christ. The Bema Seat is not a place where sins are judged. Our sins were all judged at Calvary. We will never be judged for our sins and denials, our departures and backsliding. However, we will be rewarded for what we did in Christ’s Name. If we confess Jesus before men, Jesus will confess us before the Father. And rewards will come our way eternally.

Matthew 10:34

I talked with an Oregon county leader one day who said, “Jon, you gotta face it. Your group out there intimidates an awful lot of people. You’re claiming Jesus is the only Way. That makes a bunch of people feel pretty uncomfortable. You’re going to have some enemies.” He’s right! It’s inevitable. If we are the light we should be, we’re going to cause people who are living in darkness to feel uncomfortable. Jesus says, “There’s going to be some severance, some tension, some difficulty if you’re standing up for Me and living for Me. But if you value family or friendship more than you value Me, you’re not worthy of Me.”

Matthew 10:38

How our generation needs to hear this. In the ’60s, the goal was to “Find Yourself.” We tried that and didn’t like what we found. In the ’70s, the goal was to “Improve Yourself.” All kinds of courses were taken, and health spas abounded, but it didn’t work. People were not happy. In the ’80s, the goal was to “Serve Yourself.” As our nation grew more and more materialistic, it became less and less fulfilled. In the ’90s, the goal was to “Express Yourself.” But even as communication grew by leaps and bounds, the messages we sent and received confused us. In every age, Jesus says, “Die to self.” Die to self. Take up the cross. Today it would be, “Take up the gas chamber,” or “Take up the electric chair.” We wear cross earrings and cross necklaces, but what if we started wearing miniature gas chamber earrings or electric chair necklaces? They would more fully capture the essence of what Jesus was saying. We sing the hymn, “There’s room at the Cross for you.” But what if we sang, “There’s room in the gas chamber for you”? You see, the Cross has lost its impact because it’s so familiar. But to these people at this time who heard Jesus say, “If you want to come after Me, you’ve got to take up the Cross,” it would be like us hearing, “If you want to follow Me, you must take up the electric chair and die a degrading death.”

Matthew 10:39

Do you ever hear people say, “Man, I’m losing it”? The reason they say this is because they’re living for themselves. If you find your life and live for yourself, you’ll lose it. If you want to be miserable, turn inward; but if you want to have life, Jesusthe Author of lifesays, “Die to self. Live for Me.”

Matthew 10:40

“Anyone who honors you will be honored by Me. Even if they give you a cup of cold water, they are going to be profited and blessed presently and eternally.” In the Book of Hebrews, we are told the Lord is not unfaithful to forget our works of righteousness (Heb_6:10). When you do something for someone else, they might forget about it. But when you do something in the Name of the Lord for the people of the Lord, He promises He will not forget, and you will be rewarded. When? Perhaps nowbut even better, in heaven. Go for it, gang. Take the words of Matthew 10 to heart. Die to self. Live for Jesus.