Matthew 10:1-26
The Twelve Apostles
1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Sending Out the Twelve
5 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. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
11 "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
Persecutions Are Coming
16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Jesus gathered the twelve disciples and endowed them with His power and authority to cleanse body and soul from the effects of sin on both from the results of man’s disobedience in the Garden. He gave them power over the oppressing demons as well, not just the sicknesses of sin’s inheritance. Both of these were brought to man who was made in God’s image as attacks and consequences of the adversary on God’s creation called good in the beginning. This battle rages further to those in Christ as redeemed (Psalm 55:18, Revelation 12:17) until the consummation of all things when the presence of sin is removed at last and the war for our souls is over. These apostles were His followers tasked with the gospel of peace with God and heralds of the kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10, Luke 10:9, 11:20, Revelation 12:10) as they healed the sick and demon possessed so they could receive the message of salvation by repentance through faith. Their message to the lost sheep of God’s chosen people was, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' This was proven by the miraculous healing from the disease of sin and from captivity to the enemy who caused it all with the forbidden fruit that put the pride and wisdom of self over the trust in God’s word (Genesis 3:1, 5, Hebrews 5:14) revealed in His time by Himself to us. This is the pride of life which is to be avoided as much as the lust of the eye and flesh (1 John 2:15-17) as we pursue doing the will of God instead. This is the kingdom of righteousness, life, and peace with God as these preached from the beginning and after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 24:25). The twelve were sent into the cities and towns with nothing but this message and the authority behind it but were warned to turn away from those rejecting it through them as they walked among wolves. To be “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” they had to know the false ideas and opposition to the truth of God and to the Christ of the message of deliverance from sin and the enemy’s wrath. Even so, God promised to speak through them when imprisoned or oppressed. This must have brought great consolation to calm their fears and apprehension to realize that their Father in heaven spoke through them as weak vessels of the Almighty! He further warned them that their families would turn against them because of this message of the gospel, but they were to endure and persist in persecution until they were delivered at last from the power of sin and death (2 Timothy 1:10, 1 Corinthians 15:26, 57-58, Revelation 20:14). The gospel would be brought to everyone with ears to hear, but it would take until the return of the Son of Man to reach them all. That is the task left for we who are in Christ to complete, remembering it is thankless and that we will be judged and accused like He was as we speak this truth of the kingdom at hand in love. In the end all will be revealed and so we speak (1 Thessalonians 2:4) as we go, making disciples of the kingdom to come as His will is done on earth as in heaven. Amen. Let it be so.
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