Sending Out The 12
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Recap
Recap
Matthew’s works and writes in themes, not chronologically:
Chapters 5-7 Jesus demonstrates his authority through teaching
Chapters 8-9 Jesus demonstrates his authority through his actions (healing disease, raising the dead, casting out demons, even authority over nature)
In chapter 10 Jesus now turns to delegate his authority to his 12 chosen disciples who will be his apostles
Jesus gathers his 12 chosen disciples to send them into the harvest field
This is on the heals of Matthew 9:35-38
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
The 12
The 12
1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 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 Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
One of the first thing that stands out to me when I read this list of names is that they are listed in pairs. According to the book of Mark, Jesus sent them out 2 by 2. It is likely that the pairs seen here in verses 2-4 represent who went out with who.
Next, when you look at this list of names and reflect on where they came from it speaks of diversity of background. Some were fishermen by trade, one had been a tax collector, one was a political activist. We don’t know the profession of all the disciples when Jesus called them to follow him, but there wasn’t a “type” that Jesus was looking for other than one willing to follow him which meant a certain level of humility and teachability.
God doesn’t look at man’s qualifications like we do.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
We don’t really see God call anyone in scripture that is equipped with what they need to be used of Him. We see people that have a heart that is “for” Yahweh to be used for His purposes, but even their heart attitude is something that God brings about. God then equips that person with what they need to accomplish what He wants to accomplish through them, and all for His glory. “that NO human being might boast in the presence of God.”
Regardless of where these men came from or what their profession was before, Jesus called them and they answered the call to be his disciples as step 1. They were first learners, pupils according to the true meaning of the word disciple. It was only now, as Jesus was sending them out, that they became Apostles.
There is a meaning of the word Apostle that applies here and there are other qualifications that make these apostles extra special.
The Greek word for Apostle is Apostolos. It literally means “one sent forth with orders”. A delegate or messenger. Jesus was sending them out and it would be with very specific orders. What made these apostles extra special was that they saw and witnessed Jesus ministry and life face to face.
The first thing he did was he gave them authority to do the same things he’s been doing as a sign of the Kingdom being at hand. The authority gave them the ability. They didn’t have it in and of themselves.
The word authority here in verse 1 is the greek word “exousia”. It means “delegated influence”, “power”, or “right”. It’s the same word used in John 1:12
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
Jesus had just taken his disciples along with him to allow them to witness his authority in doing all of the miracles in chapters 8 & 9. They knew he could do all these things. They heard His claims of authority and saw them fulfilled and confirmed. Now it was being delegated to them.
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
Their master/rabbi had done these things, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah and now they were being given the command and power to do some of these same things, but not just to do them. It allowed them to continue the spread of the message that Jesus gave them next.
The Command - Who, What, Where, and How
The Command - Who, What, Where, and How
Who
Who
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
It’s not that salvation through Jesus was not meant for everyone, it’s just that it had to go to the Jews first. He describes them as lost sheep. It’s so common for us to look at this word “Lost” and simply think of it as “they don’t have Jesus”. They aren’t saved, and it does mean that.
It literally means “to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed”. When people haven’t come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, which only He can reveal to them, whether through his word or through his church, they are in a state of perishing, being ruined, being destroyed....they are lost, like sheep without a shepherd.
16 for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
Needless to say, the nation of Israel had struggled and were struggling to decide what they did with this God who loved them so much that He wouldn’t just let it go and give up on them. HE had made this everlasting covenant with them, that he wouldn’t turn away from doing good to them and it was His goal to offer them the message and hope of the Kingdom of God first, then once rejected offer it to the rest of mankind.
What
What
7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
This was the message. This message of THE KINGDOM coming near, at hand was preceded, in Jesus own words, by repentance. Repentance is turning away and turning toward Jesus.
You can’t seek THE KINGDOM when you are still chasing your own kingdom. Your kingdom of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Worship of self and what we want. The temptations of the world are only tempting because of the evil desires within us.
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
Jesus is calling his followers, his pupils, his learners, to spread the message of the Kingdom, to multiply it out.
That is ultimately what God has called his church to do. Even in this church right here. He’s given me the assignment as “Pastor Teacher” to equip you, the saints, for the work of ministry.
Equip - Complete Furnishing, to be perfecting. The root word points to “putting in order, arranging, and adjusting”
It’s my calling to equip you, the saint, to align or put in order your life in alignment with God’s word an will.
Saint - Hagios - sacred, consecrated, Most Holy.
We get this title because of our position of being IN CHRIST. I am to equip you, the saint, for the work of ministry. It’s my job to minister the equipping and your job to join me in the overall ministry of the body to grow to maturity as witnesses for Jesus Christ to the Lost Sheep of the world!
Jesus had brought the kingdom to the nation of Israel and they need to know it. He couldn’t spread the word on his own, it would take too long and no one would get to participate in the joyous task, so He commissioned and commanded his disciples to GO OUT and spread this message.
How
How
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.
They were to in faith go and perform the same miracles that they’d seen Jesus perform. All of this without charge.
What he says next goes against how we normally work!
Going Camping!! Pack for camping list!
Jesus called them to walk in dependence on God to provide for the job they were preforming. HE placed them in a position to where they had to walk in faith and trust that Go would provide.
Jesus didn’t charge these disciples anything for the teaching he was instilling in them. They were to give what they had received free of charge.
They should expect God to meet their needs, without taking undue concern for their own needs. They should expect that God would normally meet their needs through the inspired hospitality of others.
A laborer deserves his food! Faithful people will help provide for the workers who carry out the mission of the Father!
Where
Where
11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.
Those who did receive these disciples can expect to be blessed (let your peace come upon it); but those places that refused them could expect to be treated as Gentile cities (shake off the dust from your feet), meaning they were in serious danger of judgment.
Example of someone worthy (Conversion of Lydia):
Acts 16:14–15 (ESV)
14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
This is the heart of someone worthy. The disciples weren’t suppose to shop around for the home with the best food, most comfortable beds, cleanest bathrooms or best local attractions close by. They didn’t check the reviews on GalileeBNB. They looked to whether the household was worthy, they let their peace come upon it, simply by entering in as ministers of the Kingdom. The home owner would receive a blessing for being found worthy.
greet - embrace, to welcome
If the message they brought was rejected they were to move on. Not carry any of that
A pious Jew, on leaving Gentile territory, might remove the dust from his feet and clothes. All dust of the pagan land now being left behind, dissociating himself from the pollution of those lands and the judgment in store for them.
For the disciples to do this to Jewish homes and towns would be a symbolic way of saying that the emissaries of Messiah now viewed those places as pagan, polluted, and liable to severe judgment.
15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Sodom and Gomorrah faced destruction of epic proportions because of their sin (Gen. 19) and became examples of hated and despised corruption. Although there is still worse to come for them on the Day of Judgment, there is even more awful judgment for those who reject the word and the messengers of the Messiah. This is the warning to all who would reject the message of love found in the Gospel.
I think our dilemma at times is we get hung up on people not coming to faith and we want to spend more and more time trying to convert them, when that’s not our job and not what we are called to do.
Ultimately Jesus is calling us to a life of trusting Him! We trust Him, first for salvation, then to provide for those who will follow Him faithfully. We are called to something that people are going to reject at times, maybe even more times than not. That’s not on us, that’s on them. We are called to deliver a message of reconciliation. God making His appeal through us. Those who reject Him are rejecting Him. We are called to nock the dust off our shows, refuse to own any part of their rejection of him and walk on to the next person that God leads us to.
Doing all of this, not with a calloused heart! Not with indifference. Saddened with compassion for them because we know what awaits them if they reject. Pray for them that they would open their eyes to the truth.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
Communion