Called & Sent // Matthew 10:1-15

Introduction

Announcements:

The Table — immediately after the gathering; pizza

Holiday Walk — December 7th; soft pretzels; sign up on monthly

Transition: Last week, we studied the end of Matthew 9 where we see how it is Jesus’s compassion for the world working in and through us that compels us to participate in his harvest. This week, we start a new “section” of Matthew’s Gospel — the second major discourse — where Jesus teaches about how his ministry will be carried forward through the “Word and Deed” of others. In our passage this morning, Jesus formally recognizes twelve of his disciples by name who had become his closest partners in ministry… and they not only get a name but a specific commission to carry on the same ministry they’d been witnessing Jesus doing.

Matthew 10:1–15 CSB

Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritan town. Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a staff, for the worker is worthy of his food. When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. Greet a household when you enter it, and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it; but if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone does not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Big Idea: Jesus sends out his church to carry on his ministry.

We are sent with Jesus’s authority (v.1)

We are sent for Jesus’s purpose (v.2a)

We are sent by Jesus’s power (v.2b-8)

We are sent in Jesus’s pattern (v.9-13)

Exegesis // Matthew 10:1-15

We are sent with Jesus’s authority (v.1)

Matthew 10:1 CSB

Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.

In the previous few chapters of Matthew, Jesus’s authority has been a focus —

Examples of Jesus’s authority:

Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus teaches the Law with authority (Matthew 7:29)

Jesus calmed the stormy seas because he has authority over Creation (Matthew 8:23-27)

Jesus casts out demons showing his authority over the spiritual realm (Matthew 8:28-34)

Jesus teaches the paralytic man that he has authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6)

Clever narrative technique from Matthew — now that we’ve been captured by the authority of Jesus and his wonder working power, we can see the significance…

Jesus gives his disciples’ the same authority to continue his ministry —

Authority to “drive out unclean spirits and to heal every sickness and disease” — the repetition of the greek πᾶσαν before “disease” and “sickness” suggests that there was no one too broken, no sickness to severe for the disciples to overcome — why?

Because they were sent with the authority of the one to whom all authority in heaven and on earth had been given.

In 1st century Jewish culture, there was a legal concept called the shaliah that Jesus would no doubt have had in mind — this term described a person who was authorized to work on behalf of another person as a representative in legal or business matters.

Ben Witherington notes how this concept was so established in the culture that a common turn of phrase was that “a man’s agent is as himself” — Meaning that whatever an agent sent on behalf of another did or said, it is as though the sender himself had done or said it.

It also meant that whatever authority and power that the sender had was delegated to the agent to act and speak on his behalf.

This concept in the background helps us to see the significance of what Jesus is doing here — when Jesus sends out his disciples to the world, he’s not just asking them to tell good stories about his wonder working power, or simply to pass along his wise teaching about the good life…

When Jesus sends out his disciples into the world, he delegates his authority to proclaim the Good News and continue to the work of ministry they’d witnessed him doing — from the mundane to the miraculous.

As true as it was for these 12 men in Galilee some 2,000 years ago, so it is true for us today. On the foundation of theses apostles sits the Church (all of us!) who are sent with the same authority to display and declare the Good News.

That authority of Jesus given among the church is the foundation of what we know of as the Great Commission — Matthew 28:18-20 — “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Do you believe that is true? That the miracle-working healer has called you by his authority to push back darkness in this world and proclaim the Good News?

Application: Being sent with Jesus’s authority reframes how we think about our mission.

Confidence — There is no spiritual force, demonic power, cultural idol, institution, sickness, or evil in this world over which Jesus does not have total authority… changes our paradigm:

When we seek justice and renewal in our city and in our country in the name of Jesus, we know that he has the authority to bring healing when it feels impossible.

When we push back against the darkness in our culture, we know that he has the authority to topple institutions and break the hardened hearts of those doing the work of the enemy.

When we preach the gospel to the lost and dying who might hate us or think everything we believe and live is backwards and regressive, we know that Jesus has the authority over sin to forgive, wash clean, and make new even the most rebellious of hearts.

There are many things that could be said about how this confidence in Jesus’s authority might transform the church, but there’s a few things I know for sure:

We aren’t praying boldly enough — What if we believed not just that God could hear, but that he was able in his authority to move among us and act according to his will?

We aren’t acting with the conviction we should — What if we actually believed that there was nothing outside of Jesus’s domain? No spiritual stronghold, no sickness or disease, no individual who needs to hear the Good News… If Jesus truly has authority over all things, then we should be emboldened to speak and act as representatives of him and his Kingdom.

Assurance — To navigate rejection.

Jesus acknowledges in Matt 10:14-15 that being sent with his authority won’t be a “name it and claim it power” we can call down in every place we see spiritual darkness; In fact, there will be people who don’t welcome the gospel.

Jesus tells us this so that we know when we face rejection, it isn’t a malfunction; it is his sovereign will at work in the hearts and lives of people as he sees fit.

If God doesn’t open the door with your lost friends or give you the favor in opportunities you’re faithfully pursuing, you can trust that he has all authority, and he is working in the lives of others according to his will — even if you can’t see or understand it.

That’s why he tells us that when we face rejection, we should shake the dust from our feet and move on — that might sound uncomfortable and harsh, but this isn’t an expression of derision towards those who reject us, but an exercise of trust in the sovereign work and grace of God… He will work in the lives and hearts of people as he sees fit and in his timing.

Since we are sent out as his representatives, Jesus tells us to expect the same treatment the world gave him; therefore, we will experience rejection in preaching the gospel not because we didn’t pray hard enough or speak eloquently enough, but because people have rejected Jesus in their hearts.

Boundary — The authority of Jesus has been given to his disciples not to do as we please but to accomplish his purposes in the world… AKA = He has authority over my life too.

We are sent for Jesus’s purpose (v.2a)

Matthew 10:2 CSB

These are the names of the twelve apostles…

Up until this point, Matthew has only referred to these men as disciples meaning follower, learner, or apprentice; but now, Jesus calls them apostles meaning “sent ones”

That movement is intentional — Jesus wants us to see that being his disciple is not just about learning from him or being near to him; it is about carrying on his purpose in the world.

In the ancient world, this word apostle often referred to a royal emissary — a king’s messenger or a diplomat to carry out royal business… a person who wouldn’t act on behalf of themselves or their interests, but according to the purposes of the one who sent them.

When Matthew calls these men apostles, he’s signaling to us that Jesus isn’t gathering a crowd of a crowd of people who are impressed with his teaching — he’s commissioning an emissary to work on his behalf in the world.

This means that our lives should not be shaped by our ambitions, hopes, and dreams but by our surrender to the purposes of Jesus in the world that he means to accomplish through us.

Application: As master, so emissary — we’ve seen Jesus’s work in two domains which should frame the calling of our lives:

Preach the Good News of his Kingdom

Matt 10:6 — κηρύσσω refers to making a public announcement — often used in an official sense to describe a herald who made proclamations for a king or announced his arrival.

Jesus’s disciples are sent to carry forward the message of Matt 4:17 — “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Put together — The calling on your life is to proclaim that the King has come and that his Kingdom is near.

Do the work of the Kingdom

Jesus tells the disciples that the supernatural, life-changing ministry he’s done on earth doesn’t terminate with him — Matthew 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons.”

Might make you feel uncomfortable — I know we’re a church who says that we are “eager continuationists” which means that we believe that the Spirit is still alive and active in the church… but I don’t know what to think about the miraculous.

I’m not saying that you’ll cast out demons this afternoon at the grocery store or pray over your aunt with cancer and she’ll be supernaturally healed — We don’t know how the Spirit will move and work among us, but what we do know is that when the Kingdom breaks into this world, the power of God manifests among us in ways we can’t control or predict… what we can do is believe that God is able to work in profound ways in and through us, and be expectant and available for it.

Case study — The only example we see of this being failed is in Matt 17:14-20 when their efforts were impeded by their “little faith”… don’t miss the supernatural work of God in and through your life because your faith was too small.

Because what we’ll see next is that…

We are sent by Jesus’s power (v.2b-8)

Matthew 10:2–8 CSB

These are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritan town. Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

What’s noteworthy about seeing these names all together here is that the apostles were ordinary, flawed, and unremarkable people. Among these names are…

Simon Peter — Unskilled fisherman, impulsive, quick to speak and slow to think… the one who denied Jesus three times because he was an emotionally volatile, prideful, and fearful man, but Jesus called him the “rock” on who he would build his church such that the gates of hell wouldn’t prevail against it (Matt 16:18)

Andrew — A fishermen we know very little about and whose story is untold and perhaps even overshadowed by his brother Simon Peter.

James (son of Zebedee) — Known as one of the “sons of thunder” (Mk 3:17) because he was hot-tempered and ambitious… he was the one vying for status and privilege in the Kingdom (Mk 10:35-45) asking Jesus if he could sit at his right hand in Heaven.

John (brother of James) — The second hot-headed brother who early on asked Jesus if they could call fire down on people who opposed them (Lk 9:54) but later wrote the Gospel of John, three NT epistles, and the book of Revelation… all of which ironically known for their emphasis on love; not because he got a little older and calmer, but because he was “the disciples whom Jesus loved” — and his experienced with the profound love of Jesus transformed him into a person of radical, sacrificial love.

Philip — Fisherman or tradesman from Bethsaida who was cautious and analytical; He was slow to understand Jesus’s power (John 6:5-7) because he was a pragmatist with weak faith.

Bartholomew — We know almost nothing about from Scripture or history other than that he was a doubter from the start because of Jesus’s place of origin in Nazareth (John 1:46).

Thomas — Who you know as “doubting Thomas” because his pessimism and skepticism earned him a reputation as a doubter that constantly needed proof despite what he had already seen (Jn 20:25)… but who is also the one who Jesus graciously and tenderly invited to touch his wounded resurrected body, making him believe and proclaim “My Lord and my God!”

Matthew — The writer of this gospel who was working for the Roman government and considered to be a traitor to his own people; he was likely a social outcast known for his moral compromise, probably spat upon by Jews who walked by — but God redeemed and used his intellect to be a scribe “trained for the Kingdom of Heaven” who wrote this gospel instructing us how all of Scripture points to Jesus, which has been a treasure to the church.

James (son of Alphaeus) — Who is sometimes nicknamed “James the Less” because we know virtually nothing about him and his story is so obscure.

Thaddeus — Who has one line in Scripture where he asks Jesus a question (John 14:22); apart from that he is by every worldly standard anonymous and forgettable

Simon the Zealot — Who might have been among the first in a radical Jewish nationalist movement who opposed Rome and would have hated a traitor like his fellow disciple, Matthew the tax collector — but becomes united across political, social, and religious interests to these men for the sake of the gospel.

Judas Iscariot — Who we don’t know much about other than that he betrayed Jesus before his crucifixion for pocket change, proving to us that proximity to Jesus throughout his life couldn’t produce enduring faith.

The reason I teach you their names and their stories is to show you that these were not rabbis, scholars, or people with great influence — They were painfully ordinary, deeply flawed, and inconsistently faithful men who Jesus called out to establish his church and proclaim the gospel.

How was this possible? — Because the power of the mission isn’t the people, it’s the one who sends them, and these men (just as we are today) have been sent by the power of Jesus.

God accomplishes extraordinary things through ordinary people who are yielded to his power working through them.

This has always been God’s pattern… 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 “Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence.”

Application: Your calling isn’t to be somebody or accomplish great things by your own effort, but to yield to the power of God working in and through you.

We are sent in Jesus’s pattern (v.9-13)

Matthew 10:9–13 CSB

Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a staff, for the worker is worthy of his food. When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. Greet a household when you enter it, and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it; but if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you.

Jesus’s earthly ministry involved traveling around lightly and he instructs his disciples to do the same as they go on.

Don’t acquire = Doesn’t necessarily refer to the relative amount of possessions one has, but a posture to “go as you are” believing Jesus will provide.

Jesus prohibited the usual preparation and to depend on his provision and the favor of certain households to house, clothe, and feed them that presumably he would give them.

Witherington — Jesus is not urging asceticism but rather simplicity and willingness to move on faith and allow God to provide through others.

Following Jesus does have implications for our lifestyle

Does this mean we all have to sell everything and become traveling preachers?

No, it does mean that we should live simply, in a way that doesn’t bring disrepute to the gospel, and with ambivalence towards out things that would make us willing to move on faith, or that is overly fearful that causes us not to believe

Sounds really scary, but it is a gift to trust and depend on the Lord

Don’t get so weighed down by excess that you forget which Kingdom you’re living for.

v.8 — Live such that I can be generous with what God has given me.

Application: Is your lifestyle a hinderance to the call of discipleship?

Be free from excessive debt, live beneath your means, give generously

The more you carry, the less you are willing to move.

Receive the gift of dependence from God and the hospitality of his people.

Conclusion