20.6.28a - Matthew 10 - Training Shepherds

Our study last time left us with a cliff hanger. Jesus has revealed God's desire for mercy and not sacrifice to the Pharisees. Then, he showed them why he is not interested in doing all of the fasting and sacrifices that the Pharisees command. After that, we see him showing mercy and compassion to all different kinds of people. The Pharisees respond to this with a statement that explains how unmerciful they had become, saying, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons." Jesus goes on teaching and healing, but his words in verse 36-38 are essential for our study.

Matthew 9:36--38 (ESV) --- 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.”

Jesus sees these crowds and knows that they are wandering around harassed and helpless. They need a good shepherd to take care of them. But then, he also speaks with another figure to his disciples, saying, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." These sheep are ready to be gathered, but he gives his disciples the impression that he cannot do it alone. They will need to pray that God will provide them with laborers to share the load and gather the harvest. What will God do for these lost sheep, and how will he do it?

Jesus Gives Authority (1-4)

Matthew 10:1--4 (ESV) --- 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.

It has been interesting to see how God gave Jesus such great power and authority in the last two chapters. Now he gives that authority to twelve disciples. Isn't it also interesting that Matthew hasn't described the background of all twelve disciples? The first four were described back in Chapter 4. Otherwise, Matthew only describes his own calling. His focus has been on Jesus for nine chapters. These twelve men seem to be from many different walks of life. We are not told that they have any credentials for the work Jesus is giving them. So why would Jesus give them such power and authority? What makes them worthy of this? We have no idea. They were ordinary guys as far as we can tell. Maybe that's the whole point.

What's really odd about this is that Jesus is setting up these guys to answer the prayer that all of the disciples were just praying. How many of us pray for people to come to the Lord without ever considering God wants to do that through us? Jesus had them pray for laborers. Then, he chose 12 laborers expecting God to give him what he was praying for through these 12.

Sending Them Out With Instructions (5-15)

The next four sections are about Jesus preparing his disciples for this work. He gives them instructions, sets their expectations, calms their fears, and tries to correct their misconceptions.

Matthew 10:5--15 (ESV) --- 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. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 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. 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. 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.

These verses indicate that Jesus was very strict in his instructions. These disciples were going through a limited training course.

Jesus commanded only to proclaim the gospel and heal the lost sheep of the house of Israel.Jesus commanded to refuse payment for the blessings they receive from GodJesus commanded to take no supplies with them and rely entirely on the Lord to provide their foodJesus commanded to seek out someone worthy in each town, give them peace, and stay with them until they finish.Jesus commanded to take away peace and reject those who are not worthy and those who will not listen to the gospel message. They will be judged more harshly than Sodom and Gomorrah.

All of these instructions show that Jesus wants him to do the very same work that he is in the process of doing. He does not want them to go off and do their own thing at this time. They are still in a training phase, and he doesn't want them to bite off more than they can chew. All of these instructions show us that he understands their need for spiritual growth. He starts them out with what they are familiar with. They just need to keep doing what Jesus has been doing in front of them. What patience and what an example of good teaching and mentorship. He does not expect more of them than they can handle.

Setting Their Expectations (16-25)

Matthew 10:16--25 (ESV) --- 16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns 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 the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

In this section, we see Jesus giving them the unfortunate side of his mission. This job is not half as glamorous as it appears. I love how he grabs their attention with the word "Behold" at the beginning of this section. This is extremely important. They must understand that they are sheep amidst wolves. There are many out there who are looking for an opportunity to devour them. This is something that we would not expect when men heal others and preach the good news of the kingdom. Why would anyone reject their message and all of the good they are going to do?

Serpents and Doves

Jesus says that they will need to be wise or shrewd as serpents. Typically serpents are given a bad image since Satan was described as one in Genesis. But Jesus is pointing to the cunning nature of evil and trying to get his disciples to think one step ahead of them. This is not an encouragement to do evil, though. Notice that he immediately follows with a desire to maintain their innocence like doves. White doves were a symbol of purity. They need to consider the path that will be most beneficial to their work while remaining pure and righteous before God.

Persecution Described

Then, in verses 18-20, he tells them that when they are delivered to courts and forced to testify. This is not something we read about until after Jesus ascends into heaven, but he is trying to help them see the nature of evil around them.

Verses 21-22 let them know that those who they trust most will turn against them. They can expect to lose family for their beliefs and allegiance to Jesus. What a sad statement. Following the way of truth and reaching out to the lost sheep of Israel will not guarantee their family's salvation. But it will ensure the salvation of yourself.

Comfort

Giving his disciples the expectation that wolves will surround them might scare them, but he comforts them by saying that God will be with them when they testify. He will send his Spirit to speak through them. In verse 23, he tells them that it is perfectly fine to flee from persecution. They aren't out there trying to be martyrs for the cause. The goal is to spread the good news and bring the lost sheep back to God just like their teacher and master.

The final verse of this section guarantees that they will be maligned for speaking the truth and trying to help people. People will not like to hear that Jesus is the Messiah and that they must repent of their sins and follow him.

Calming Their Fears (26-33)

I imagine all of the disciples were rethinking their decision to do this after Jesus sets their expectations. So he again comes in with reassurance.

Matthew 10:26--33 (ESV) --- 26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus tells them to have no fear three times in this section. He wants them to know that they can speak everything that they have heard from Jesus and condemn the evil of the world around them. If people try to do evil and hide it, it will be revealed. If people try to speak against the truth, they will be exposed as evil. Instead of being afraid of the world, Jesus tells them to be fearful of God judging them for concealing the truth, denying Jesus, and allowing the lost to stay lost (28, 33). God loves them and cares for them while they remain faithful. He can provide everything they need. But if they betray him, they can expect to be denied in heaven. This is a startling statement that no one likes to think about. It should bring to our minds Peter's denial of Jesus on three occasions.

Fighting Misconceptions (34-42)

Matthew 10:34--42 (ESV) --- 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

The final section on helping the twelve with their work restates the expectations in another way to make sure that they understand. Jesus' message of peace will not bring peace. People will not accept the peace he offers them, and as a result, they will be betrayed by those they love most in the world. The only way they will be able to deal with persecution is if they love Jesus more than they love their family.

This is what it looks like to take up your cross and follow Jesus. It looks like finding life, but also losing the life you have previously known. It looks like giving up the old way of life for Jesus and finding a new life. This last section is intended to clear up any misconceptions they have about this work. It will be difficult, but this is the only way for the lost sheep of Israel to find the reward. People have to be willing to love Jesus and the truth more than they love their own lives and their own families.

Application

This whole section is describing the work of Jesus. He does not send his disciples out to do something that he is not willing to do. After we look at this, we might be tempted to think, "Who would ever agree to live a life like that?" But aren't you glad that people did? The willingness of men and women to leave their lives of luxury or comfort and seek the lost sheep has made it possible for us to find a new life in Christ.

Notice how caring God is for his workers. God provided them with what they needed (10). He wanted them to leave when people reject the message (13-14). They were free to use wisdom and discernment to do what was most beneficial to them, but they were limited by what is pure and righteous (16). God promised to help them speak when they were put in intense situations (19-20). He promised salvation to those who endure (22). He knew they would not always be loved for the message, and he permitted them to flee when persecution was on the rise (23). Overall, he was not asking them to do anything that Jesus himself wasn't already doing (25). They had nothing to be afraid of except turning their back on him. The final words of encouragement in verses 29-30 bring up the birds and remind us that God is in complete control. He knows the number of hairs on our head.

This is all interesting, but how does it relate to us? We are not given authority over sicknesses and the ability to cast out demons. Are we supposed to go to the lost sheep of Israel?

Matthew 5:11--16 (ESV) --- 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

The words of Jesus to his disciples are just a taste of God's intentions for us. Jesus calls all of us to shine as a light to the world as well. I know many of us don't feel comfortable doing that, but we don't get the impression that our comfort is essential. Comfort is an idol that replaces the will of God. This is about lost souls! As Jesus looked out and had compassion on the multitude of people who were utterly lost and confused by the religious leaders of their day, do we not feel any relation? How many people around us have no idea what the true gospel is all about?

There are literally hundreds of thousands of unchurched people in Mobile County. I wonder how many of them have been given and believed in a distorted gospel. I wonder how many of them don't think they are smart enough to understand the Bible. I wonder how many believe that their sin is too bad for God to forgive. Thousands will mock and scorn, but what about the Matthews?

We have developed several mentalities that I'm afraid God would disapprove of. We say, "I'm just too busy for that." Really? Are we too busy to help a lost soul find God? We say, "I'll let the professionals handle that. I don't have a degree in theology." Look at these disciples and tell me which one of them is qualified to share the good news. This is hands-on training. Maybe we say, "If I say something, I will just get rejected like always." If that's the case, we need to look a little harder at the phrase, "Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." If everyone rejects the message, we need to be sure that we are humble and gracious as we speak. We don't know what the next person will say. Also, realize that Jesus does not sugar coat this. Even those who were friendly to him did not always obey the message. Most rejected it, but there was a Matthew. We don't need to be afraid of rejection. We need to be fearful of the Lord, who will deny us on the most important day of our existence if we live a life that denies him.

We don't have to become a missionary going from town to town, yelling in the streets. But Jesus wants us to let our family and neighbors know whose side we are on, even when it is unpopular. We are here to shine as lights, and we better not hide our lights under a basket.

1 Peter 4:12 (ESV) --- 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

Conclusion

This message hits home for a lot of us. Evangelism sermons always hurt because it is so against the grain right now in our society. I plan to begin an evangelism class on Sunday mornings that will start July 12. Please make plans to be there and help us equip one another for the work.