Are We Greater than Our Master?

We’ve probably all experienced it - someone calls you on the phone, someone comes to your house, the doctor comes into the room - and asks that peculiar yet familiar question.

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

Psychologists may be able to predict, based on your personality type, which one you will want to hear first. Do you want the good news first so it can temper your attitude and prepare you for the bad news, or do you want the bad news first so that you can take the positive in perspective of the negative?

Many of you know that I was home-schooled throughout my growing-up years. My mother, then, was my rigid instructor, and she instilled in me the attitude of “do the worst first.” Whatever subject in school I was least inclined to do, that is what I was supposed to tackle. Use your energy and effort to get through the difficult, and then the rest will seem like a breeze.

I’d like to think that mentality has followed me through life, although as an adult, you have more and more opportunity for procrastination. Sometimes the best option seems not to be “worst first,” but “worst never.” Avoidance plagues many of us - but the difficult things of life are always coming, they are always looming, they cannot really be escaped even if they are postponed for a later date.

Well, this idea of “bad news good news” is very much present in our text today. Lets read it together. Matthew 10:16-42

I want you to notice Jesus’ comment in verse 24 specifically.

Matthew 10:24 ESV

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

In the rest of this passage, Jesus is giving instruction to his disciples, but he is also tipping his cards to reveal his own fate. All of this warning about persecution and division would first and primarily be experienced by Jesus himself, even before his disciples.

If you followed that passage closely, you may have noticed a little pattern - bad news, good news, bad news, good news. For our purpose today, I would probably frame it this way - warning, comfort, warning, comfort.

As Matt showed us last week, Jesus is commissioning his Disciples for the first time, sending them out with his message of the Kingdom.

Even in that passage, we began to see hints of “warning signs” that things may not always be easy. For instance, Jesus said in verse 14

Matthew 10:14 ESV

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.

So there would be a noticeable constituency that certainly would not receive the message that the Apostles would bring. There would be a sizeable group of people who would decisively not accept the message of the Kingdom.

That is sort of the “initial” warning, but beginning in verse 16, Jesus starts to let them know that it’s going to be more than just a simple “receive or not receive” problem. There will be passive rejection, but there will also be active rejection as well.

Also, there is a sense in which the text last week, verses 5-15, were very specific for this initial “sending” that Jesus does - the instructions had just to do with the Jewish cities and villages that the disciples would go to. But In this next section, it becomes clear that Jesus’ warnings and comforts extend into the future as well. So in a real sense, these warnings and comforts look to apply to us today, as Jesus’ disciples nearly 2,000 years later.

The warnings include persecution and division - two things that have been experienced almost ubiquitously throughout the centuries by followers of Christ. There are seasons in which the local experience of these things wax and wane, but there has never been a generation of Christ’s followers that hasn’t come up against these things.

So in this case, Jesus is the Great Physician who is like unto that doctor that comes into the examining room and “gives it to us straight.”

So we will see this today:

As Jesus promised, Christians will experience persecution and division because of His name. But the providence of God and eternal value of the mission give us great comfort.

Warning #1 - Vs. 16-25

The first warning is that of persecution. Of course, we can hardly forget that we have already seen the topic of persecution in the Gospel of Matthew, and that was the final beatitude in Matthew 5 where Jesus said this:

Matthew 5:10–12 ESV

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

You might remember some of this definition from when we studied that passage. Persecution, by definition, is to be subject to systematic harassment and attack due to your religious belief or affiliation.

The word that Jesus uses means, literally, to be pursued, chased, driven away, harassed, or hunted. That makes it fairly vivid. In other words, persecution isn’t bad luck or a series of misfortunes, it is an intentional, personal, motivated pursuit for the sake of harm or defamation.

Now, in most translations, the word “persecution” isn’t actually used in Matthew 10, but it is so vividly and clearly described for us in this passage, we could hardly go anywhere else better to find a definition. So, in stead of taking more time to define it, lets just jump right into the text and see the words of warning that Jesus gives regarding these things.

Matthew 10:16 ESV

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

He begins, as Jesus often does, with a metaphor or an illustration. We get the image of four animals in this illustrations.

Sheep, Wolves, Snakes, Doves. Why the zoo? What can we make of this?

Well, he says “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.” It doesn’t take much of an imagination to get the picture there. The allusion to Christians or Jesus’ followers as “sheep” is so common in scripture. And, the allusion to fierce enemies also came up in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 7:15 ““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

It is interesting, though, that Jesus says “i am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.” He speaks in the present tense, as if the disciples are already sheep, and the wolves are already surrounding them. The clear and present “danger” if we want to call it that, is not a surprise or an anomaly to Jesus. He is well-aware of the difficulties, the rejection, and the disposition of dismissal that He and His disciples are in.

Isaiah 53:3 ESV

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

So, rejection, even violent rejection, was not a surprise - actually - and we will see more about this - it was on the radar the whole time.

Jesus then gives them instruction, still in the realm of this zoological illustration. he tells them to be “wise as serpents and harmless/innocent as doves.”

A snake is prudent, wise, and sensible - there is no wasted energy, no wasted motion, no needless gestures and noises - everything is calculated and geared to their survival and flourishing. A snake, you might say, is not reckless. And Jesus tells them, “be wise as serpents.”

In other words, you know that you are going in to a difficult mission field - don’t waste your movements! Make them count! Don’t act recklessly, but be ready!

At the same time, he says “innocent/harmless as doves.” Snakes are not known as harmless, and doves are not known for their wisdom - but when you pair the two, concepts, it is quite a personality.

A snake is subtil, “street smart,” ready for attack, and wise - but a dove wouldn’t harm a soul, except maybe a bug or a worm. Jesus is saying, be wise and aware, but don’t cause any unnecessary trouble or violence. Jesus’ Gospel would be plenty divisive enough without the disciples inciting their own personal drama and creating a scene.

We would be prudent to look at this warning - when we interact with those outside the faith, we know we are outnumbered, and we know in this day and age, hostility is on the rise toward the Bible and Jesus and Christianity - but may the accusation of belligerence never stick. May we never create our own personal drama for the name of Christ - His name and His Gospel are offensive and divisive enough without us adding our own problems. May we be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Matthew 10:17–18 ESV

Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.

Here is the part of the warning where we begin to see further into the future. We have no indication that these things happened on this first mission, and we have specific information that they were to only go to the Jewish cities and villages at this time. So Jesus was looking ahead here, and perhaps seeing even to our day.

But, if we look carefully, we can assume that he was also seeing himself in this prediction as well.

Delivered over to courts? Like the sanhedrin, perhaps?

Flogged in synagogues?

dragged before governors, like Pilate, for instance?

dragged before Kings? Like King Herod?

Certainly, in the book of Acts, we will read how many of Jesus’ disciples faced these very things - but before they ever imagined it, Jesus Himself faced all of these things. And we haven’t gotten there yet, but we can already see that key verse - is a disciple greater than his teacher?

It seems that Jesus is indeed forshadowing his own experience, and also opening up a picture of the future - a future that we live in. We have not faced these persecutions in our nation, in our day, but many of our brothers and sisters around the globe face these very things.

Matthew 10:19–20 ESV

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. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

And therefore, since Jesus is looking into the future, and not just this initial mission, we can take his words here as words for us as well.

He says here, in a sense, don’t spend your time being worked up about what you will do in that moment. I remember in college, walking often by a painting in the hallway of Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley being burned at the stake in England for spreading the Gospel and furthering the Protestant Reformation.

The famous quote that came from that very true story is Hugh Latimer saying to Ridley, “We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s Grace, in England as I trust shall never be put out.”

That example was 500 years ago, and time wouldn’t permit to tell of the thousands who faced similar fates before and since for the sake of the Gospel.

When you hear heroic and fateful words like that, of someone who was actively being burned at the stake, you wonder if you could ever imaging even having anything to say at all - but that is a bit of what Jesus is saying here. Don’t work yourself up about that moment - follow the Lord through Life, and if and when that day comes, His grace will be sufficient in the moment and he will give you the strength to endure and speak for His glory.

Now, this promise doesn’t apply universally to every time we are ever in a position to speak about Christ. We are called, after all, to be prepared to give an answer at any time for the hope that is within us. But in the unimaginable and unbearable circumstance of persecution, Christ’s Grace is sufficient.

And, before we move on, notice who Jesus said would give us the words to say - the Spirit of “your Father.” This personal, specific reference of God as “our Father” comes to us in Jesus, and is very comforting, even in this warning.

Matthew 10:21–23 ESV

Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 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.

This persecution will be personal.

Brother against Brother, Father against child, children against parents.

We will see this come up again later in this passage, for the sake of time we will leave it for a few moments.

Note, Jesus says “you will be hated by all “for my Name’s Sake.” Jesus is specific - this is not just general dislike, or political disagreement, or sociological discrepancy - this is hatred for the name and sake of Jesus and His Message.

Matthew 10:23 ESV

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.

This verse has been a challenge to Bible Teachers for centuries, because it is hard to interpret Just what Jesus meant by “you will not have gone through all the towns of isreal before the Son of Man comes.”

Firstly, Jesus is the Son of Man, and He was already there - so he must be referring to a future time, another coming. Did he mean that they would not have reached all the towns of Israel before the Second Coming of Christ? Well, if that’s the case, that time frame is still ongoing.

I will give you what I think is a very plausible interpretation, but then I will give you what I think is a universal application regardless of what you think this means.

I think Jesus was actually referring to the Prophecy in Daniel 7, referring to the Son of Man “coming” to the Ancient of Days.

Daniel 7:13–14 ESV

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Notice, the “son of man came to the ancient of Days.” Well, if Jesus is the Son of Man, and he is said to have “come” to God, or the Ancient of Days, when would that have been? At His ascension. This vision is fitting with Jesus Kingdom Motif, because that is what Jesus came declaring, and that eternal Kingdom is what He purchased on the Cross.

So if that’s what Jesus was referring to, which I think is likely, then he was saying that this message wouldn’t have reached all the towns of Israel before His death, burial, resurrection, and Ascension.

Now, you may disagree with that interpretation - and we can still be friends. But here is an application that is meaningful and true regardless.

Jesus is saying, the work of spreading the Gospel is never complete. If you are bogged down in one town, go to the next! There are always more people to tell, always more to reach.

I recently heard the statistic that there are nearly 3.5 Billion people across the world who have never heard the name of Jesus, let alone what He has done. Can you imagine? 3.5 billion people! And that number is rising. There is much work to be done - the work of the Gospel is not complete until God says it is complete.

Matthew 10:24–25 ESV

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 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.

Finally, Jesus closes this first warning by saying this: If they do all this to me, they’re going to do it to you.

John 15:18 ESV

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Dear one, we have lived in a state of relative ease as Christians in this country for over 200 years. But hear this, We have no reason to believe that comfortable, cultural Christianity is to be the norm. Jesus speaks to His disciples, and I truly believe speaks to us, and says - it will be difficult. There will be persecution. Expect it, embrace it - earlier he said, blessed are the persecuted for theirs is the Kingdom!

Persecution is not a sign that the Gospel is losing, Persecution is a sign that the Gospel is working and is true.

So that is the first warning - persecution. But Jesus doesn’t stop there, he goes on with comforting words also.

Comfort #1 - Vs. 26-33

The essential staple of Jesus comfort in these 8 verses is this - God the Father’s providential care. God’s Providence

This comfort starts with “have no fear...”

Matthew 10:26–27 ESV

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

All things will be revealed. Those who are evil will be eventually revealed in their evil, and what is right will eventually be uncovered as being right.

Also, Jesus opens up new pathways for the Gospel here, because he says “what I tell you in the dark, say in the light...”

Jesus, to this point, has been a bit secretive about his identity. He has said more than once to peope he has healed or delivered, “don’t tell anyone about this.” This is often referred to as the Messianic Secret. But now, the time has come for the floodgates of truth to be opened. No longer is anything held back, but Jesus is to be proclaimed in full.

And he sends them proclaiming this, knowing that it is going to get him killed in the process - but that is part of the plan, and that is why he can say what he says next.

Matthew 10:28 ESV

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.

Do not fear those who can kill the body - like the Jewish court that will condemn Jesus to death, or like the Roman Soldiers who would carry out orders to crucify him. Do not fear those who can kill the body, they are only part of the plan - rather, fear him who is above body and soul - who determines ultimate destiny, ultimate outcome.

I have asked myself this in trying times - am I more afraid of death and dying, or of God who gives life and has numbered our days, and who determines our eternal destiny?

Then, we get some of the most powerful an revealing words about God’s providence and Sovereignty in all the Bible.

Matthew 10:29–31 ESV

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Now, if I had written that, I would have said, “not one of them will fall to the ground because of your Father.” But that is not what Jesus says.

Not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Now, remember, Jesus is using the sparrows, which he says we are of much more value than, as an illustration of those who are persecuted even unto death, and He is saying, not one will fall apart from God the Father.

How is that comforting? How is it comforting to know that God sees everything, knows everything, to some degree ordains everything, yet sparrows still fall and people still die in persecution?

It is in these questions that we must remember who God is.

Psalm 100:5 ESV

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Ephesians 1:11 ESV

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Now, what do we see in those texts?

God is Good - aways good.

God orders and allows everything in His wisdom.

God works things together for good for those who love him.

So, if God sees the sparrow fall, euphemism for persecution, and he allows it, and he is aware of it, and to some degree even ordained it, and we know that God doesn’t do anything haphazardly, but does it by His Wisdom - ultimate wisdom - then we know that nothing is meaningless, even the perseecution - it is not meaningless.

there is no meaningless suffering, death, or persecution for Jesus’ followers. All of it is under God’s watchcare, for His glorious purposes, in His wisdom, and is being worked for Good by His Sovereign Hand.

Therefore, we do not fear _____ fill in the blank. Government, fiends, family, persecutors, death, disease, slander - because we know not one of us falls or suffers apart from our Father, and our days and times are in His hands.

Warning #2 - Vs. 34-39

Here Jesus comes back to a warning, and this time in stead of general persecution, he brings it very close to home.

Matthew 10:34 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

We take this verse obviously in the full context of scripture, and we know that Jesus does bring us peace - peace that passes understanding, for instance. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. That is, there is something God-like in making peace.

But, while the Gospel “makes peace” between God and man, reconciling that great divide, it doesn’t always “keep peace” when it means the uprooting of families, cultures, traditions, and presuppositions.

In that sense, the Gospel is very much a dividing sword that asks the Question - will you follow Jesus, or will you remain in your old ways?

As we saw earlier, the division can be very personal also.

We are called to honor our parents, love and obey them as children, we are called to honor and live peaceably as much as possible with all men - but in the final analysis, when it comes right down to the heart of it, right down to the moment of truth, we cannot sacrifice the truth of Jesus and the Gospel on the altar of feigned peace.

In that case, we might keep a relationship, but there will be no true peace.

Matthew 10:37–38 ESV

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. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

This is difficult, but it is also freeing - we must love Jesus Christ, treasure him and adore him supremely, above all our family, even our parents, even our spouses, even our children.

You might be thinking, what could that possibly look like?

As a parent, it might look like upholding God’s righteous ways and truths in your home even when your children despise them.

As a spouse, it may look like leading firmly but lovingly toward Jesus through God’s Word, even if your other spouse despises it.

As a child, it may look like following Jesus with your life’s decisions even if your unbelieving parents disapprove of what you are doing.

At the conference that Lizzy and I just attended, we had the privilege of hearing from a pastor named Afshin Ziaphat. Afshin is an Iranian immigrant to the US. He was born and raised into a very Devout Muslim household.

His Father was a medical doctor, and always wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, even offering to pass his well-established private practice down to His son. Well, that all became an issue when Afshin came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. He was shunned and disowned by his family.

When Afshin told his father that he was going to stop medical school to pursue the Christian Ministry, his Father said “you have brought our family immense shame, and you are now as good as dead to me.”

In this case, the Gospel literally turned Father against Son, Son against Father - but Afshin had no real choice - To Him, Jesus was and is everything, and these words, though bitter, are very real - and that is just one example of thousands in our generation.

Following Jesus is ultimately death to self - death to earthly desires, death to whimsical passions, death to expressive individualism, death to our natural loves and alive to Christ’s love.

This is the first mention of a Cross in the Gospels. Interestingly, it is not a mention of Jesus’ cross. But, by Jesus comparing the walk of discipleship to “bearing a cross” this fits right in with Jesus predictions about “governers and kings and floggings in synagogues.” The disciples knew what a cross was - but little did they expect their own Lord and Master to be the first among their ranks to carry one.

Matthew 10:39 ESV

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Ashfin Ziaphat has lost father and mother, he has lost a career as a medical doctor, he has lost inheritances and comforts - but he has found eternal life in following Jesus Christ. Have you considered this? Have you considered the eternal weight of this decision?

Comfort #2 - Vs. 40-42

Finally, Jesus ends this teaching with comfort. The comfort really starts in verse 39 - the prospect of “finding life.”

It is often the stated agenda in our modern society to “find yourself” - self-exploration, individualism, hapiness at any cost is sort of the norm - it is almost unquestionable at this point. But for Jesus, “finding yourself” means losing yourself. Even loss of life for Jesus means “finding life” - Eternal life.

John 3:14–16 ESV

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Eternal life is nothing more or less than the Kingdom of God come to bear on our lives as Christians now. Of course, eternal life points to the future where we will experience the fulness of it, and the rewards that Jesus speaks of, but “eternal life” is the life with Jesus as Lord and Master now. It is as much about “quality” of life as it is “quantity.”

Matthew 10:40 ESV

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

In this last section, the idea of “receiving” the prophet, or the righteous person, is the idea of receiving the one who sent them. Who rewards the prophet? Who rewards the righteous person?

And who rewards the one who receives the disciple? And the reward is not great because of the disciples, the reward is great and lasting because of the rewarder.

This language of “receiving me” is not new here, John recorded this in His Gospel as well, in His own words, he said it this way.

John 1:11–13 ESV

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

There it is - the new birth, the new life, children of God by “receiving” Jesus. What does it mean to “receive” Jesus? well, it means more than to simply believe he existed - it means to take him at his word, his claims, his teachings, and cast yourself upon His Grace.

In this case, Jesus was sending out his disciples to proclaim his kingdom, and proclaim his name - in this case, to receive them was to receive their message - and to receive their message was to receive Jesus for who he said he was. And in that case, Jesus said, there are eternal benefits - eternal rewards.

And that is just it. Taking Jesus at His word, accepting His claims, His Lordship, His salvation, is an eternal matter. Does it lead to earthly peace? Not always. Is persecution a real possibility? Yes, we should probably expect it. But will it be worth it in the end? There is no doubt.

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

So, All these warnings and comforts - what do you make of them? Have you followed this Jesus? Have you cast yourself upon His mercy? The stakes are here and now, but they are also eternal.

As Jesus promised, Christians will experience persecution and division because of His name. But the providence of God and eternal value of the mission give us great comfort.