Verse 1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
The time frame of when Jesus’ disciples were called to follow Him and when they received power to do what Jesus did is not clear. But it seems that they had been with Jesus for some time, watching what He did and said and basically going through a training period before receiving His power. Notice that Matthew writes that the power was first against unclean spirits or devils, and then for the healing of sickness and disease. Again, most physical conditions of illness or disease are caused by evil spirits who desire to destroy the very people that God created and that He loves.
Application: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 Without Jesus, there is no power or authority to heal, raise the dead, and cast out devils. With Jesus, the Christian believer is fully equipped to do as Jesus did, and to have the victory over disease, sickness, injury, devil possession and even death. The verse above shows that Jesus delegated authority to His disciples. Jesus delegates His authority today through the comforter, the Holy Ghost/Spirit. Therefore, Christian believers today can do what the disciples did. Unfortunately, most Christian believers are living way below the level of power and authority that is theirs because they do not believe they can function like the disciples and early Church functioned. Ask yourself why this is so.
Verses 2-4 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The 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 publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Notice that Simon Peter is listed by Matthew first, with the rest of the disciples following. It was to Peter that the keys of the kingdom were given, and not to the other disciples. The keys were metaphor for opening the door of salvation to the Jew first, and then the Gentile. Peter was the first disciple to preach to the masses after the day of Pentecost, and the first disciple to preach the Gospel to people other than Jews, and this is recorded in the history book of Acts. Notice that within this group of followers, there was one traitor, Judas Iscariot. From the Gospel accounts, it appears that the other 11 disciples were not aware of this traitor until the night before the crucifixion when they were eating in the upper room. So for 3 1/2 years, Judas ministered with Jesus and the other disciples, only to betray Him in the end. And Jesus, who knew/knows all things, was very aware of what this man would do the entire time.
Application: Jesus said in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” Just as there was a traitor walking daily with the disciples and engaged in ministry with Jesus, so it is reasonable to assume that there are/will be traitors in the Church. They act like believers and talk like believers, but they most likely will be the ones to cause dissension and discord among the other Christian believers.
The name Simon Peter means “a rock or stone”. Andrew means “manly”. James means “supplanter”. Zebedee means “my gift”. John means “Jehovah is a gracious giver”. Philip means “lover of horses”. Bartholomew means “son of Tolmai”. Thomas means “a twin”. Matthew means “gift of Jehovah”. Alphaeus means “changing”. Thaddaeus means “large hearted, courageous”. Judas is synonymous with Judah and it means “he shall be praised”.
Verses 5-6 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The Gentiles were any people that were not Jews. The Jews looked down upon other nations and peoples because they believed they (the Jews) were superior to all other people and they still do. They claim, “God’s chosen people” status and therefore believe that non-Jews or Gentiles are mostly like cattle to be used and abused and not of much value. Only when a Jew becomes a follower of Jesus Christ does this attitude towards Gentiles change. The arrogance and ridiculousness of this mind set is fully understood when the truth is revealed that today’s Jews are not descendants from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but descendants of the Khazar nation that occupied the region of what today is Ukraine and southern Russia. They converted to Judaism in the 8th century, and through the science of genetics, scientists in both Israel and the United States have proven that today’s Jews are not from Palestine. Yet they claim the land of Israel as their own.
The Samaritans were descendants of the ten tribes that rebelled against King Solomon’s son when he took the throne and became the northern nation of Israel, while the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin became the southern nation of Judah. They intermarried with the locals and were basically considered “half breeds” by the ruling Jewish elite and religious leaders of Judah.
Application: Jesus commanded or ordered his disciples to not minister to the Gentiles and the Samaritans, but to go to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” while He is recorded to have ministered to the Samaritan woman at the well ( John 4:9 “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.“) and to a Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5). Why? This writer believes that there were several reasons for this.
First, most of human history has revolved around the nation Israel because God chose the Hebrews to be a light to the other pagan nations to show them the truth about Almighty God and His plan for the redemption of sinful mankind. They were to be a Godly influence in a sinful world. Unfortunately, the Hebrew people and the nation Israel’s history is one of rebellion against the very God that loved them and chose them to fulfill this purpose. So Jesus was sent to the house of Israel, and the opportunity to finally be obedient and fulfill their purpose was to be once again offered to them through the ministry of Jesus and His disciples. The Gentiles and the Samaritans were not part of this purpose as yet. Sadly, the Jewish leadership rejected their Messiah. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Matthew 23:37 As a result, the nation Israel was pronounced desolate and its demise predicted by Jesus Christ. The work of sharing the Gospel to the world was then given to the Church under the New Covenant, the Church being a body of believers made up of every nation and tongue.
Secondly, the Hebrew people had been promised a coming Messiah and God does not lie, but keeps His word or His promises. Therefore, to the nation Israel was this promise fulfilled with the coming of the LORD Jesus Christ, and the disciples were to be a part of this fulfillment of prophecy.
Thirdly, at the time of this command, the rejection of Jesus by the Jews was not completely fulfilled so the Gospel was to be presented to the house of Israel so that they could chose who they would follow, God or the Devil, and so that God’s judgement upon them could be seen to be just and righteous.
Fourthly, as has been shown repeatedly in this Bible study site, God is no respecter of persons. He does not deal in favoritism. As God, Jesus ministered to all; Jew, Samaritan, and Gentile.
Verses 7-8 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
The Greek word translated as “preach” is “kerusso” and it means to proclaim openly, or to be a herald. A herald is an official messenger bringing news. They were to announce that the kingdom of heaven was near and to prove it, they were to perform miracles through the power that Jesus had bestowed upon them. Miracles are events that occur outside of the natural (or scientific) laws that govern the world. Dead people usually stay dead. To raise a person back to life is against the natural progression of things. Water is known to be composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. To turn water into wine as was done by Jesus is against the laws of chemistry.
Verses 9-10 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
The disciples were to not worry about provisions as God would take care of them. This would test the disciples faith in both Jesus Christ and in the ministry they had voluntarily entered.
Application: Christian history is full of miracles of provision. True Christian believers today can attest to the fact that their needs are still miraculously met by the LORD Jesus Christ. If you, the reader, are struggling with financial stress, take it to Jesus and watch and wait to see what He will do.
Verses 11-15 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
The Greek word translated as “enquire” is “exetazo” and it means to search out or to examine. The disciples were to find a person that would house them and help provide their needs in each place that they stopped to minister. They were to welcome or salute the house and if it was the place that the LORD wanted them to stay, they would know it by the peace that they experienced within themselves. That peace would not be there if the house was not the correct one in which they were to stay. Only a true Christian believer can understand the peace of God that is present in their life and then recognize when that peace departs. This writer has had many people visit and the usual comment from the guests is, “It is so peaceful here.” They are experiencing the presence of the LORD.
The command to shake dust off of the feet was a symbolic act that expressed extreme contempt for the people and/or the city that did not receive the LORD’s disciples. It visibly communicated that there would be no further dealings with those who refused to listen to the Gospel and to show hospitality towards God’s servants. Jesus said that the residents of these rejecting cities would be judged and equated them with the Old Testament cities of Sodom and Gomorrha which were destroyed. See Genesis 13.
Verses 16-18 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
God’s people are metaphorically compared to sheep because they are harmless, non-aggressive, trusting, and willing to follow their Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Sheep have the reputation of being somewhat stupid, but that is far from the truth. Sheep are very intelligent and will learn their names and come when called. They have expressive body language that the intelligent human can learn to understand, and so communication is possible. But because they have no defenses (do not bite, scratch, kick), and can only run away from trouble, they are viewed as less intelligent than other creatures. Because Christian believers turn the other cheek to aggressors and show love to those that hate them, are trusting, and follow Jesus, the world sees them as stupid. However, Christian believers are the most intelligent people on the Earth as they know the One who saved them from eternal damnation.
The Greek word translated as “wolves” is “lukos” and it is metaphor for cruel, greedy, destructive men. Notice that the men referred to by Jesus in the verses above would be Jews who would deliver disciples of Jesus to councils (magistrates or judges that every Jewish town had for trials) and synagogues (the place where Jews formally gathered to offer prayers and listen to the reading of Scripture) where they would be scourged (beaten with a whip publicly).
Verses 19-20 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
Because the Holy Ghost/Spirit dwells in each believer, when standing before officials because of faith in the LORD Jesus Christ the believer will be told what to say by God Himself.
Verses 21-22 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Faith in Jesus Christ leads to division between Christian believers and people who reject Jesus and continue to serve the Devil. Christian believers have been hated down through the centuries not because of what they do, but because of what they will not do. They will not partake of the sins of this world and therefore they reveal to the pagans their sins against God. Rather than repent, the unbelieving pagan world attempts to solve their problem with the followers of Jesus Christ by killing and persecuting them.
Application: Notice that Jesus states that to be saved, a person has to endure to the end. Many churches teach that all that is required to get into Heaven is the salvation experience. Just raising a hand in a church service, going forward to the front of the church and praying with a church official is all very well and good, but the person has to remain faithful to the LORD Jesus Christ and obey His commandments. The person has to grow in the faith by studying the Bible and spending time in prayer. Just having a church experience and then returning to the world without demonstrating real change will not work. To obtain eternal salvation in Heaven the person has to remain in Christ Jesus and have Christ Jesus living in him/her in the form of the Holy Ghost/Spirit.
Verses 23-26 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Verse 23 above is an interesting verse in that it seems to imply that the disciples of Jesus’ day would not have been to all the cities in Israel before Jesus returned to the Earth. However, Jesus said, “. . . cities of Israel . . .” and not cities in Israel. There is a difference. This is an example of how every word in Scripture is important and has significance. Obviously Jesus did not return in the lifetimes of the disciples. So the verse has to mean something else. The answer lies in understanding who Israel is under the New Covenant. Basically, the Israel of today spiritually is not the land of Palestine. The Israel Jesus was referring to is the Church. The Israel of today is not a location or a race of people. It is made up of all the world’s nations and tongues. As a result of this fact, the verse above makes sense and missionary organizations are still going into parts of the world to share the Gospel to the people living in any place that needs to hear it. Read Galatians chapter three for a better understanding of who today’s Israel really is.
“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Galatians 3:6-9 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:13-14 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.(chosen people) 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29
Application: If the people of Jesus’ day hated Him, the people of today who are not believers will hate you. Don’t be surprised or hurt at the attacks from others that will come your way. It just proves that you are a servant of the master, the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 27-31 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Jesus’ admonition was for His servants to not be afraid of those who persecute and kill Christian believers but to be afraid of God. The fear of God means to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference, or reverential obedience. It can also mean simply to be afraid in a negative sense. The Christian believer has no need to be afraid of God in a negative sense as God loves His people and, according to the verse above, even knows how many hairs are on each person’s head.
Verses 32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
This verse is very serious. To deny Jesus in anyway publicly is to close the door to Heaven. To deny Jesus privately in the person’s heart and mind means that they are not saved and again the door to Heaven is closed.
Verses 34-36 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
Stories abound about Christian believers that, when converted, are disowned by their family members. In some cultures, to profess a belief in Jesus results in a death penalty. Friction and disharmony is just part of the Christian’s world as he/she will often be treated as Jesus was treated. After all, there is a spiritual war going on between the followers of the Devil and the followers of Jesus Christ, between good and evil. Read about the metaphoric red horse riding in Revelation chapter 6.
Verses 37-38 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Application: Nothing in this world can be more important than the LORD Jesus Christ. He must have the preeminence and always be first in the believer’s life. Job, family, house, finances, sports, friends and anything else that distracts from the relationship of the believer with Jesus must be secondary in priority. When Jesus is first, all the other things/people in life harmonize. Think about what may be coming between you, the reader, and Jesus.
Verse 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
The true believer in Jesus has to spiritually die to himself/herself and live for Jesus. It is impossible to live a Christian life with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom of God. Citizenship has to be one place or the other. The believer that either puts an end to living like the world lives or who physically dies for the cause of Jesus will have eternal life in Heaven.
Verses 40-42 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. (Matthew 10)
God promises to reward those that treat His followers well. When a Christian believer is in the presence of others, the Holy Ghost/Spirit is there also. So when a believer is received and hospitality is extended, the presence of God, very God, is also received. God is always with His people as He is omnipresent and can be in all believers at the same time.