The King Delegates His Authority
A verse-by-verse explanation of the chapter.
An overview of the principles and applications from the chapter.
Melding the chapter to life.
Tying the chapter to life with God.
Historical, geographical, and grammatical enrichment of the commentary.
Suggested step-by-step group study of the chapter.
Zeroing the chapter in on daily life.
“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere.”
Ronald Reagan
Whereas Jesus demonstrated his authority in the previous chapters, he now delegates that same authority to his disciples so that they may carry out his ministry to the world. In this second of Matthew's five discourses, Jesus instructs, prepares, empowers, and encourages the twelve disciples for the immediate and distant future.
Toward the end of my tour of duty in Vietnam, I was given a special assignment by our commanding officer. The Green Berets were viewed with suspicion by certain career Army senior officers. In particular, General Abrams (the commanding general of all U.S. military forces in Vietnam) had little regard for Special Forces (Green Berets). He kept a close eye on the Fifth Special Forces Group of which I was a member. So close, in fact, that he required the group (headquartered far to the north of the general's location) to establish a second headquarters within shouting distance.
Just two months before I was scheduled to rotate home to the States, some special circumstances developed that required a change of command at this second location. The group commander called me to his office and informed me that I was being named the new commanding officer there. He stated that he had selected me because he had observed “a sense of integrity” in me. He told me that, given my familiarity with him and how he operated, I would be his personal representative there. He indicated he would expect me to act precisely as I anticipated he would do in my circumstances, and that the reputation of the group would be in my hands. I was to be alert to any action that would embarrass the group or its commander.
His appointment was humbling and terrifying. I would do my best. His confidence made it easier for me. And that is the way it is for the disciples in Matthew. Jesus' orders to them are humbling and terrifying. Still, they are orders and the men will do their best.
At the end of Matthew 9, Jesus told his disciples to pray that the “Lord of the harvest” would send out workers into his fields. Here in chapter 10, he called his disciples into his office, so to speak, and informed them that they were his personal representatives. He gave them authority. They were to act in his name and speak his message.
Just as soldiers or any other public officials have authority derived from a higher authority (the law), kingdom servants, as the king's personal representatives on earth, have authority delegated from the highest authority of all. We will see in this passage how the king intended his disciples to use such power.
The King Delegates His Authority
MAIN IDEA: The king trains his disciples to carry out his ministry, giving them specific guidelines, realistic expectations of persecution, a clarified challenge, and hopeful reassurances.
This chapter is the second of Jesus' five major addresses in Matthew (5-7; 10; 13; 18; 24-25). The first four verses provide the setting for the discourse, and Jesus' remarks actually begin in 10:5.
In Matthew 5-9, Jesus demonstrated his authority, first through his teaching (chs. 5-7), then through his actions (miracles; chs. 8-9). Now he will delegate this same authority to do exactly the same kinds of ministry (preaching, healing, casting out demons; 10:1,7-8) that he had been doing (4:23; 9:35). Jesus judged that the disciples were ready, for they had been with him long enough, observing his ministry and hearing his teachings, and probably participating in the ministry to a limited extent. Now it was time for their training to move to a new level.
Because Matthew is arranged thematically rather than chronologically, we should not assume that everything recorded before Matthew 10 had actually happened when Jesus gave this discourse. Then again, these stories are likely representative of a much larger number of such events, and there are certainly hundreds of other untold stories that the disciples had witnessed before the discourse of Matthew 10.
To equip someone to do a task, these are steps that must be taken:
Jesus, the master teacher, probably followed a training method similar to this. Matthew did not systematically record all of the steps, but we do see glimpses of this process from time to time through Matthew and the other Gospels (e.g., 17:14-21). In Matthew 10, Jesus was preparing the Twelve to do a few central tasks at the upper level of this scale.
The historical period of Jesus' earthly ministry is, in many ways, unique. So some elements of Jesus' training of the Twelve are unique to them. They were the first generation of a two-thousand-year-long succession of mentors and disciples, in a world almost completely unaware of the Messiah. Here this first generation is trained. These are apostles. Here was unique New Testament revelation, Messiah himself training those who would actually be recording the Word of God.
Yet, there are many principles Jesus taught his disciples that can be generalized for every spiritual generation of disciples. One of the tasks of interpreting Matthew 10 is sorting out those principles that apply to us from those that do not (e.g., not every Christian has authority to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness). Still, we must keep in mind that we can learn from these examples.
Some of Jesus' training was also with a view to the years and decades ahead. The reason we know this is that there was no evidence of the severe level of persecution Jesus describes in 10:17-23 during Jesus' earthly ministry, or even during the years immediately following his ascension. But the apostles would experience it after he was gone. So his training was for both the immediate and the long-term in the lives of the disciples.
There is a thematic relationship between 9:36-38 and chapter 10, between Jesus' compassion for the people and his equipping of the Twelve.
The King Equips the First Kingdom Workers (10:1-4)SUPPORTING IDEA: The king empowers the twelve apostles.
10:1. Because Jesus was just speaking to “his disciples” two verses earlier (9:37), we must make at least one of two assumptions in order to explain why he would be calling his twelve disciples so soon. Either (1) there was a time gap between 9:38 and 10:1, which is very likely, in light of Matthew's thematic construction of the book; or (2) Matthew meant some other grouping of “disciples” than the Twelve in 9:37. There is also room for both of these assumptions to be true. But the key point is this—it is these twelve whom he has named.
Whatever the chronological relationship between 9:36-38 and chapter 10, the argument of the book makes a clear connection to chapters 8-9. We have moved through the moral testing of the king (ch. 4), to the manifesto of the king (chs. 5-7), through the manifestation of the king's power (chs. 8-9); it is now time for the response of the people. There can be no doubt that Matthew intended us to see a cause-effect relationship between Jesus' compassion for Israel's need and his plea for prayer for workers (9:36-38), and his preparation of the Twelve to go out and multiply his ministry to Israel. Jesus' training in Matthew 10 is motivated by his heart-wrenching compassion for the shepherdless people (9:36; 10:6).
Verse 1 is the summary of chapter 10. The key word is authority. This is the same authority Jesus demonstrated through his teaching in chapters 5-7 and through his miracles in chapters 8-9. The authority to exorcise demons and heal illnesses is a summary encompassing all of the other actions mentioned later in the discourse, including preaching (10:7,14,26-27) and resurrecting the dead (10:8).
The authority Jesus delegated here was also the authority with which he would commission his followers in 28:18-20. He continued to be personally involved in making bold fishers of men (4:19). There is one major difference, however. In chapter 10 Jesus commissioned his disciples to go to the lost sheep of Israel alone. In chapter 28 his commission is to go to the Gentiles (“all nations”). This is a critical difference in understanding Matthew.
10:2-4. Here we have the second of three uses of the number twelve in this chapter (10:1,2,5). The general term now takes on a more specific meaning. Matthew wants us to know that the training of chapter 10 is meant for the Twelve.
We are not told what criteria Jesus used in selecting these disciples, but they may have been different criteria than most of us would have used. His selections prove to all spiritual generations to come that he will use anyone for his kingdom (1 Cor. 1:18-2:5; 1 Tim. 1:15-16), and that the credit for successful ministry goes to him, not to human beings (1 Cor. 1:29-31; 2 Cor. 12:7-10). It is probably safe to assume that he looked more at their availability than their ability. They really were “disciples of clay.”
Verse 2 is the only place in all of Matthew where the word apostle is used. The word is the transliteration of the Greek word apostolos and means “one sent,” usually with a specific message or to perform a specific task, often as a representative. The noun is most often used as a technical term referring specifically to the early church leaders, qualified by their first-hand contact with Jesus and their witness of his resurrection (Acts 1:21-22). Paul received the title by special dispensation (1 Cor. 15:8-10).
It is significant that Matthew's only use of “apostle” is in the context of the selection and training of the Twelve. These would be the twelve men on whom the future success of Jesus' world impact would rest. They were the foundation of the church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:20). From a human standpoint, Jesus was taking a great risk. Recall the archetypal “hero story” we have heard so often, in which the future of an entire group rests in the hands of a small number of dubiously qualified individuals. This is the real-life crisis we see in the story of the human race and God's plan of redemption. All heaven must have held its collective breath.
We must also keep in mind that the plan of God to redeem the lost is always one generation away from extinction. In choosing each of us (Eph. 1:4,11-13; 3:2-9), God has made us as members of his church critical to the fulfillment of his redemption plan.
SUPPORTING IDEA: The king gives specific guidelines for the immediate campaign.
At the outset, Jesus gave the Twelve the basic criteria for their early ministry. The clarity and succinctness of these instructions reflects Messiah's strong expectations and his specific goals. We should not be surprised if Jesus sets an inflexible standard; novices in any area usually need a firm set of rules to guide them until they gain the experience to add their own creative variations to the theme. Jesus also had other reasons for each of his guiding criteria, explained in greater detail below.
10:5-6. The kingdom worker's target audience at this point was Israel alone. This is a critical point. Jesus certainly made the point emphatically. Some liberal thinkers have made much of this being the bigotry of Jesus in his early years, noting that later in the maturity of his “messianic consciousness” he opened it to all nations (28:18-20). Nothing could be further from the truth. Matthew made it perfectly clear that Jesus was still offering the long-promised kingdom to his own people, Israel (John 1:12).
The word instructing (used in the sense of the disciples being sent out with the following instructions; 10:5) means “to command, charge, give orders.” This verb carries greater force and authority than “teaching,” which is used to describe the teaching ministry of Jesus and the disciples. It is the verb used of an authority's instruction to a subordinate, as in a military setting. The point is emphatic. These are direct orders.
Jesus prohibited his disciples from going to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, not because they were not part of God's plan of redemption, but because the first step of God's plan was to offer the gospel to Israel (Acts 10:36; Rom. 1:16; 9-11), then through the Jewish nation to take it to all nations. But Israel wanted nothing to do with Jesus. What the apostle John took one verse to summarize in his Gospel (John 1:12), took Matthew, with his burden to communicate to the Jews, twelve chapters (Matt. 1-12). Still, God made it clear that he was offering Israel one more chance to be his representatives to the nations, as he had planned all along (Gen. 12:3; Deut. 4:6-8; Ps. 67; Isa. 42:6-7; 49:6).
Jesus referred to the Jews as lost sheep, in keeping with his compassion for their plight in 9:36. Their religious leaders had let them down. These lost sheep were of the house of Israel, meaning the family or offspring of Israel. Jesus looked back to God's covenant with the patriarchs of Israel. In Genesis 12:1-3 the Lord promised special blessing on Abraham, as well as blessing on all nations through him. In Genesis 28:10-15, the Lord passed on exactly the same blessing to Abraham's grandson Jacob (Israel). Jesus guided his small band to keep a two-thousand-year-old-promise to a nation first, and then to the world.
10:7-8. These verses focus on the kingdom worker's ministry and message. Preach is the present imperative and carries the force of “keep on preaching.” The Twelve were given a simple message, practically identical to that of John the Baptizer (3:2) and Jesus (4:17). Only the command to repent is omitted here, but it is probably implied as the natural response to the impending kingdom.
As mentioned in 10:1, the Twelve were instructed to conduct virtually the same ministry of healing and exorcism that Jesus had been conducting, even to the point of raising the dead and cleansing lepers. Because these disciples had received Jesus' authority, they also received his “immunity” to defilement. His power in them would overwhelm any uncleanness. Even demons, those powerful spirit beings, would not stand before them.
It must have been exciting to have such authority and to see the wonders happening through their own words and touch. But this ministry was also hard and discouraging work. To motivate the Twelve to freely give, Jesus reminded them that they did nothing to earn all they had received from him. They had received their forgiveness and acceptance, their position and power, their authority freely from Jesus.
We today need to heed the same lesson. Believers today, in our comfortable lifestyles, tend to be hoarders of all we have received from the Lord—physical wealth, spiritual gifts for ministry, time, as well as the truth of the gospel and the authority to take it to others. We have earned none of this. It is all a gracious gift from the Father, given primarily so we might use it to further his kingdom. We must be careful stewards of what has been entrusted to us (1 Cor. 3:12-15; 9:24-27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Phil. 3:7-21).
10:9-10. The kingdom worker's provision is the theme of these verses. Having trained the disciples by example in chapters 8-9, Jesus took them another step forward. His command not to take any money or supplies for their journey was a great challenge to their faith in God's provision. Jesus wanted the Twelve to focus on who they represented as they ministered to those in need. If they would make his kingdom their sole focus, the Father would provide their daily needs through those to whom they ministered.
Furthermore, their mission was short. Basically, they were taking a census for the king. They were to travel light and to be relatively unconcerned for provision. But they were not to travel alone. This is an important ministry point. For all they were not to worry about, Jesus let them know they were not to travel without a close spiritual friend.
Let this be a lesson to us. This passage seems to support a consistent pattern in Jesus' ministry appointments. They were to go two-by-two (see Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1). The disciples were even named in pairs (10:2-4). Evidently, in Jesus' mind, they did not need a lot of equipment or personal gear, but they did need a ministry partner. Perhaps we should understand his intention to mean there are no “lone rangers” in the kingdom.
10:11-15. These verses emphasize the kingdom worker's local associates and sponsors. As the disciples entered a town, they were to choose their host carefully (10:11).
Jesus used the word search to mean “scrutinize, examine closely, inquire.” It is used only two other times in the New Testament—in Herod's instructions to the Magi to search carefully for the newborn king (Matt. 2:8) and of the type of interrogation the disciples would conduct in order to confirm Jesus' post-resurrection identity (John 21:12).
Their host was to be a worthy person (literally, “weighty”). Their character, reflected in their receptiveness to Jesus' representatives, must consistently “stack up” against a high standard. Since the disciple would be dependent on this person as his sponsor during his stay in that town, it was important that the disciple not have any worry whether he would receive his daily meals or have a place to rest. It is not a matter of looking for a “comfortable home” but for a “worthy host,” a person of commitment.
A disciple was not to move from home to home within a town, but to stay in one place (10:11). It was considered a privilege to show hospitality to an honored teacher, a representative of the king.
These visits were “the king's business.” These disciples were on a unique and carefully commissioned trip of assessment. Their reception would measure how he would be received. Israel was hanging in the balance; they were looking for the “king's own.”
Shaking the dust off their feet (10:14) was a symbolic gesture of God's rejection of the home or city—to the point that they did not want to touch even the dirt from that place.
Jesus introduced his warning against the rejecting city (10:15) with the formula, I tell you the truth, meaning, “Listen carefully. What I am about to say is of great significance” (5:18; 6:2; 8:10). This was a stern warning, because it was a serious offense to reject the Messiah-King. Because the city visited by the disciples had the opportunity to hear the truth and respond in repentance to the Messiah, their guilt on the day of judgment would be even greater than that of Sodom and Gomorrah (the epitome of sin and evil in Gen. 19). These two cities had no opportunity to respond to the truth of the Messiah.
Jesus gave the disciples authority to perform the same miracles he had been performing. We can assume that the rejecting cities had hardened their hearts so much that they were blind to the significance of the disciples' miracles (cf. with Jesus' denunciation of rejecting cities in 11:20-24, as well as his rejection in his hometown in 13:53-58).
Verse 15 implies there will be degrees of judgment and punishment for the lost. It insists that the message we take to the lost in our world is not only an invitation—it is also a warning. We must convey that warning with compassion to maximize the likelihood that it will be heard. But in the process we must be careful not to compromise its truth. Anyone today who has the opportunity to respond to the Messiah's offer of free forgiveness, and turns him away, must understand the fate they are choosing. Final judgment is very real.
Persecution of the Kingdom Worker (10:16-23)SUPPORTING IDEA: The king prepares his followers for persecution in the near and far future.
At the end of Jesus' instructions regarding his disciple's basic guiding criteria (10:5-15), he began to touch on the rejection they would receive in some towns. This naturally flowed into the next segment of his discourse, preparing them for the persecution they would eventually encounter (most severely after his departure). His instruction applied not only to their ministry during this particular foray, but to all of their future ministry ventures (see 24:9).
10:16. This sentence is a true transition sentence, fitting just as easily with the preceding context as with the following. Jesus opened it with one word: Therefore. This had the effect of saying, “Observe carefully. Do not miss this. See for yourself.” The truth of what he is saying is self-evident to the person who has eyes to see. Jesus knew that the king's message would face great opposition.
When we go out in obedience to Christ, we go with a message of love and compassion (like sheep) to an audience that includes those who violently oppose us and our Lord (among wolves). Because there are those in the audience who will respond to God's love and compassion, we must go. But we need not go blindly. We must go with a blend of grace—(as innocent as doves)— and truth—(as shrewd as snakes). Grace must govern our compassion toward others, as well as our own example of integrity through all circumstances.
But grace and truth are not mutually exclusive. They are the two sides of one eternal coin. Truth must govern our perceptions of danger and the faults of others. Jesus perfectly exemplified this blend of wisdom and love, and he coached his disciples to live by it.
10:17-20. Expanding on the “shrewd as snakes” part of his instruction (10:16), Jesus warned, Be on your guard against men. This warning seems, at first glance, to sweep too broadly, but Jesus intended it that way to convey the reality that all types of people would betray and persecute Christ's followers—even family (10:21-22,34-36).
While the trials and floggings of 10:17 involve persecution at the local level, Jesus warns that some of his followers would gain attention at higher levels of authority—even governors and kings. The phrase On my account means, “because of your association with me.” But as intimidating as such high-level audiences would be, they served a good purpose toward the goals of Jesus' mission. How else would Jesus' followers be able to bear testimony as witnesses to these officials and many of the populations they oversaw?
The disciples, being largely uneducated and novice teachers, must have wondered how they would do credit to the Lord before a governor or a king. Jesus assured them not to worry about what to say. When they needed wise words, at that time they would be given the words to say (10:19). More specifically, just as the word of God was powerful through Jesus, in these hearings the word of God will speak through the disciple by the Spirit of your Father speaking through you (10:20).
What Jesus described was essentially a New Testament prophet, an authorized spokesman for God. While we see God literally keeping this promise in the Book of Acts, there is good reason to believe that this promise is not to be claimed as completely today. The apostles were the unique, first-time door openers for the gospel into the world. The impact of their testimony would pave the way for all later witnesses. At that time, the complete Scriptures had not yet been written, so God gave “special revelation” to select followers—knowledge they had no other way of knowing.
In contrast, we today have the complete Word of God. God will keep his promise to us in bringing to mind appropriate truths of Scripture that we have already learned as we need them. But we must be careful about claiming a promise that he will put into our mouths words that have never entered our minds before. The Spirit of God “will remind” (John 14:26) us of Jesus' teachings—presuming we have heard and learned them previously. Today's preachers must understand there is no substitute for careful preparation in speaking God's message.
Notice in 10:20 that Jesus chose the phrase the Spirit of your Father rather than “the Holy Spirit.” The imagery of the accompanying Father must have been comforting to the persecuted follower. And it is a comfort to know that God will use Jewish rejection to bring the message to the Gentiles.
10:21-22. Some disciples would even die for their loyalty to Christ. Their complete loyalty to Christ might compete with the closest of family relationships (8:21-22; 10:34-37). Jesus was raising the stakes for the Twelve. If the thought of being betrayed by a brother, child, or parent was too much for them, they could turn back now. None of the Twelve did.
Jesus' sweeping warning of 10:17, Be on your guard against men, is further underscored in 10:22: All men will hate you because of me. This statement is hyperbolic, because some people would respond to the gospel and love the Lord and his disciples. But the statement is more than accurate in that people of all categories would hate the Lord and his disciples. The meaning is, “You [plural] will be continually being hated.” The persecution and hatred would not end quickly; Jesus' followers must buckle down for a long ordeal. Thus the exhortation to he who stands firm. But there will be an end, and the person who remains loyal to the end will be saved. Saved from what? This is not spiritual salvation but physical salvation. Endurance is never a condition of spiritual deliverance. Because of me means, “because of your association with me.”
10:23. While Israel was a small nation (a territory 75 miles wide by 125 miles long), there was still a significant area to cover, and Jesus communicated a sense of urgency. When a disciple met with persecution in one city, he was to flee to another city, both for his own safety and to avoid wasting effort on a rejecting audience.
Jesus seemed to indicate in 10:23b that before the disciples had finished going through every city of Israel, the Son of Man would initiate the next step in the advancement of the kingdom. Some interpreters believe Jesus was referring to his kingdom's coming in “cameo” at the soon-to-be-witnessed Transfiguration (Matt. 17). Commentators universally acknowledge Jesus' statement in 10:23b as one of the most difficult in Matthew to interpret. There are innumerable numbers of variations among the proposed solutions.
How the disciples' survey went is revealed in the following chapters. In Matthew 11:12-19 Jesus announced that the response was negative. In Matthew 11:20 we arrive at something of a “high water” mark, and Jesus denounced the cities for their lack of response, indicating that even Gentile cities like Tyre and Sidon (11:21-24) would be more responsive than they had been.
By the end of chapter 12, the results of the national survey are completed. Israel's leaders had rejected Jesus, calling his ministry devilish (of Beelzebub; 12:24). At that time Jesus made his decision with respect to the kingdom and Israel (12:31-50). He indicated that the only remaining message (sign; 12:39) he will have for Israel will be his resurrection, and that at “the judgment” even the response of pagan Nineveh will condemn this generation of Israel. Jesus then announced that he chose to associate with people not on the basis of their Jewish blood, but on the basis of their choosing to do “the will of my Father” (12:50).
Some interpreters see Jesus in 10:23b referring specifically to his coming judgment upon Israel in A.D. 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman legions. This destruction of Jerusalem was the result of the judgment that Jesus announced in Matthew 12 and confirmed in 23:31-39. This is supported by the fact that “coming” often involves judgment as well as deliverance. Furthermore, in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25), which seems to meld the A.D. 70 judgment with the end-time judgment, similar language is used (“he who stands firm to the end will be saved”; 24:13), and the central figure is Jesus the judge.
SUPPORTING IDEA: The king alleviates his followers' fears.
Having painted a bleak picture of the persecution his disciples would encounter, Jesus shifted over to words of comfort and encouragement. He talked about rewards for his followers.
10:24-25. Jesus' argument was that if the greater (a teacher or master) is mistreated, how can the lesser (a disciple or slave) expect better treatment? Jesus' exorcisms had already been attributed to Satan (9:34), and there may have been worse things said of him that are not recorded in Matthew. This is why he used a conditional statement (“if”), implying that, indeed, the statement was true: If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub. The latter part of this conditional statement is missing the verb. It reads, how much more the members of his household!
But Jesus obviously intended us to understand that we will be treated as poorly as he has been treated. Most modern American Christians find it hard to identify with this, but Christ's followers in other places find it as real as the morning news. Persecution of Christians throughout the world is a serious reality.
Jesus' notice of poor treatment is not an encouraging statement, further affirming the difficulty of being Jesus' follower. But his disciples probably found some encouragement, since such mistreatment implied close association with Jesus (Acts 5:41; 2 Cor. 11:16-12:10; Phil. 3:10-11). There is solace in camaraderie, especially when your comrade is the Messiah-King who is inviting you to share his throne (Rev. 3:21) and his reign (Rev. 2:26-28). They also recalled Jesus' exhortation to rejoice in persecution, because of their great reward in heaven (5:10-12).
Beelzebub is an Israelite term of mockery for a Philistine god. It means literally “lord of the flies.”
10:26-27. Part of the fear of persecution is that the truth of the injustice may never become known, and justice may never be served. But Jesus encouraged the Twelve not to fear injustice from the persecutors. Ultimately, any concealed truth will break into the open. In fact, he exhorted his disciples to be instrumental in making the truth known (10:27), that justice might be done.
10:28-31. Another fear related to persecution is the fear of bodily harm and death. But Jesus helped his disciples to shift their focus. He told them, in essence, “Do not worry about your body. It is expendable. Concern yourself, instead, with the condition of your soul-life, which is eternal, and which, if invested rightly now, returns great reward” (16:34-27). A believer who adopts this perspective will not be afraid of those who can kill the body but will fear God, the Lord who has authority as judge to condemn the soul and the body to eternal destruction in hell. This healthy fear of God will cause a person to live by obedience, respecting the authority and power of the judge. (Prov. 1:7).
To the stark truth of 10:28, Jesus added the comforting grace of 10:29-31, assuring the believer that the judge is also the Father, who values his children greatly and will always protect their souls.
Using a line of reasoning converse of that in 10:24-25, Jesus argued that because the Father cares what happens to the lesser (an insignificant sparrow), he will care much more deeply for the greater (a person made in his image—especially one who claims him as Father). The price of sparrows used in sacrifices (10:29), two for an assarion (the smallest copper coin), is intended to emphasize the insignificance of the bird; while the numbering of one's hairs (10:30) by the Father emphasizes how much the Father values and cares for his child.
So Jesus' Do not be afraid has multiple implications. We should not fear slander, because harm to our reputation (10:24-25) will be set right when the truth comes to light. We should not fear bodily harm, because harm to the body—even death—is endurable and insignificant compared to the value of the eternal soul. In fact, we have nothing to fear because our Father places such high value on us.
10:32-33. Because there is no reason to fear persecution from men (10:24-31), believers should have no hesitation in confessing Jesus before others. The person who can adopt the fearless perspective Jesus teaches and who confesses Jesus before men will find a willing advocate in heaven before the Father. But the person who gives into faithless fear and denies Jesus before men will find a just denial (of reward and reign; 2 Tim. 2:11-13) before the Father in heaven.
As the people turned away from him, Jesus focused on whether we are willing to associate with him under the public scrutiny of other people. We might say that Jesus was asking, “Will you really be my friends and loyal followers, no matter what other people think, say, or do to you?” If we will, we will find in him an even more faithful friend—in fact, a brother. And a rewarder. Every act of our lives will come under the scrutiny of the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). If we should refuse to speak up for Christ because of fear or intimidation, we will suffer the loss of reward from him (2 Tim. 2:12).
Single-Minded Devotion of the Kingdom Worker (10:34-39)SUPPORTING IDEA: The king clarifies the devotion expected of his followers.
10:34-36. The king wanted his followers fully prepared for the difficulty they would face because of their loyalty to him, so he addressed a possible misconception. In 5:9, Jesus pronounced the “peacemakers” blessed. But here he announced that his mission on earth would cause not peace, but hostility (a sword)—even between the closest of family members (10:21). He was not saying that he would intentionally divide families. But he was saying that loyalty to him would cause some of his followers to be hated by their families, because of the disbelief of other family members. Jesus experienced those kinds of feelings at the deepest level when he was betrayed by Judas.
To further explain his prediction of hostility, Jesus quoted Micah 7:6 in 10:35-36. In Micah, this verse comes at the end of a lament about Israel's misery (Mic. 7:1-6), because of the Lord's judgment on them at the time of King Ahaz (Mic. 6). But the verse immediately following (Mic. 7:7) is a contrasting note of hope:
“But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.”
The remainder of Micah (7:8-20) is prophecy and prayer about Israel's restoration. Those familiar with Jesus' quote in its original context would see the family hostility as a reference to God's judgment on unbelieving Israel and see the hopeful future beyond the devastating difficulties.
10:37-39. Jesus now moved from his warning about the divisions and hostility which his followers would encounter to clarify the standard for the follower worthy of him. First, the worthy follower will love Jesus more than anyone else—even one's own parent or child (10:37). Immediately following the quote of Micah 7:6, he issued this challenge: “If you find yourself faced with a choice between loyalty to an unbelieving and hostile family member and loyalty to me, I have to take priority.” He was not assuming that everyone would have to leave his or her family. Jesus' demands here amount to one more declaration of his deity. One of the highest duties in all Judaism was to love family members, especially parents. Every faithful Jew knew and understood that only God himself could demand a higher love (Deut. 6:4-5; 13:6-11).
Second, the worthy follower will endure the mockery and suffering involved in following Jesus (10:38). Matthew referred here to the cross. The criminal had to carry the crossbeam—usually through an angry, chiding mob—to the site of the execution. Jesus stated that his faithful followers would experience some degree of suffering and shame. Jesus used this powerful imagery again in 16:24-27, after his first prediction of his death.
In addition, the worthy follower will give up all of his individual “rights” to the king, together with any possessions, passions, pastimes, or people that might distract from following him. In “losing” these lesser aspects of earthly life, the follower “finds” true worth—God's purpose, joy, and reward.
SUPPORTING IDEA: The king assures his followers that their hosts will have incentive (and reward) to receive them well.
10:40-42. Here Jesus returned to thoughts about the hosts of the disciples as they went from city to city (10:11-14) and continued his thoughts about reward.
An apostle was one who, if he conducted himself in a worthy manner, was to be treated exactly as the one he represented. He had the same authority and conveyed the same message as the person he represented. Jesus was an “apostle” from the Father, and the Twelve were apostles from Jesus. Through this chain of representation, the authority of God the Father was conveyed through the Twelve. And the response of those to whom they went was not a response to human beings, but a response to the Father whom they represented (10:40). Jesus focused on the positive response of “receiving” rather than on the negative response of rejection.
In the Old Testament, a person who accepted a prophet and his message had accepted God's will. Those who provided for the prophets were rewarded like the prophets. Similarly, to receive a righteous person or a disciple for Christ's sake would mean sharing in their reward for faithfulness. Matthew 10:41-42 has some characteristics of Hebrew poetry. In keeping with the rules of Hebrew parallelism, Jesus varied his wording for aesthetic value in the parallel statements about reward.
Little ones (10:42) was a term of affection that Jesus used toward his disciples, particularly when they followed him with the innocence and faith of a child (18:1-6; 19:13-15). He would use the same terminology in 25:31-46, asserting that those he sent represented him, and any kind of response to them was equivalent to a response to him in person. A cup of cold water was a gift that even the poorest person could give.
He will certainly not lose his reward (10:42) is not so much a statement allowing for the loss of reward as it is a different way to say that the person would be rewarded. Throughout this lengthy discussion (10:32-42), Jesus seemed to assume that the matter of rewards in his kingdom was understood by his disciples. But the vast majority of Christians today know little about rewards. We have lost this reality of kingdom service. Whether through simple ignorance or some kind of false piety, we have shied away from this biblical doctrine. Jesus will evaluate the service of every one of us, his servants. And our eternal reward is dependent upon our service in this life. How you serve him in this life determines how you will serve him in eternity (1 Cor. 3:10-15).
MAIN IDEA REVIEW: The king trains his disciples to carry out his ministry, giving them specific guidelines, realistic expectations of persecution, a clarified challenge, and hopeful reassurances.
We have been given authority from the king in this world. We represent him, and we have been commissioned to carry on his ministry. His authority and provision will give us all we need for success. We must trust him more than our preparations for success and provision in ministry.
PRINCIPLES
APPLICATIONS
Insects occupy a prominent place among the animals named in the Bible. The ant appears only in the book of Proverbs. It is a community creature, with communities sometimes as large as one-half million individuals. Ants mirror humans in the sense that they practice agriculture and conduct war on other ants.
Proverbs 6:6-8 praises the ant for its supreme example of industry. Proverbs 30:25 notes the ant's wisdom and ability to provide food. They are capable of finding the shortest path from a food source to the nest. They are also capable of adapting to changes in the environment. For example, they will find a new, shorter path once an old one is no longer feasible due to a new obstacle.
Ants are not thinking creatures; they are instinct-driven. Each is designed to accomplish a purpose in the ant kingdom. They are examples of efficiency because they unceasingly work and continue on their mission in spite of adversity, even to the point of sacrificing themselves for survival of the community.
The worker in God's kingdom can take a lesson or two from this small creature. Jesus has delegated his authority to every believer in the kingdom. He has also empowered each believer to live righteously.
First, as does the ant, kingdom workers must be prepared to endure adversity and hardship for the advancement of the kingdom. In fact, the follower of Jesus should not be surprised when persecution comes. Jesus promises that if we publicly confess his kingship on earth, he will be our advocate before the Father.
Second, we must not grow weary in well-doing. Those who are faithful in serving others in the kingdom will be rewarded. Christians of all ages need to follow the Messiah-King's teachings in Matthew 10 to lay hold of his guarantee of a future reward.
Gracious Father, send us out into the fields that are ready for the harvest, just as you sent your disciples. Thank you for the assurance of our reward in heaven if we remain faithful to your call. Amen.
A. Further Insight into the Twelve Apostles
The Twelve are listed in pairs for easy memorization. The first two pairs are sets of brothers (Peter and Andrew, James and John), but there are no apparent connections between the other pairs. Of the twelve disciples, six are mentioned only here in Matthew (Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot). Elsewhere in Matthew, Andrew and Matthew are mentioned only in the context of their original calling (4:18-20; 9:9-10). Judas Iscariot, although he played a critical role in the story, is mentioned only in the context of his betrayal (26:14-16,25-26,47-50; 27:3-5).
From Matthew's editorial comment in 10:2-4, we can assume that Matthew recalls his own corrupt past as a “tax collector” (9:9-13), emphasizing the life-changing power of Jesus' grace. Simon the Zealot was part of the sect called “Zealots,” a group of political activists committed to freeing Israel from Rome, sometimes by violent and subversive means. (Note the extreme contrast with Matthew, who was in the employ of the Roman Empire.) Judas Iscariot is, even this early, foreshadowed as the villainous traitor.
Only Simon Peter and the Zebedee brothers, James and John, receive any kind of extensive attention from Matthew. We see James and John in their original calling (4:21-22), in their mother's request for special treatment (20:20-24) and twice as part of Jesus' closest threesome (with Peter, 17:1-13, on the Mount of Transfiguration, and 26:37-45 at Gethsemane).
Simon Peter stands out as the disciple of note in Matthew. Peter, a nickname given him by Jesus (John 1:42), is the Greek word for “rock,” which was the basis for a significant wordplay by Jesus in 16:18. (John used the Aramaic Cephas, meaning “rock,” once in John 1:42; and Paul used it in 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22; 9:5. Paul used Peter in 1 Cor. 15:5; Gal. 2:9.) Matthew labeled Peter “first,” meaning that he was the leader of the Twelve, under Jesus. Peter was usually the spokesman for the Twelve, and he usually absorbed Jesus' rebuke, sometimes even when others were equally at fault. (Besides Matt. 10:2, we see Peter in 4:18-20; 8:14; 14:28-31; 15:15; 16:16-18,22-23; 17:1-13,24-26; 18:21, 19:27, 26:33-35,37-45,58,69-75.)
B. The Samaritans
In 722 B.C., Israel, the northern kingdom of ten Jewish tribes, was deported into exile by Assyria. The Assyrians repopulated the land with their own people. These people intermarried with the remaining Jews (2 Kgs. 17). Since Samaria was the capital of this territory, the offspring of these families became known as the Samaritans. Judah, the southern kingdom of two tribes, was also exiled in 586 B.C., but they returned to the land seventy years later without the large-scale intermingling with other ethnic groups.
The so-called “pure” Jews of Judah (later called Judea in Jesus' time) despised the Samaritans as “half-breeds,” lower even than the Gentiles, because of the corruption of their bloodline and their form of worship (John 4:20). The region of Samaria was in the midst of Jewish territory, with the Jewish region of Galilee to the north and Judea (including Jerusalem) to the south. Jews traveling between Galilee and Judea usually crossed to the east side of the Jordan River to bypass Samaria.
C. Summary
Matthew 10 represents a significant step from the ministry of Jesus in the flesh toward the ministry of Jesus through his church. Here we see the first significant movement of the twelve apostles into their unique historical role as the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:19-22). Jesus delegated to his disciples (and through them to the rest of his church) the authority he demonstrated in word and deed in chapters 5-9.
The training discourse prepared the Twelve for all they would encounter in their ministry, including opposition and eventual eternal reward. It also provided clarity and reassurance to Matthew's readers, some of whom were probably experiencing the beginning of Roman persecution. Christians of all ages need the perspective provided by the king's teaching here and his encouraging guarantee of future reward.
A. INTRODUCTION
Jesus, the master teacher, probably followed some training method similar to this. In Matthew 10, Jesus prepared the Twelve to do a few central tasks. Eventually, of course, they would be serving at the upper level of this scale.
B. COMMENTARY
