HE CALLED HIS twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11“Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17“Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
26“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
34“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
Original Meaning
JESUS’ MISSION IS now well established. He has announced his central message (4:17), called his first coworkers (4:18–22), articulated his programmatic standard of discipleship (chs. 5–7), and demonstrated his authoritative power (chs. 8–9). Now is the time to expand his influence by sending out his disciples with the same message and power, because opposition is building. Jesus will send them first to his people Israel because of their salvation-historical primacy (10:5–15). But he will also prepare them for a worldwide mission among the Gentiles (10:16–23). Jesus’ training will address directly the characteristics that his disciples will need to embody as they carry out the mission (10:24–42).
Commissioning the Twelve for Mission (10:1–4)
TWELVE DISCIPLES (10:1). In answer to the prayer for the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field (9:38), Jesus calls his twelve disciples to him, the highest of Christological clues to Jesus’ divine identity.1 Although this is the first time Matthew mentions the Twelve explicitly, the informal way in which they are introduced suggests that they became a recognized group earlier.2 Matthew is the only New Testament writer to refer to the “twelve disciples” (11:1; 20:17), although the title “the Twelve” occurs regularly elsewhere.3 Up to this point in the narrative, Matthew has introduced only five of his named disciples—Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew (4:18–22; 9:9); here he names the entire group. Mark and Luke name the Twelve in the context of their calling (Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16), while Matthew names them in the context of their commissioning.
“Twelve” has obvious salvation-historical significance. The number corresponds to the twelve patriarchs of Israel, the sons of Jacob, from whom the tribes of Israel descended. The twelve disciples symbolize the continuity of salvation history in God’s program as Jesus sends them out to proclaim to the lost sheep of the house of Israel that the kingdom of heaven has arrived (cf. 10:5–6).4 But there is discontinuity as well, because the Twelve will sit on twelve thrones judging the house of Israel (cf. 19:28). The arrival of the kingdom of heaven in Jesus’ ministry demands an appropriate response from his chosen people Israel. In the gathering of the twelve disciples, we find the hint that Jesus is indeed the messianic king of Israel who has come to unite the people of God in all ages.5 The same authority that characterized Jesus’ ministry in chapters 8–9 is now given to the Twelve. Like Jesus, this authority enables them to drive out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness (10:1; cf. 4:23; 9:35). All that the Twelve will accomplish is based on their having received Jesus’ authority. Disciples of every era will find their own authority only by submitting to Jesus. In their call, disciples were conscripted to kingdom service (4:18–22); in their instruction of the Sermon on the Mount, disciples learned how to live the kingdom life (chs. 5–7); now in their commission, disciples go out with the power and message of the kingdom (10:1–5; cf. 9:6, 8; 28:18–20).6
“Evil” or “unclean” spirits are mentioned only one other time in Matthew’s Gospel (12:43), but they are the same malevolent spirit beings called “demons” elsewhere (e.g., 8:28–32). The advance of the kingdom of heaven in Jesus’ ministry continually encounters spiritual warfare. Unclean spirits are in rebellion against God and are capable of inflicting mental, moral, and physical harm on humans. Demon-possessed people are healed alongside other illnesses (e.g., 4:25), and demons being cast out indicate that the time of God’s judgment has begun upon the stranglehold of evil over this world (8:16, 17, 29).
As the Twelve cast out demons and heal diseases, it validates the reality of the presence of the kingdom of heaven, so that people should turn to Jesus as the messianic deliverer. But their authoritative mission is also an exercise of control over Satan’s realm of rule on this earth. No longer is Satan the uncontested ruler of this world. He has met his match, and more, in the arrival of Jesus. And Satan’s evil forces are similarly subdued, as Jesus’ emissaries go out with his authority to bring release to those held captive.
Twelve apostles (10:2–4). The disciples are also “apostles” (10:2). The term apostle has a significantly different meaning than disciple. The latter designates anyone who has believed in Jesus, while apostle designates one who has been commissioned to be his representative. This is a clue to the role of the Twelve. As disciples the Twelve are examples of what Jesus accomplishes in all believers; as apostles the Twelve are set aside as the leaders within the new movement. Further, this is a clue that the Twelve will transition from the time of Jesus’ historical earthly ministry, when they are sent out as disciples to Israel (10:5–15), to the time of his ascended ministry, when they are sent out as apostles to the nations (10:16–23).
Matthew uses the word “apostle” only here, and he is the only Gospel writer to use the expression “the Twelve apostles” (cf. Rev. 21:14). “Apostle” has narrow and wide meanings in the New Testament. The narrow sense, as here, is the usual meaning, signifying the special authoritative representatives chosen by Jesus to play a foundational role in the establishment of the church.7 Paul normally used the term to refer to the Twelve, but he includes himself among them as a special apostle to the Gentiles (1 Cor. 15:8–10). The wide sense of “apostle” derives from the verb apostello, “I send” (e.g., 10:5), and therefore can mean merely “messenger” (John 13:16), refer to Jesus as “the apostle and high priest whom we confess” (Heb 3:1), or designate an individual such as Barnabas, Titus, or Epaphrodites within the group of missionaries larger than the Twelve and Paul.8
“The Twelve” are significant in the foundational days of the early church. They appear in the days before Pentecost, and they function as a group in the earliest days after Pentecost. They provide leadership for the distribution of food in the dispute between factions of the disciples (Acts 6:2). From that point on, however, we do not find the title “the Twelve” used in the narrative of Acts, nor does the title appear in the New Testament letters. Four times a listing of the Twelve occurs in the New Testament.
| Lists of the Twelve | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Matthew 10:2–4 | Mark 3:16–19 | Luke 6:13–16 | Acts 1:13 |
First group of four | |||
1. first, Simon (who is called Peter) | Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter) | Simon (whom he named Peter) | Peter |
James son of Zebedee | Andrew | John | |
3. James son of Zebedee | John | James | James |
4. his brother John | Andrew | John | Andrew |
Second group of four | |||
5. Philip | Philip | Philip | Philip |
6. Bartholomew | Bartholomew | Bartholomew | Thomas |
7. Thomas | Matthew | Matthew | Bartholomew |
8. Matthew the tax collector | Thomas | Thomas | Matthew |
Third group of four | |||
9. James son of Alphaeus | James son of Alphaeus | James son of Alphaeus | James son of Alphaeus |
10. Thaddaeus | Thaddaeus | Simon the Zealot | Simon the Zealot |
11. Simon the Zealot | Simon the Zealot | Judas son of James | Judas son of James |
12. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him | Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him | Judas Iscariot, a traitor. | |
The structure of the list of the Twelve is significant.9
1. Matthew organizes the names in pairs, which is especially recognizable in the Greek text, corresponding to Mark’s statement that Jesus sent the Twelve out two by two (Mark 6:7).10
2. Within the Twelve is a recognizable division into three groups of four. The first name in each group remains the same in all the lists (the first, fifth, and ninth place is occupied, respectively, by Peter, Philip, and James of Alphaeus). The order of the rest of the names varies. The sequence of the groups is the same in each list. This grouping suggests that the Twelve were organized into smaller units, each with a leader.11
3. The first group is composed of those two pairs of brothers who were the first called—Peter and Andrew, James and John (Matt. 4:18–22), commonly called the “inner circle.” However, on some significant occasions only Peter, James, and John accompanied Jesus, such as the healing of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37–40) and the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:2); they were the audience of the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:3; Andrew is included), and they were with Jesus during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:37).
4. Peter heads all the lists. He is regularly the spokesman for the Twelve,12 and during the days of the early church he fulfills Jesus’ prediction that he will play a foundational role as the rock of the church and holder of the keys of the kingdom of heaven.13 Peter is called “first” (e.g., 10:2) in the sense that he is first among equals as the leader of the Twelve.14
5. The Twelve are normally mentioned as a group, with only occasional focus on individuals. Not much is known about the individual lives of the Twelve, except what is known from brief biblical data and from some statements by the early church fathers.
6. The Twelve display a remarkable personal diversity, which may have been part of the reason for their effectiveness in reaching Israel (see Contemporary Significance).15 Peter, Andrew, James, and John were partners in a successful business in the fishing industry on the Sea of Galilee (see 4:18–22). Matthew was a hated tax collector (see comments on 9:9). Simon the Zealot had been a zealous revolutionary, willing to die for his cause of liberating Israel from Rome by guerilla warfare tactics. At any other occasion these men might have been ready to stick a knife into each other, but here they are all part of one group around Jesus.
7. Judas Iscariot, always listed last, is also noted as the one “who betrayed him.” “Iscariot” most likely denotes Judas’s place of origin, since his father is described as “Simon Iscariot” (John 6:71). Judas was the treasurer for the apostolic band (John 12:4–6); hence, we may assume that he displayed positive characteristics recognizable by the others.
Instructions for the Short-Term Mission to Israel (10:5–15)
THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR the disciples/apostles’ mission is the second of the five major discourses in Matthew’s Gospel (see the introduction). This discourse is divided into three basic sections: missionary instructions for that particular historical context (10:5–15), a preview of the disciples’ role as missionaries in the future (10:16–42), and principles of discipleship for disciple-missionaries of every era (10:24–42)
The prohibition (10:5–6). Jesus begins with a surprising prohibition: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.” The mission is apparently restricted to Jewish Galilee, which was surrounded on all sides by Gentile country except to the south, where lay Samaria.16 The full expression is “lost sheep of the house of Israel,” which does not denote a certain portion of Israel that is lost but rather the whole lost Israel, which is being called to make a decision about the gospel of the kingdom.
The key to the prohibition is found here. This is a special mission of Jesus’ disciples during his ministry to the crowds of Israel, who are like harassed and helpless sheep without a shepherd (9:36). Jesus goes first to Israel (cf. 15:21–28) to fulfill the salvation-historical order that God established, with Israel being the tool he will use to bring blessing to the world.17 Then he will charge the Eleven to continue the historical outworking by going to the nations (28:19–20). Paul later saw this as the priority of the Jews in salvation, for God’s plan is “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16; 2:9–10).18 Jesus’ attention to Israel underscores God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises, the continuity of his purposes, and his plan for Israel.
Why does Jesus even bother to give such a prohibition, given the fact that the Twelve would not likely go the Gentiles and Samaritans anyway (cf. the antipathy of the early church in Acts 10; 11:1–4; 15)? Most likely, Jesus is dispelling any doubt as to whether he truly is the Messiah who fulfills the promises given to Israel and God’s program of salvation history. But there is also a warning here. The eschatological ingathering is beginning. This is Israel’s opportunity, and from here on it will be fully responsible for its own decision.19
Message and miracles (10:7–8a). The message of the disciples is the same as that of both John the Baptist and Jesus: “The kingdom of heaven is near” (see comments on 3:2; 4:17). They also go with the same authority as Jesus (10:1)—to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.” The power of the Twelve is clearly an extension of Jesus’ own power and is to be exercised in the same manner. The commission to raise the dead harks back to Jesus’ stupendous miracle of raising Jairus’s daughter (9:25–26).
Equipment for the mission (10:8b–10). The disciples have benefited from the gift of the kingdom of heaven—in the message they have believed, in their authority over unclean spirits, disease, and sickness (10:1), and in the commission they now receive. They likewise are to give this ministry of the gospel freely to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: “Freely you have received, freely give.” They are not to accept payment from those to whom they minister, which would otherwise make it a mercenary venture. Jesus gives them their authoritative power as a gift, so they must not take payment for performing miracles.
Furthermore, they are not to “take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.” Jesus is not prohibiting them from owning these items but rather is stressing the urgency and requirements of the mission. The Twelve are not to spend time procuring extra supplies as though they are going to be out in foreign lands for an extended period of time.
There are two reasons for this prohibition. (1) This is a relatively quick preaching tour through the Galilean countryside. To procure extensive supplies is unnecessary. (2) Jesus insists that “the worker is worth his keep.” On this brief mission tour the Twelve are to accept the hospitality extended to them as traveling missionaries, so they will not need money or extra clothing or equipment. It is the responsibility of those to whom they minister to support their mission (10:10).20 Although they may not charge for their ministry, the Twelve are to accept the hospitality extended to them for those to whom they minister (cf. 3 John 5–8).
Worthy of the mission (10:11–14). While the Twelve are on the mission journey, they must “search for some worthy person.” The word “worthy” (axios; trans. “deserving” in 10:13) does not point to a person who has a high moral or religious stature but indicates someone who responds positively to the message proclaimed by the disciples.21 An individual, a house, or a city (10:11, 12, 14) that receives the greeting—which Luke tells us is “Peace be to this house” (Luke 10:5)—recognizes that the Twelve are emissaries of God and thus receives their message. If the household does not receive God’s message and messengers, then the missionaries are to shake the dust off of their feet when they leave. It was a sign used by Jews when leaving Gentile regions that they have removed completely unclean elements (b. Sanh. 12a). For the missionaries it is an acted parable of judgment on those rejecting the mission message.22 Paul practiced this symbol when he left regions where his message was rejected (Acts 13:51).
Judgment for rejecting the mission (10:15). The element of judgment implied thus far is now explicit: “I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.” The preaching of the gospel becomes for Israel a threat as well as a promise. Increased light of God’s revelation makes for increased responsibility, and those who have been exposed to Jesus’ ministry and the witness of the disciples have greater responsibility for that privilege (see also 11:20–24). The whole scene exudes urgency because the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry is short and both the blessings of the kingdom and the punishment of judgment are awaiting a decision from Israel.
Instructions for the Long-Term Mission to the World (10:16–23)
SHEEP AMONG WOLVES (10:16a). The theme of judgment on Israel for rejecting the mission of the Twelve leads to a surprising reversal of the sheep metaphor: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” Up to now the disciples are to go to the sheep—that is, the crowds who are harassed and helpless, the lost people of Israel (9:36; 10:6). But now they themselves are the sheep, being sent out among wolves (cf. also Luke 10:3). Why this reversal? Because Jesus is dealing with a different subject. In the first part of the commissioning, he gave instructions to the disciples about their short-term mission to Israel during his earthly ministry. Now he is giving them instructions about their long-term mission throughout the world after that ministry.23
How do we know? (1) Jesus changes from the present tense to future tense. The future tense marks off a distinctively different future ministry. (2) This ministry involves a witness to “Gentiles” (10:18), whom the Twelve were warned to bypass (10:5). This suggests the worldwide mission of the Great Commission (28:18–20). (3) Throughout this second section Jesus prepares the disciples for intense persecution, which they did not experience during Jesus’ earthly ministry. (4) The appearance of similar warnings in 24:9–13 and Mark 13:9–13, which record Jesus’ message of the end times, indicates that he is here including warnings about the treatment that missionary disciples will endure until the coming of Jesus at the end of the age.
Matthew makes no reference to the Twelve either actually going out or returning from their mission. In this way, the commission is sufficiently open-ended to include both instructions for an immediate mission to Israel and the ongoing mission to the nations until the end of the age. The historical setting of Jesus’ sending of the Twelve to the people of Israel has provided an occasion for him to lay down instruction for Christian missions to all nations.
Wise serpents, harmless doves (10:16b). Along with the reversal of the sheep metaphor, Jesus warns his disciples that wariness, yet innocence, will be necessary in the future mission. They must venture out as defenseless sheep in the midst of ravenous wolves, but what will keep them alert to dangers is to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (10:16). The serpent was the emblem of wisdom, shrewdness, and intellectual keenness (Gen. 3:1; Ps. 58:5), while the dove represented simple innocence (Hos. 7:11). This is a difficult but necessary balance to maintain. Without innocence the keenness of the snake is crafty, a devious menace; without keenness the innocence of the dove is naive, helpless gullibility. Schweizer notes, “The caution of the disciples is to consist not in clever diplomatic moves but in the purity of a life that is genuine and wears no masks”24 (cf. also Rom. 16:19).
Flogging in the Jewish synagogue (10:17). Jesus’ warning is now explicit: “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.” This language echoes Jesus’ prophetic statement of the way that Jewish religious leaders will mistreat missionaries (cf. 23:33–34). The synagogue was not only the place of assembly for worship but also an assembly of justice, where discipline was exercised (cf. John 9:35). Note that it is not “our” or “your” synagogues; it is “their” synagogues. The synagogue belongs to those opposed to Jesus’ disciples.25
A witness to Gentiles (10:18–20). The disciples’ future mission will bring them “before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.” Acts records times in which early church leaders were first called before Jewish officials of the national council (Acts 4:1–22; 5:17; 7:12.), later before the ruling authorities in Israel (12:1–4; 21:27–23:11), and finally before the rulers of the Roman world (14:5; 16:19–34; 17:1–9; 18:12–17; 23:24–26:32; 28:17–31). At the time of their trials, the mission-disciples will witness to these ruling figures of the truthfulness of the gospel message brought by Jesus.
In their future mission, the disciples are to depend on the Holy Spirit to speak through them in the moment of their most difficult opposition. The Spirit is the creative, empowering, guiding force in Jesus’ own life (1:18, 20; 3:11, 16; 4:1; 12:18, 28). Through this same Spirit his disciples will find their own empowering and guidance to give their witness.
The disciples’ opposition and endurance (10:21–23). Not only will opposition come from Jewish and Gentile officials but also from the disciples’ close family relations: “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.” Moses had warned the people that even if one’s own brother or sister or wife or closest friend tries to beguile a person into idolatry, this person was to be stoned (Deut. 13:6–11). In the future, some may think that the disciples are leading the people into idolatry with their call to worship Jesus; as a result, the mission-disciples will be delivered over to persecution and death.26 This will be a tragic misperception of Jesus’ identity and message.
Along with family betrayal because of their commitment to Jesus’ exclusivity, his disciples will feel the wrath and hatred of “all men . . . because of me” (cf. also 24:9). An element of hyperbole may be included, but this statement indicates an unavoidable consequence that comes from attachment to Jesus and his message. The phrase “because of me” is literally “because of my name” and is an important Christological expression (cf. 5:11; 24:9) that harks back to the Old Testament significance of God’s name as representing his person as the sole focus of Israel’s worship and allegiance (e.g., Ex. 3:15; 6:3; 9:16; 20:7). Jesus’ disciples will have the privilege of carrying his name, but it also brings suffering, because the hatred directed against him will naturally fall on his followers (cf. John 15:21; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Peter 4:13–14).
But Jesus promises that “he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (see also 24:13). By this statement Jesus gives great assurance that in spite of an increase in persecution, the hatred of humanity will not overcome his disciples. Active resistance may be included in standing firm, but much more in view is their enduring fortitude under any circumstance, including the most hateful persecution. Those who endure until the end of the age, when the Son of Man comes, or to the end of their lives will be saved.
“Saved” here does not mean rescue from death, for many Christians have been martyred. Instead, Jesus gives both a concrete promise and a cautionary reminder. His promise is that the one who remains committed to his name to the end will not be consumed by the persecution but will experience the full blessing and peace of kingdom’s salvation. The reminder is that the test of a disciple’s real commitment to Jesus is whether he or she remains steadfast to the end. Jesus through his Spirit will provide the resources to withstand whatever difficulties may come (10:19–20); in fact, Jesus himself will be with them to the end of the age to see them through (28:20).
With the mention of “the end” (10:22), Jesus culminates the prophetic aspect of the commissioning with a remarkable statement: “I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” This is one of the most problematic verses in the Bible. What does “before the Son of Man comes” mean in this context?27 Some suggest that Jesus is promising the disciples that they will witness the final coming of the Son of Man while they are on their first Palestinian mission, or at his resurrection, or at Pentecost, or at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.28 Others contend that this promise is to be associated with the coming of the Son of Man at the end of the age.
The latter seems to fit the larger context here. While the Jews have priority of salvation (10:6) and of judgment (10:15), their judgment will not permanently exclude them from God’s eschatological promises. The ongoing mission to the nations includes both Jew and Gentile (see comments on 28:18–20). As Jesus offers comfort to the mission-disciples about their ultimate salvation (10:22), he warns them not to abandon Israel. When persecuted in one city, they should flee to the next, because the mission to Israel will not conclude before the Son of Man returns.
In other words, there will be a continuing mission to Israel alongside the mission to the Gentiles until the Parousia.29 In spite of Israel’s hard-heartedness, God will remain faithful to his covenant promises to her. The mission-disciples must remain faithful to their calling to preach to everyone regardless of persecution, family alienation, and ostracism. This is a powerful apologetic to the Jews both in Jesus’ ministry and to those within hearing of Matthew’s Gospel: God has not abandoned his covenantal promises. It is also a challenging, yet sober call to the mission-disciples to endure to the end with the message of the gospel to all peoples—both Jew and Gentile.
Characteristics of Missionary Disciples (10:24–42)
JESUS’ MISSION CHARGE has included instructions to his disciples during his earthly ministry (10:5–15) and instructions to apostles/disciples in a worldwide mission until his return at the end of the age (10:16–23). This last section gives characteristics of discipleship that are to guide all disciples as they carry out Jesus’ mission to the world.
Disciples and the Master in mission (10:24–25). This section opens with sayings that are central in importance: “It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.” The word “student” is mathetes, the common word for “disciple.” The ultimate goal of a disciple is to be like the master—a general principle of master-disciple relations in Judaism and the Greco-Roman world. This general principle of discipleship also applies to relations with Jesus as Teacher and Master. His disciples have received his authority, so they go out with his message and power (10:1, 7–8). The harsh treatment that he is now beginning to receive from the religious leaders will be their lot as well in the ongoing mission.
The Pharisees had accused Jesus of casting out demons by the “prince of demons” (9:34), another name for Satan. That identity is further revealed to be “Beelzebub”30—or better, “Beelzeboul” (meaning “master of the house”), as Jesus’ play on words with “head of the house” (oikodespotes) indicates: “If the head of the house has been called [Beelzeboul], how much more the members of his household!” The term Beelzebub most likely comes from an identification of the chief of the evil spirits with Baal Shamayim, whose worship was installed in the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes IV.31 The accusation that Jesus has formed an alliance with Satan to carry out his work will naturally be lodged against his disciples as well.
Fearless followers (10:26–31). Since the charges against Jesus are false and unfounded, “do not be afraid of them.” Jesus then gives three reasons why his followers should not be afraid. (1) The truth about his ministry will become known: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” Eventually the subversive opposition to his ministry conducted in the hidden counsel of the religious leaders will be revealed as false.
Jesus also knows that shallow exuberance and vicious opposition will come from revealing his true identity and mission, because the crowds will misunderstand it and it will be a threat to the religious establishment. Thus, he has consistently called for secrecy (see comments on 8:4; 9:30). But the time is approaching when the secret message will be broadcast universally, as if a person climbed to the top of the flat roof of one’s home and shouted across the city.
(2) The next reason why mission-disciples should not be afraid is because their eternal destiny is secure. The sober call to mission commitment until the end of the age included the stark reality that persecution may result even in loss of life (10:21), so Jesus gives his disciples reassurance why they should not be afraid: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” This is a call to courage in the face of persecution. Jesus’ disciples might abandon their mission out of fear, so their work should take precedence over what anyone might do to them. Hell is near (10:28), and one who is afraid of confessing Jesus as Messiah is in danger of a far greater judgment than physical death. Therefore, to carry on the mission is to receive the blessings of the Father (10:32). Jesus’ sayings bring comfort and encouragement, for there is a limit to what humans can do to them. If the disciples persevere, they will be rewarded, but if they are disloyal to the truth of the gospel message, they will face ultimate condemnation.
(3) His disciples should not be afraid as they embark on their mission in this world, because of the Father’s unrelenting sovereign supervision over their lives, as testified in 10:29–31. The “sparrow” is proverbially the smallest of creatures and the penny (assarion) is one of the smallest and least in value of the Roman coins (cf. quadrans in 5:26). If the heavenly Father gives constant sovereign supervision to such insignificant creatures, surely he will for mission-disciples whose every detail, even to the number of hairs on their head, he knows. It is to these disciples that their Father has sent his beloved Son (3:17), so he will surely give them absolute sovereign care. Do not fear when persecution comes, for God is aware and in control.
Acknowledging Jesus’ supremacy in public (10:32–33). The test of a disciple’s commitment to Jesus and his mission will come when opposition arises. The easiest way to avoid persecution is to deny that one is Jesus’ disciple. But the true disciple does not fear death (10:28), so she will publicly acknowledge or confess Jesus as her Master (10:24–25) and God, the Son of the heavenly Father (10:32). This public discipleship to Jesus is eternal, for Jesus will likewise acknowledge her to his Father, another statement of the exclusive relationship that Jesus and the Father enjoy (cf. 7:21). But the disciple who attempts to avoid persecution by public denial of Jesus reveals that he is not a true disciple and has not publicly confessed Jesus as his Master and God. Such denial results in eternal rejection by the Father.
Allegiance to Jesus’ supremacy at home (10:34–39). We have here another statement of Jesus’ explanation of the reason for which “I have come.”32 The public nature of discipleship will test the disciples’ confession, and the private nature of discipleship will test their absolute allegiance to Jesus. The latter testing comes at home. In the first place, confession of Jesus will divide family members: “a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” This is one of the truly radical sayings of Jesus in the social milieu of first-century Judaism, showing that he has not come simply to mollify the status quo.
The “sword” in 10:34 is a metaphorical sword, as proven by Jesus’ rebuke of those who took up an actual sword to defend him in the Garden of Gethsemane (26:52). The sword can be a metaphor of God’s judgment (Ps. 7:12) or, as here, a metaphor of separation between those who believe and those who don’t, even if it is in one’s family. Earlier Jesus revealed that opposition to his mission would come from the disciples’ closest family relations (see comments on 10:21–23). Thus, Jesus’ claim to messianic identity and authority is a divider between people, including one’s own family. One either believes in Jesus or rejects him; there is no middle ground. Before Jesus’ own family finally came to recognize his true identity and mission, they also opposed him (13:53–58; Mark 3:21; John 7:3–5). So, like their Master, Jesus’ disciples can expect division to occur in their family as members try to prevent them from furthering Jesus’ mission.
Furthermore, discipleship to Jesus means that he has unqualified supremacy over the disciples’ lives: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” In a return to the expression “worthy” (axios; see comments on 10:11), Jesus indicates his form of discipleship calls for giving him ultimate supremacy beyond parents or children, something not even the most esteemed rabbi would demand. This is an implicit declaration of his deity, because only God deserves higher place of honor than one’s father and mother. A precedent for this is found in Moses’ commendation to the tribe of Levi:
He said of his father and mother,
“I have no regard for them.”
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant. (Deut. 33:9–10)
Giving rightful place to family presumes giving obedience first to God, which will then enable a person to honor appropriately one’s father and mother, sons and daughters. The strength of attachment to family in Israel had a tendency at times to supplant commitment to God (see comments on 8:21–22). Jesus’ statement here is in line with the call there to give priority to Jesus as God above all else, even one’s dearest loved ones.33 To take up one’s cross is a metaphor that means to take up God’s will for one’s life, in the same way that the cross was the Father’s will for the Son’s life. Taking up God’s will for one’s life will result in gaining true life as Jesus’ disciple (see comments on 16:24–26).
Reward for receiving Jesus’ mission-disciples (10:40–42). Jesus concludes this Mission Discourse by reiterating that the mission is his, because the missionaries go out with his message and his authority (10:1, 7). He speaks directly to the disciples/apostles, who have been the subject of the discourse throughout (cf. 10:1–2, 5): “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.” The mission-disciples include the original Twelve (10:5–15) and all future disciples until the Son of Man returns (10:16–23, 24–25). Mission-disciples go in the authority and with the message of Jesus himself, so to receive them is to receive Jesus. This includes a “prophet,” a “righteous man,” and a “little one.”
The “prophets” and the “righteous” are linked elsewhere (13:17; 23:29); here they refer to Christian prophets (cf. 23:34) and righteous persons (cf. 13:43, 49; 25:37, 46). These distinctions are not mutually exclusive. “Prophet” refers to one who speaks for God (cf. 5:10–12; 7:15–23); “righteous man” is a generic category for one who has the righteousness of the kingdom that comes from obeying Jesus (cf. 5:20), including the righteous people of earlier generations who by faith looked forward to the arrival of God’s gracious redemption (cf. Rom. 4:1–25). To receive either means to receive Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom and live under its authority and so receive life’s greatest reward—kingdom salvation and kingdom life. Prophets and righteous men have already been blessed with that reward upon their own entrance to the kingdom of heaven, and their great privilege is to share it with others (cf. 5:12).
The context of the reward for receiving missionary disciples who have sacrificed and experienced persecution blends with reward for treating well the “little ones,” a theme that will resurface significantly in the eschatological discourse (cf. 25:31–46). “Little ones” points explicitly to needy disciples and emphasizes that they are often the ones excluded from care, since attention is given usually to prominent members of the discipleship community. This is in line with the admonition Jesus gave to the disciples as they were arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (18:1). There, he advised them to become like children, because receiving children in his name is like receiving Jesus (18:2–5).
This is also in line with James’s rebuke of his church for showing partiality to the rich in the church while dishonoring the poor (cf. James 2:1). So Jesus affirms that believers are to care for one another, but especially the least and insignificant among them, particularly those who are most needy but have given unqualified commitment to Jesus’ mission.
Bridging Contexts
IN THIS SECOND discourse of Jesus in this Gospel, Matthew provides us another crucial collection of Jesus’ commands that disciples are to be taught to obey (28:20). In the Sermon on the Mount (chs. 5–7), Jesus delineated the principles for his followers that are to characterize their lives as “kingdom-life” disciples in our everyday world. This second discourse, the Mission Discourse, develops what it means to be “mission-driven disciples.” Jesus’ disciples are to go out to share and live the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God to an alien and often hostile world. Four primary topics surface here.
Mission. The first is “mission.”34 This includes several important features.
1. Jesus lays out God’s salvation-historical mission of redemption. The disciples first go to Israel to fulfill God’s covenantal promises (10:6), but then they are to go to the Gentiles (10:18). They will continue with the two-pronged mission to Jews and Gentiles throughout the age until Jesus returns (10:23). The mission-disciples must be appropriately equipped in each phase. The urgent mission to Israel during Jesus’ historical ministry required preparation unique to that setting (cf. 10:5–15), which should be wisely evaluated so that no unwarranted application is made to the later worldwide mission (10:16–42).
2. The disciples are to go with the same authoritative message and power that characterized Jesus’ mission (10:1–8).
3. Since the mission charge is addressed to disciples, mission is a responsibility of all believers (10:24–25, 40–42), not just a special category of persons. It occurs in both public confession to the world (10:32–33) and in private commitments to one’s family (10:34–39).
4. Like Jesus, disciples can expect opposition and persecution (10:24–25) from Jews and Gentiles alike, as well as one’s own closest family and companions (10:17–21). Jesus is the dividing line between the entire world and his disciples (10:22).
5. The source of the disciples’ power and guidance is the Spirit (10:19–20) and the source of their care and control is the sovereign will of the Father (10:28–33). Disciples, therefore, should have no fear (10:26–27).
6. Mission is a community issue, as the one who receives shares the reward of the one who carries the message (10:40–42).
7. Mission includes not only proclamation and displays of God’s power but also care for the needy among them (10:42).
8. Mission includes spiritual transformation. The centrality of Jesus in the life of the disciples is the most vital characteristic of the mission, so that the disciples increasingly grow to be like the Master (10:24).
9. All of these issues prepare and equip Jesus’ disciples to undertake with boldness and effectiveness the mission with which Matthew concludes his Gospel, the Great Commission (28:18–20), which is the key to understanding Matthew’s overall purpose for writing.
Particularism and universalism. One of the well-known difficulties of studying Matthew’s Gospel is to try to understand the tension between the particularistic thrust, where Jesus emphasizes a mission only to the lost sheep of Israel (10:6; 15:24), and the universalistic thrust, where Jesus emphasizes a mission to all the nations (28:19). Jesus reserved an undisguised declaration of the universal mission until after the resurrection, but all throughout Matthew there are hints of its coming. This is part of Jesus’ own earthly economy of salvation history, and Matthew emphasizes it for his own apologetic message to his Jewish kinsmen and Jewish-Christian community (see comments on 10:6).35 The double horizon of the mission to Israel and then to the nations instructs all disciples of its present universal responsibilities.
To emphasize too heavily Matthew’s particularistic themes could lead one to accuse him of ethnic prejudice, but to emphasize too heavily the universal theme could lead one to accuse him of ethnic anti-Semitism. A proper balance is found in recognizing God’s plan of salvation history—to the Jew first, then to the nations. Jesus’ admonition to the disciples to give singular attention to Israel (10:6) underscores God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises, but by bearing witness to the Gentiles (10:18), the mission accomplishes his salvific purposes for all of humanity while declaring that his plan for Israel will not be finished until the Son of Man returns (10:23).
Discipleship. Another emphasis of the Mission Discourse is discipleship. Matthew has emphasized that there is an incontrovertible solidarity between Jesus and his disciples, including authority (10:1), message (10:1), activity (10:7, 8), mission (10:18), suffering (10:18, 24–25, 38), confession (10:32), and reception (10:40). Since the Twelve represent the relationship that disciples throughout the ages will enjoy with Jesus (see 28:16–20), the open-ended historical nature of this discourse posits specific examples for our own mission.
However, as we noted above, the Twelve’s urgent mission to Israel during Jesus’ earthly ministry (e.g., 10:5–15) must be understood historically so that we do not draw unwarranted application. This discourse encourages us to understand that disciples of Jesus will engage in mission and be transformed to meet life’s demands by being continually transformed to be like the Master. Discipleship begins by taking up one’s cross, which symbolizes God’s will for a person’s life, and by following Jesus into every situation while on earth. The extended section on the characteristics of mission-disciples draws together those two themes. The form of discipleship Jesus has explicitly instituted connects discipleship and mission—all believers are disciples/missionaries, and each role affects the other as they carry out that mission to the world.
Persecution and suffering. Persecution and suffering will be a regular part of discipleship and mission, just as it was of Jesus’ life (10:24–25). Several points may help us to see Jesus’ perspective on persecution and suffering.
1. How one bears up under persecution is basically determined by whether one is a disciple or not, which has eternal implications (10:32–34).
2. Persecution may include rejection, alienation, being hated, and ultimately martyrdom (10:21–22, 28, 38–39).
3. The severity of persecution and suffering requires us to give unqualified allegiance to Jesus. Jesus warns us not to give priority to any other relationship and not to deny allegiance to him because of fear of persecution. The disciple is not to fear those who can only kill the body; rather, we must fear the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell (10:28). To deny Jesus here on earth is to be denied by the Father in heaven (10:33).
4. Jesus’ disciples can expect to be maligned and to have falsehood spread about their message and character, for the same was done to Jesus (10:25). However, they are not to fear this subversive persecution, because eventually they will be vindicated (10:26).
5. Most important, while experiencing persecution the Spirit will provide power and guidance to speak the right words of witness for the situation (10:19–20), and the Father will exercise sovereign control over all circumstances, so the mission-disciples are not to fear that the persecution is out of God’s control (10:29–31).
Contemporary Significance
TELEVISION NEWS ANCHOR Tom Brokaw wrote a best-selling, gripping tribute to what he calls The Greatest Generation.36 It is a collection of stories about the generation that grew up in the Great Depression, which was shaken out of everyday life to help save the world by fighting the Second World War on two fronts, and which then immediately undertook the daunting task of rebuilding the economies and political institutions of their own homeland and those of their former enemies.
One of the most important themes that Brokaw wanted to get across is that these were common people who all joined together to face these challenges. It wasn’t just an elite group who made up this greatest generation. They were ordinary men and women who answered the call to serve their country in whatever capacity they were gifted and equipped. Some were on the front lines fighting hand to hand with the enemy, while others were on the home front nursing the wounded back to health. Some heroes humbly received Medals of Honor, while other heroes served nobly in the obscurity of a factory. The Allied victory in World War II and the rebuilding of the war-ravaged world could not have been accomplished except for the full mobilization of an entire generation.
When we read the story of Jesus’ mission of the Twelve, we can also think of them as the greatest generation of the church. They were called out of the hardship of occupation by the Roman Empire, but they went on to fight a battle, not with swords and chariots but with the good news of the arrival of the kingdom of heaven and a message of transformation. They went on to lay the foundation of the church, and most suffered martyrdom for the name of their Lord Jesus.
Scripture likewise speaks of our own discipleship using the language of warfare, although it is not a war against flesh and blood (e.g., Eph. 6:10–20; cf. 1 Tim. 1:18). Christians are everyday people who have been called to advance the kingdom of God in an alien and hostile world. We are the church, the body of Jesus Christ, some of whose service results in external and public honor while others carry out their service in the humility of obscurity. But each individual is vitally necessary to the proper functioning of the church in this world.
Martin and Gracia Burnham are everyday people. They began serving as missionaries with New Tribes Mission in the Philippines in 1986, where they raised their three children. Martin grew up in the Philippines with his missionary parents, and he wanted to be a mission aviation pilot his entire life. He and Gracia were examples of grace and servanthood both to other missionaries and the Filipino people. While celebrating their eighteenth wedding anniversary at Dos Palmas Resort off Palawan Island, they were kidnapped May 27, 2001, by the Abu Sayyaf Group, terrorist Filipino rebels. They were held hostage for 376 days in the jungles of Basilan and Mindanao. When a Filipino military group attempted to rescue them, Gracia was wounded and Martin was killed. During their captivity they shared with their captors the food that was sent to them, and they also shared the gospel with them, challenging the rebels’ Muslim beliefs.
After Gracia was reunited with her family and children in Rose Hill, Kansas, she said, “We want everyone to know that God was good to us every single day of our captivity. Martin was also a source of strength to the other hostages. He was a good man, and he died well.” Dan Germann, an executive with New Tribes Mission, said of Martin and Gracia, “These are people who loved God and didn’t reluctantly move toward a mission field. They did it gladly, because their eyes were fixed on Him. In that sense, they are our modern day heroes.”37
Martin and Gracia are examples to all of us in our own everyday worlds, for Jesus’ missionary discourse is directed to all who are courageous enough to call themselves his disciples. As Martin once said, “I’m not called to the Philippines or to be a missionary. I’m called to serve Christ.” And he did—and so shall we, with God’s grace. In that sense, every generation of the church is called to be the greatest, because if it is not for the mobilizing of all disciples, the war for the hearts and souls of lost men and women will be lost.
Mission-driven discipleship. Every disciple is a missionary. Some of us tend to avoid passages like the Mission Discourse by saying, “Well, how does this relate to me? Those were the twelve apostles. I’m not like them!” But while it does have special significance for the Twelve in their historical ministry, it has immediate relevance for disciples in every era. As Jesus calls the twelve disciples to him and gives them authority (10:1), all of us should identify with them as disciples. If we call ourselves Christians, we are disciples of Jesus (cf. 5:1–2; 28:18–20), and this passage should impel us to see that mission activity is a vital part of our discipleship to him. The authority and purposes of God have not changed, and thus the principles outlined in this discourse are as relevant today as they were to the original disciples.
Every disciple is a missionary, but not every missionary goes overseas. Equally as important, not all of Jesus’ disciples are missionaries who go away from home to a mission tour. Even in Jesus’ day many of his disciples did not follow him around or go out on a tour. The Gadarene who had had a demon begged to go with Jesus but was sent back home to tell his townspeople what Jesus had done for him (Luke 8:38–39). We have no evidence that Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus ever left Jerusalem or their occupations, yet they were disciples of Jesus and were used at a critical time to provide him a burial place (Matt. 27:57–61; John 19:38–42). The woman named Tabitha did not leave her hometown, yet she was a servant of God who affected the entire region, both by her actions and the miracle of being raised from the dead (Acts 9:36–43).
While all of us may not become full-time missionaries, it is clear that all disciples are called to join in mission in some fashion. And whether we are more directly involved in mission or conduct more of a support role, the rewards are the same (10:41–42). The specifics of how one engages in mission should be tailored to one’s giftedness and abilities, but a disciple of Jesus will see that carrying the message of salvation to the world is a vital part of our discipleship.
Support of worldwide mission is the responsibility of all disciples. Much of the evangelistic and teaching ministry of the early church was performed by traveling missionaries who served the various churches and were dependent on the hospitality and gifts of the members of the churches they visited. One striking example is Gaius, who was especially faithful in exercising hospitality (3 John 6); many traveling missionaries shared with John’s church how generous Gaius had been. John commends Gaius for his hospitality and encourages him to continue, because these missionaries would not accept help from the unconverted. To receive aid from such people might give the appearance of selling the gospel, reducing the missionaries to the level of various popular philosophers and religious preachers seeking payment for services.
This speaks to our own responsibility to support the mission work of the church beyond our own personal mission work. When we stay home and support those who go, we are fellow workers with them (3 John 8). And we are to support missionaries “in a manner worthy of God” (3 John 6). God gives generously to us, his disciples, so we should likewise give generously to mission-disciples involved in full-time mission. As Howard Marshall states, “Christian ministers and missionaries live in the faith that God will encourage his people to provide for their needs; it is better that such provision err on the side of generosity than stinginess.”38
Transformational discipleship. Discipleship refers to the process of how Christians are equipped and transformed for this life and battle, to be light in a dark world to those still held in the clutch of the prince of the power of the air. Those first Twelve disciples/apostles are a great deal more like us than we usually imagine. We each can look at these men, and the many other men and women who were Jesus’ disciples, and find that we are not much different from them. Look at the brief description of each and see if you can identify with one or more of them:
• Peter—a businessman who was regularly in a leadership position
• Andrew, his brother—a person highly sensitive to God’s leading, though overshadowed by his brother Peter
• James son of Zebedee—who left a successful family business to follow Jesus but was the first apostle martyred
• John, his brother—who had a fiery temper but also a profound love for God
• Philip—never quite one of the inner circle, yet took a leadership role among the lesser-known apostles
• Bartholomew—known for his outspoken honesty (he is probably the one called Nathaniel in John 1:43–51)
• Thomas—a skeptical rationalist who eventually had one of the most profound theological understandings of Jesus’ identity as the God-man
• Matthew the tax collector—formerly a traitor to his own people to support himself and his family but became a missionary to them by writing his Gospel
• James son of Alphaeus—either younger, shorter, or less well known than the other James, faithful throughout his life but never given much recognition for it
• Thaddaeus (or Lebbaeus)—also called Judas son of James, often confused with Judas Iscariot and didn’t develop much of his own reputation
• Simon the Zealot—before accepting Jesus as Messiah, a guerrilla fighter who wanted to bring in God’s kingdom by force
• Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him—love of money and power may have drawn him to abandon and betray even his closest friends
The Twelve are not to be idealized. We can look at each of them and find that they are not much different from you or me. I don’t say that to try to bring them down to our level but rather to emphasize that we are more like them than we may realize. Try identifying realistically with even one of the Twelve, with their individual strengths, yet also with their foibles and failings. Which one are you most like? Can you see the same faults in you that are in one of them? Can you see the same potential for your own unique ministry? If God could transform their lives, he can transform ours as well. That is the overwhelming passionate story of Jesus’ ministry. Our call is to be what Jesus wants to make of us, wherever we happen to be.
You and I may not be involved in a large-scale assault on the evil of this world, but the transformation of those who will respond to the gospel message begins with us, in our own world. The Twelve had to start with a clear understanding that each of us needs transformation. The apostle John, for example, was called one of the Sons of Thunder, most likely because of his fiery temper. On one occasion he and his brother James wanted Jesus to call down fire from heaven to consume a village of Samaritans that had disrespected Jesus (Luke 9:51–55). But as his own heart was transformed to learn how to love with God’s love, he later actually went to those same Samaritans with the gospel (Acts 8:14–17). This is a real transformation that we can all understand. It is a transformation of the heart that ultimately affects every aspect of our being.
The persecution and suffering of discipleship. Persecution is another issue in this Mission Discourse that we may think is not relevant to our daily lives. Many of us live in a culture and society that does not experience the same degree of persecution that the early Christians faced. But there are broader principles here that apply to us. Regardless of how comfortable a life we may live, there are always daily choices that demonstrate our allegiance and submission to the Lord. And invariably, opposition and persecution will follow.
Persecution is closer than we think. Believers who stand for the name of Jesus as we enter the third millennium are increasingly facing persecution similar to that experienced in the first centuries of the church’s existence. Wherever communism, Islam, or nationalism is struggling for dominance, there is a new outbreak of anti-Christian violence and oppression. This has resulted not only in the arrest and imprisonment of Christians but also their torture and execution.39 In Saudi Arabia, for example, in spite of its strong ties with the United States and other Western countries, persecution and execution of Christians are common. As an Islamic theocracy, the government believes it must preserve a narrow Qur’anic purity and the shrines in Mecca and Medina, which means that denial of religious freedom is integral to its identity.
Oswaldo (Wally) Magdangal, a Filipino pastor whose house church in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, grew too noticeable for the authorities, was arrested for blaspheming Islam. Shari‘ah law requires beheading for “apostates”—those who renounce Islam. Religious police tortured every part of Magdangal’s body, trying to force him to renounce his faith, and he was beaten throughout 210 minutes of mocking interrogation. During that time no Friday passed without at least one execution in the public square, and Pastor Wally was sentenced to be executed on Friday, December 25, 1992. But through the combined efforts of Western human rights organizations and his close friends in the Saudi government, God miraculously intervened and Pastor Wally was deported; he is now president of Christians in Crisis, an advocacy group based in Sacramento, California.40 His goal is to wake up the church to the real persecution that Christians around the world experience every day.
Moreover, the increasing secularization of Western culture does not bode well for us. Christians are discouraged from denouncing practices condemned in Scripture, such as obscenity, pornography, and homosexuality. In the name of “freedom of religion” many of the normal practices of faith once enjoyed—such as public prayers or even displays of a manger scene at Christmas—have been stripped away. The agenda of much public policy seems more like freedom from religion, and the consequences for those who decry this secularist public policy will grow increasingly harsh.
Jesus suffered when doing the right and good thing, and persecution marked the fate of the church from its earliest days. Yet it did not dim passion for following Jesus, no matter what the cost. Paul tells young pastor Timothy that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). But our consolation is that our suffering unites us to Christ, and we will find a rare fellowship with him when we identify with the suffering he endured, whether in life or in death (Phil. 3:10). The apostle Peter reiterates the same theme that he had heard Jesus give in this Mission Discourse, which will be increasingly relevant for us in the third millennium:
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. . . . If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:12–17)
For the Christian, suffering is not something to be avoided at all costs. Suffering, when it comes, can be a means of furthering our union with Christ, who promises to be united with us in our deepest hour of need.41
Guarding our hearts in the real world. One of the central cautions of Jesus in this Mission Discourse is that as we live out our lives with him in the world, our hearts become vulnerable to hurt, temptation, and spiritual attacks. Proverbs tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23). As we take up the armor of God in spiritual warfare, the breastplate of righteousness will guard our hearts (Eph. 6:14). But Jesus warns us that a delicate balance must be maintained while we walk in this world as mission-disciples: We must guard our hearts from hurt, yet at the same time we must not develop a heart that is so protected that it becomes hardened. As Jesus gives his prophetic vision to his disciples being sent out into the world, he says, “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16).
Jesus did not call us out of the world into a safe haven of rest. We must venture out as defenseless sheep in the midst of ravenous wolves, so we must guard our hearts. Guarding them means being wise as serpents. We are to know the ways of the world, especially the traps that await us. We must understand clearly how people can hurt and abuse us. There are people in this world who want to dominate us to perpetuate their own self-serving agenda. We must guard ourselves and those for whom we are responsible. We are to be wise about the temptations that will come our way and know how to escape.
At the same time, we are to be innocent as doves. We must not allow our hearts to become so protective and distrustful of the wolves in the world that we harden them. We should not learn the craftiness of the snake so well that we acquire the heart of a snake. I have said many times in the past, “I don’t trust anyone.” That statement came from a heart that had been hurt by people. While it is true that many people can’t be trusted, I took it too far. I became so distrustful of people that I hurt them by my accusations of false motives or unfaithfulness. A dove doesn’t hurt others. A dove brings grace and beauty. The dove is the symbol of peace.42
Guarding our hearts in this world is a difficult yet necessary balance as we, mission-disciples, carry the message of the gospel of the kingdom to a world that is dying, eternally, without its message of grace and salvation. I don’t fancy myself as a part of a “greatest generation,” but I do know that I am called to unwavering commitment to bring the gospel of the kingdom to my generation and to those who follow. That is the clarion call of Jesus’ Mission Discourse to every generation of the church.