Matthew 10

The twelve apostles (vs. 1-4)—Their names are listed here and Jesus “gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease” (v. 1). A limited power at the moment, but they weren’t ready for more yet.

The “limited commission” (vs. 5-42)—Jesus sends the twelve out on what has been called the “limited commission;” a little on-the-job training, I suppose. There are a lot of instructions here—don’t go to Gentiles, but only Jews (vs. 5-6). Preach a simple message: the kingdom of heaven is at hand (v. 7). Do good, in the form of miracles (v. 8); Jesus’ statement here is a wonderful precept for us all: “Freely you have received, freely give.” Don’t take any money, have faith that God will take care of you (vs. 9-13). If a city rejects you, then they will suffer worse torment than Sodom and Gomorrah (vs. 14-15).

Beginning in verse 16, Jesus tells His apostles that they will be persecuted. Much of the rest of His speech here pertains, not so much to the current commission, but to their long-term work. For example, verse 18: “You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” That isn’t going to happen until after Christ’s ascension back to heaven, but they needed to know, in advance, what serving Christ would cost. Twice in the remainder of the chapter, Jesus indicates that the divisions over Him will be so sharp that it will divide families (vs. 21, 35-36). “And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved” (v. 22). This is an indication that there is more to the Christian message than “love;” who would hate someone for preaching love? No, Christianity requires repentance, and if the message is broadcast too loudly, there will be those who will oppose it simply because they love their own wicked lifestyle more than they do a righteous one. The current hatred in our own country of Christianity should be an indication of this. Don’t be deceived; the vitriolic loathing that the left has for George W. Bush and Sarah Palin are much rooted in this animosity towards Christianity.

The Lord promises the apostles that God knows what they are going through (vs. 29-31), but they should have a greater fear of Him than of man (v. 28). There is only so much man can do to us; God can consign us to hell. So be strong in the face of persecution, Jesus tells them: “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (vs. 32-33). It won’t be easy: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (v. 34). Yes, there is a certain element of peace that Jesus brings; but, again, there will be those who violently oppose the gospel as well. In this great war with Satan, we must have no higher allegiance than our allegiance to Christ: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (vs. 37-38). How much are soldiers worth to an army if they aren’t willing to die for the cause? The same is true of Christ’s disciples. He must be able to count on us, come what may. And whatever good we do, or do for those who are engaged in the great struggle, will be remembered by the Lord and rewarded (vs. 40-42).

Now again, keep in mind that this sermon was directed initially towards Christ’s apostles. There are some promises here than aren’t for you and me. For example, verse 19: “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak.” We aren’t given divine inspiration. And, back to the beginning of the commission—the apostles were to preach only to Jews, while today we must preach to all (Mark 16:15). But certainly, in principle, much of this sermon applies equally to you and I. Frankly, a lot of it is repeated, in one form or another, in other locations of the New Testament, so we have these instructions elsewhere.

One last rather obscure thought here. In verse 23, Jesus informs His disciples, “For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” This is not the Second Coming, obviously, because His message has gone far beyond the borders of ancient Israel; and besides the apostles are obviously all dead now. The “coming” here is probably the establishment of the church in Acts 2; in other words, His “coming” to finally establish the kingdom which was “at hand.” A great mistake that many people make is, when they see a “coming” of the Lord, they automatically assume it is a personal, visible appearance, usually the Second Coming. Actually, most “comings” or “days” of the Lord in Scripture are His “coming,” symbolically, or through another agency, in judgment against someone or some great power. More on that later.