Matthew 10:1-31
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
1He 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,[b]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.
Jesus sends out His Twelve disciples...Jesus gives them the authority to heal people, while they are out...They also are given the authority to drive out evil spirits...This is very important to know that Jesus has at this point in time has given the Twelve to heal every disease and sickness on earth and have the ability to drive out evil spirits...They could heal any illness on earth...Jesus instructs them to go to the lost sheep of Israel...He also tells them to preach the message that the kingdom of heaven is near...They now have the power to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cleanse those who have leprosy...They are to take nothing with them...
Jesus can transfer power to anyone and anytime...His Twelve disciples are given tremendous power under His guidance and authority...He would send out His first missionaries...They would travel out and talk about Him and His Father...A small group, partly of fishermen and one tax collector...This would be the first time they were on their own, yet He would always be with them...
The disciples would go home to home in Israel...If the home was deserving, they were let their peace rest on the home...If they were not welcome, then they would shake the dust off their sandals and move on...For those who do not accept their message, they would suffer like Sodom and Gomorrah at the time of judgment...Their first experience would be like sheep among wolves...They were to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves...They were to be on guard against men (man's nature is to oppose)...Men will hand them over to synagogues to be flogged...They will later be arrested, but Jesus will give them the power of the Holy Spirit to help them speak, and the Father will be speaking through them... Brother will betray brother, families will divide, and men will hate them because of His message...
They are not to be afraid and preach the Truth they know...Do not be afraid because God knows when a sparrow dies and falls to the ground...Jesus tells them, the God thinks so much more of them, and even knows the very count and numbers of hairs on each of their heads...
Jesus then encourages them...They are to preach the message with zeal...They are to fear nothing, except God alone (He is the only One that can kill the soul)...He loves them, much more than a sparrow, for He knows everything about them (even each hair on their head)...The Father and Son will be with them...
What is interesting about Jesus preparing them...He is promising them persecution in the future...He is telling them there will not be peace, but be division and opposition so severe that it will even be in families, among fathers, brothers, sisters, and mothers...Jesus also teaches about comfort and being comfortable...Jesus knew the Twelve would be uncomfortable in their mission...But He teaches this being uncomfortable is part of our salvation...In the Sermon on the Mount, and the Sermon on the Plain, we learn this...Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (not now, but at a later time)...Woe to the rich, for you have already received your comfort (implying that His followers will receive comfort not now, but a later time)...Rejoice and be glad (even through this discomfort), for great will be your reward in heaven...Getting along with others is tough on earth (this is the very nature of man, all of us), as well as having those that will oppose Him, you, and your points of view...He teaches us to love our enemies, forgive them, then shake the dust of our feet-and move on...Then continue on with the mission of helping spread the word and helping others...