[And He Walks With Me] Matthew 10
2-4 An apostle is a messenger or delegate. That is, he/she is a person who has been given a mandate from the king and the full authority and necessary resources to accomplish that mandate.[177]
The significance of the number twelve is multi-faceted. In the Old Testament, twelve represented the number of tribes in Israel. By the New Testament, those tribal identities were much less significant, but the number may have been chosen symbolically for this reason. Alternatively, it could be that twelve is generally considered a threshold in group dynamics. Smaller groups lack critical mass. Larger groups struggle to make intimate connections. This may be why it was historically considered an ideal teacher-to-student ratio.
In the gospels, Peter, James, and John receive the most attention of all the apostles. Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew (i.e., Nathaniel), and Matthew receive additional attention in their introductions. Thomas and Judas Iscariot receive additional attention surrounding the resurrection and ascension. James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot really appear only in the lists of apostles recorded in each of the four gospels and Acts. Beyond what is revealed in the gospels, virtually nothing is known of their origins. Tradition provides some detail on their lives after the gospels, but even some of that is conflicting. The point is that these men were all nobodies, yet Jesus chose them to lead his church.
It is easy to focus on the fact that Judas Iscariot… betrayed Jesus, but in this moment, we must not neglect the fact that Jesus chose Judas knowing that he would be the traitor. We must not presume leaders are perfect and will never betray our Lord, but the fear of what they might do later should not lead us to reject them here and now.
5 Jesus himself had already taken the road that leads to the Gentiles (e.g., Matthew 8:28), and he would eventually enter… Samaritan [towns] (e.g., John 4:5). Perhaps Jesus knew that, despite what they had seen and heard from him thus far, they were not yet prepared to discard generations of hostility toward Gentiles and Samaritans. Perhaps he knew they were not ready to face the criticism that would come from the Pharisees and co. Either way, Jesus knew they were not yet ready to minister directly and independently to Samaritans and Gentiles.
7 Notice that this is the same message preached by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2 and Jesus in Matthew 4:17. Jesus’ disciples are to carry the same basic message that he did: that the kingdom of heaven is breaking into the world to liberate people from the power of Satan and sin. It is on its way even now and has come near, and they are invited to join the kingdom by repenting from their former lifestyles and following the way of Jesus.
8 Jesus recognized that, before people could respond to the gospel, they first needed to see their more pressing needs met. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs illustrates this well. People need to have their basic physiological, safety, and human relational needs met before they can respond positively to a relationship with Jesus. Therefore, evangelism must always be coupled with practical ministries such as heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons.
Notice how Jesus distinguished between heal the sick and cleanse those with leprosy. Leprosy was considered more spiritual than physical. See note on Matthew 8:2.
8-15 Jesus now moves into more practical directions for the apostles’ upcoming ministry. It is important to compare and contrast the directives given here with those given in Luke 22:35-38. Despite the differences between the two lists, there are some key lessons here for everyone who ministers. (1) Don’t expect to get rich doing ministry. (2) Trust God to provide for everything you need to minister effectively. (3) Ministry is not a one-way street; allow others to minister to you, too. (4) Ministers should be accompanied by peace rather than turmoil. Be a non-anxious presence. (5) Do not expect a 100% response rate. When people reject the gospel and you, shake the dust off your feet, putting the rejection beyond you, and move on to someone else who is more receptive.
16 With a series of metaphors, Jesus described the ideal character of the Christian and the world. Christ-followers are compared first to sheep. This is interesting because they were previously told to go to the lost sheep (10:6). Sheep are generally mild creatures that desperately need a shepherd to show them where to go to find food and water and protect them. This metaphor, then, indicated Christians are to be gentle and careful to follow the Good Shepherd, who will show them where to go to find everything they need and protect them from those who would abuse them. They are exhorted also to be as shrewd as serpents. Ancient people generally considered serpents to be cunning and wise.[178] Among Jews, the most familiar serpent was the devil, who used his cunning to trick Eve. The idea, then, is that Christ-followers will use their wits rather than power (e.g., violence, coercion) to defeat their enemies. Finally, Christians are called to be as innocent as doves. Other translations (e.g., KJV) render the phrase harmless as doves, but innocent is a better translation.[179] Doves were generally associated with cleanliness, purity, and even holiness because of their white color. In contrast, Jesus pointed out that the world is filled with wolves. Wolves were known for their speed, strength, and voracious appetites. They were constantly searching for things they could devour. The idea, then, is that Christians are expected to be holy in every way. Overall, then, the message is that Christ-followers will be the polar opposite of the savage world into which they enter. Instead of violent predators looking for someone to devour, they will be mild followers of the Good Shepherd. Instead of using strength to overwhelm their opponents, they will rely on cunning and wisdom. Instead of soiling themselves with sin, they will be holy.
16-18 It should be noted that the wolves of verse 16 are further identified in verse 17. They are the ones who will hand you over to local courts which could fine, confine, or even execute the believer. They are the ones who will flog you in their synagogues. That is, they may be religious insiders who are merely going through the motions of faithfulness. They are the ones who will have Christians brought before governors and kings to answer for the supposed crimes of their faith. Notice, however, the sudden reversal: the Christians will have the opportunity to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. Yes, the enemies of Christ are powerful and mean, but always be looking to seize the opportunities they create.
19-20 The promise that you will be given what to say at that hour is significant. Many Christians do not tell people about Jesus because they are afraid they will not know what to say, but Jesus here promised that the Holy Spirit will provide the words when we need them. It should, however, be noted that those words are probably not going to be what we expect. We like to think we will be able to outwit or outyell the bad guys, but we should not forget that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit also. When he was handed over, he was silent for much of the time he was in custody, and when they drove nails into his hands, he responded by saying, Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34). The Holy Spirit will probably not lead us to respond harshly, even to the wolves who are attacking in order to devour us.
21-25 Jesus here expands upon the warning of vss 16-20 to reveal the depth of conflict he will bring. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, but this is not because following Jesus is wrong. It is because people will be so committed to avoiding Jesus. Jesus makes clear, however, that his followers should not respond in kind. Rather than surrender their faith, the one who endures to the end will be saved. Rather than counterattack when persecuted, flee to another town. We should expect to become like Jesus in our suffering, and we should endeavor to become like him in our response.
26-31 The Christ-follower has no reason to be afraid of them who persecute. If we earnestly following Jesus’ will, then the worst they can do to us is kill this earthly body. If we are defying the will of God, then God will send us to eternal death. Too often, we worry only about the earthly and physical consequences of a decision. The challenge here is to adopt an eternal, spiritual perspective, recognizing that the eternal disposition of our soul is a much bigger deal than what happens to our bodies on earth.
32 To acknowledge (CSB) or confess (KJV) Christ is not just to tell people about him. The term also includes the ideas of agreeing with and praising a person. [180]That is, we must agree with Christ concerning what is right, wrong, and the direction of our lives, and we must celebrate (i.e., be excited about) him and his expressed will.
33 The notion of denying Christ stands in stark contrast to that of acknowledging him in verse 32. The word rendered deny (CSB, KJV, etc.) is translated by the NIV as disown, a term which may better convey the sentiment of the original term. Indeed, Strong’s defines this term as “to contradict, i.e., disavow, reject, abnegate: – deny, refuse,” and Thayer’s adds that the term “is used of follower of Jesus who, for fear of death or persecution, deny that Jesus is their master, and desert his cause.”[181] To deny Christ, then, is to either refuse to tell people about him or to fail to follow his will for our lives.
34-39 The idea here is that Christ is going to be the great watershed of history. Those who align themselves with him over every other concern may have to sacrifice greatly in this life, but they will find infinitely more in the life to come. Conversely, those who choose to preserve their earthly lives, relationships, and things rather than follow Christ will find that they lose infinitely more in heaven.
40-42 We must never forget that the mission to share the good news of God’s kingdom, ultimately, belongs to Christ. We may be the one delivering the message, but the message is really his. Therefore, the rejection or acceptance we receive while on that mission is really his.
It is important to recognize that we all have a part in the missio Dei. Some are called to go. Others are called to stay. However, we all have a responsibility to edify the entire body of Christ. Therefore, when we support each other in our respective portions of the mission, even in the slightest way, we are promised the reward for their portion of the mission, too.
[177] “G652 – apostolos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.
[178] “G3789 – ophis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.
[179] “G185 – akeraios – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.
[180] “G3670 – homologeō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.
[181] “G720 – arneomai – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.
[182] Sleeth 2012, 78