God Speaks
Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2 Here are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon (also called Peter),
then Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James (son of Zebedee),
John (James’s brother),
3 Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew (the tax collector),
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,
4 Simon (the zealot),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
9 “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. 10 Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.
11 “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. 12 When you enter the home, give it your blessing. 13 If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. 14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15 I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.
16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.
24 “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!
26 “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 27 What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!
28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.
35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 Your enemies will be right in your own household!’
37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41 If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 10:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God knows everything about every one of the 8 billion people on planet Earth right now, including their names.
2. Any authority people have (over evil spirits, illness, death, etc.) has been given to us by God, specifically by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit because of the cross.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 10?
Thank You, Father God that You know each of the eight billion people on planet Earth right now by name. You know everything about each one, even the number of the hairs on our heads. You know the plans and purposes You have for each of us. You, Jesus, knew each of the Twelve as You called them to accompany You and serve the kingdom of Heaven. As You sent them out, their assignment was to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.” At other times, You told them to preach to the poor the good news of who You are and what You do. We are to do the same. As we do, You promise to supply all that we need to complete the assignment: money, clothing, transportation, equipment, resources, and food; however, that does not mean that we can just sit back and do nothing. We must ask for Your direction and provision and be totally dependent on and obedient to You. As we enter a village, city, or place of service (even our workplaces and schools), we are to seek the peace and well-being of that group of people. If they reject us because of Your message, we are to leave it to You to deal with them. You say opposition and persecution will come from our own family members, our neighbors, our community officials, our religious leaders, or our government. Some of my brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing this right now. Help them, Father. You promise that if we trust and obey You, we will be given the right words to say at the right time to bear witness to those leaders or oppressors and to others who do not know You, LORD God. We are not to be fearful or anxious, but to remember how valuable we are to You: God values human beings so much that Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, came to earth, ministered, suffered, died, and rose again so that our sins could be forgiven, and we could be in Your presence forever. If anyone gives their life in proclaiming the message of Your cross and resurrection and in service to others, Jesus will acknowledge them before the Father and reward them appropriately. Thank You, Father. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 10?
- I will use the website www.operationworld.org to investigate how I might pray for some of those 8 billion people that God knows so well and loves so deeply.
- I will spend at least fifteen minutes daily asking the Lord to show me some of His plans and purposes for my life now and in the future, recording what He shows me.
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to work through me to do at least one of the tasks (listed in Matthew 10) Jesus assigned to the Twelve, reporting to __________ (specific fellow believers) what happens.
- I will share about Christ to _________ (a specific person, or group) this week, relying on Jesus and leaving the results to Him.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.