Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The Commands of Christ - Matthew 10:5-15

This section of verses contains a long list of commands that Jesus gave the twelve disciples. Rather than break it down into one day at a time, let's take the following section as a whole and try to glean the main theme that Jesus is getting at.

"These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! -Matthew 10:5-15"

Who are these commands spoken to?

Spoken specifically to the twelve disciples. These commands serve as a sort of pre-Great-Commission commission for the disciples. I think that it is wise here to make a distinction between this sending out and the sending out at Christ's ascension. Consider this a practice round for the twelve disciples.

What do the commands require? And what truths do we learn through these commands?

There is a lot here, so let's just work down through each section, taking one things at a time.
1. Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans - Jesus first commissioned his disciples to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans. This seems extreme to us, but keep in mind that Jesus always does things at exactly the right time. The time for the gospel of the kingdom to be preached to the Gentiles had not yet come. Be patient, in a few chapters, Jesus will command that the gospel be preached to everyone.
2. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel - The disciples are sent first to those who are 'the lost sheep of Israel'. This is interesting to me because Israel, for the most part, was trying to follow the law--at least outwardly. They performed sacrifices and were very religious. But Jesus calls them lost sheep. I think this is in direct connection to Matt. 9:36.
3. As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' - Jesus wanted all of Israel to know that the kingdom of heaven was drawing near. I find it interesting that Jesus commissions his disciples here to go and teach the same message that Jesus was preaching (see Matt. 4:17).
4. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. - Jesus empowered the disciples to do these things. These signs would give weight and authority to their message. 
5. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. - Jesus expects that the people to whom the disciples go and preach would provide the things necessary for them to live. This would be their wages.
6. Now whatever town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. - Jesus instructs the disciples to search out a place to stay. It seems that whether or not a person or household is worthy depends on their willingness to listen to the message of the kingdom.
7. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! - The disciples weren't to fret over those who didn't listen to the message. Jesus tells them to shake the dust off their feet. Let them go. It is unfortunate that there are many who will not tolerate listening to the gospel message, but it is not our responsibility to see them converted. It is our responsibility to preach the message.

What are the consequences for disobedience?

failure to do what Christ has commanded, failure to take part in ministry, failure to be a disciple.

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