Matthew 10
Jesus chose twelve men to go about the land of Palestine with Him the last two or three years of His life on earth. They heard His words, and saw the wonderful miracles. One day Jesus told these men that they should go to towns and people without Him. They were to tell God’s words, and speak of the great kingdom to be set up. He gave them power to cure all sorts of sickness, and even to raise the dead, as He did.
Jesus told the men to go only to the people who were of the nation of Israel, wilo knew the promises of God. They were to show them that God was ready to bless them, as He had told them in the writing of the prophets. The men were not to carry extra food or clothes with them, nor money, because the people they were to visit, were as relatives, and should gladly receive them to their homes, and do for them. It would be a small thing for people to help the disciples with food and a night’s rest, when their sick were cured and the dead raised. Jesus had done much for the disciples, and they were to do for others, He said,
“Freely ye have received, freely give.”
Jesus said the people were like “lost sheep:” they had turned from God’s words (carelessly), as sheep may turn away from a good shepherd. Just before this Jesus had also said the people were like a harvest field, ready to be gathered in, and there were few to help gather; many were ready to hear of the Lord, but there were few to tell to others His words of blessing. So Jesus sent the disciples as workers, and as shepherds to help others.
But Jesus told the men that they would not be kindly treated by all, yet He said, whatever was done for others, even for and, because they believed in Him, and did the good for His sake, would be rewarded by God.
After the Lord Jesus had been put to death, and raised again, He told those who believed on Him, to tell others of Him, and how much He loved them and died for them, not only to save them from an everlasting hell, but to take them to be with Himself forever. We can surely tell others how much He has done for us, can we not? He did not tell them to go to one nation only, but to go to the whole world.
In our chapter, the Lord was giving the people of Israel the chance to accept Him as their King, as He had been promised to them, and we know God’s promises will at last be fulfilled.
The men went as Jesus told them. Some of them had homes of their own, as Peter and Matthew, but to do as Jesus said; was more important than any work of their own. They had been called disciples, because a disciple is one who believes the teaching of some person; after this, these twelve men were called “apostles”, which means “sent ones”. The writing of Mark says that they were sent two together, and in the list of names, they are named in twos.
Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the publican;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus;
Simon, the Cannanite, and Judas Iscariot (Matt. 10:2,3,42Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus; 4Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. (Matthew 10:2‑4)).
ML 03/28/1943