Matthew 10:40-42 Rewards

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." [Matthew 10:40‭-‬42 NASB]

Jesus has been instructing His disciples before sending them out for ministry. He has told them to expect opposition, not only in the short term, but throughout their lives. They will have lies told about them, they will be brought before judges and kings, and some will be killed because of their testimony of Jesus.

He finishes his instruction with a more positive note. Although they will face opposition, the disciples will also be received and welcomed by some.

Jesus is making it clear that whatever is done to a disciple in His name is the same as doing it to Him. If we speak ill of Jesus' representative, then we are speaking ill of Jesus. If we bless Jesus' representative, then we are blessing Jesus.

Jesus said in a parable, "Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’" [Matthew 25:37-40 NASB]

He goes on to explain that the opposite is true. "Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”" [Matthew 25:44-46 NASB]

When we give in support of a ministry, it is as if we are giving to Jesus Himself. In this, I would urge discernment. Jesus also said, "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect." [Matthew 24:24 NASB] He said, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits." [Matthew 7:15-16 NASB]

Use discernment to support the true ministers of Jesus. Do what you can to help them. It is not the size of the gift that Jesus rewards, but the heart of the giver. Remember the poor widow who was praised for giving more than those who were wealthy, even though she gave only a penny. Give what you can, and you will not lose your reward.

Matthew 10:32-39 Public Confession

"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.   "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I came to set a man against his father , and a daughter against her mother , and a daughter-in-law  against her mother-in-law ;  and a man ' s enemies will be the members of his household .   "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. [Matthew 10:32‭-‬39 NASB]

Christianity is not a secret society. There are no secret passwords or secret handshakes.

Jesus has just finished saying, "What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops." [Matthew 10:27 NASB] In church we try to make it easy for people to accept Jesus as their savior. "Every head is bowed, and every eye is closed, so in complete secrecy, if you will accept Jesus as your savior today, raise your hand." If you accepted Jesus in this way, but haven't spoken to anyone about it since, then I have to wonder if you have truly accepted Him as Lord. What's more, I wonder if He's accepted you as His disciple. If this is you, then I recommend that you go to the church where you made your decision and tell someone about it. Then request to be baptized as a public confession of your faith. It is important that you confess Him before men. Silence is the same as a denial.

When you tell people about your relationship with Jesus, you will encounter a variety of responses. Those who are already in Christ will rejoice with you. Some will view your announcement with confusion or suspicion. Then there will be those whose animosity towards you and Jesus is evident. Some of your most vocal opponents may be those within your own household.

As the Prince of Peace, Jesus' words in this context seem to be at odds with His general ministry. "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Jesus was not a proponent of war or of fighting. This statement simply predicts peoples reaction towards Him and you.

When I first came to Christ, the response in my family was, I think, typical of a non-Christian, non-religious family. From my parents, I experienced confusion and doubt about my choice. As time went by, and it became apparent that I was not just following a fad, they became curious. Within a year of my salvation, both of my parents were also saved. from my siblings I saw apathy, some curiosity; from my "religious" brother there was animosity because I didn't fit into his brand of religion; and from my thoroughly secular and intellectual brother I received ridicule. (Yes, I came from a large family.) Regardless of their reactions, they all know where I stand and Who I stand for.

I made the conscious choice to love Jesus above all others. Before my wife and I were married, we agreed to prioritize our relationship - Jesus first, spouse second, child third, then church, family, and friends. Putting Jesus first in our marriage has profoundly affected how we treat one another. I consider her happiness to be more important than mine.

Jesus expects that the decision to follow Him will have a profound impact on your life. You have to be willing to lose the life that you're living to follow Him. As you live in the Spirit of Jesus, the desires of the flesh will fall away, so that you no longer want to hang out with the old friends and do the same kind of things that you have always done. You will find new relationships forming with fellow Christians who are on the same spiritual playing field, and with whom you can talk freely about spiritual things.

If you love your old life - the one that you lived without Jesus - then He says you sill lose your promise of eternal life. But if you forsake that old life, and live for Him, then you will find eternal life.

Matthew 10:24-31 Do Not Fear

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.  It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!   "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.  What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.  Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. [Matthew 10:24‭-‬31 NASB]

Three times in this passage, Jesus says, "Do not fear."

He begins by telling us that we are not to expect better treatment from the world than He received. They call Him Beelzebul, which is synonymous with Satan. If they were willing to say such lies about a man who preached peace, and did good works, who healed the sick and forgave sins, how much more will they feel free to speak against us, who, in spite of our best efforts will never be as good as Jesus.

No matter what they do to us, they did it to Jesus first. If it is our goal to become like Jesus (and that should be our goal) then we must be ready to accept the consequences of that effort.

Jesus said, "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known." There are two meanings to this. One is implied, and the other is revealed. First, do not fear them, because their lies will be revealed. In the end, the truth will be known. Sometimes that happens in this life, and sometimes we will have to wait for it to be revealed by God at the time of judgement.

Jesus states the less obvious meaning, which is that we should not leave anything hidden. Rather, we should speak the words of our Master boldly and in the light. If the consequence of that boldness is ridicule or persecution, then so be it.

Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul" In other words, the very worst they can do to you is kill you. If they do, then you have become like your Master in your death. He said, "fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." I generally think of the phrase "fear God" to mean "have a sense of awe and respect." But that is not what Jesus is describing here. He is describing the consequence of denying God.

Picture the complacent Christian going about his life, keeping his head down, and never speaking up for God. When the time comes to confess or deny Him, they deny. Remember what Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. " [Matthew 7:21‭ NASB]

Jesus said, "Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." A sparrow has almost no value, yet God is aware of every one of them. And He knows EVERYTHING about your life. He even knows how many hairs are on your head.

Just as a sparrow doesn't fall to the ground without the knowledge of the Father, so it is with you. He doesn't promise that you will not fall, only that He will be there when you do. It is hard to imagine, sitting safely here in America, but there are many parts of the world today where Christians are being killed because of their faith and testimony. Our Father is not faithless to allow such things. In fact, He promised that it would happen. Those believers who so identify with Jesus in His death will be received by the Father in Heaven, and great will be their reward.

Matthew 10:16-23 Persecutions

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.  But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues;  and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.  For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.   "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.   "But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. [Matthew 10:16‭-‬23 NASB]

Although Jesus was only sending His disciples to the cities in the Galilee region, His instructions were much broader in scope, and prophetic in nature. He told them that they would stand before kings, and be a testimony to the Gentiles. They were instructed to not rehearse what they would say, but to trust the Holy Spirit to speak through them.

Jesus warned that persecutions would come, and that His disciples would be hated by the world. Satan hates the things of God, and will stir up his people to hate them as well. We see it in politics all the time when certain politicians propose laws that are in defiance of the Christian standards of decency. We see judges ordering Christians to violate their conscience to uphold these ungodly laws, or else lose their means of earning a living.

Jesus gives us an interesting response to these persecutions. Run away. He said, "But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next." Sometimes it's not possible to run away, in which case we have instructions throughout the New Testament to endure persecutions, and to persevere. Nowhere do I see instructions to take up arms against the persecutors, nor to battle them in court. Jesus said, "“Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison." [Matthew 5:25 NASB]

And He said, "You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" [Matthew 5:43-47 NASB]

Then Jesus said, "you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes." This has been the source of a lot of confusion and debate among Christians. Let's see if we can simplify it.

First, when Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man, He isn't just using a generic term to say "Look at me, I'm human." All of the Jews in Israel at the time would have understood the prophetic reference from the book of Daniel.

"I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him. “And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed." [Daniel 7:13-14 NASB]

By calling Himself the "Son of Man" Jesus is saying, "I am the King that was prophesied by Daniel." Please keep in mind that the Kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual one. The Kingdom of God is in our hearts. Through His miracles of healing and casting out demons, Jesus gave a taste of the kingdom. As He said, "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." [Matthew 12:28 NASB]

To the first century Jews, this was confusing, because they were expecting a king like David to raise an army, overthrow the Romans, and establish his kingdom in Jerusalem.

To many Christians today, it is confusing because we anticipate His second coming when He will establish His kingdom on earth.

But the kingdom of God was established when Jesus died on the cross. As of that moment, He established a New Covenant and fulfilled His own words that the Son of Man would come.

One day Jesus will return to reign on earth, but He is already a King, enthroned in Heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father. His kingdom, spiritual in nature, is real, and is in our midst even now.

Matthew 10:9-15 Support For Ministry

Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts,  or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.  And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city.  As you enter the house, give it your greeting.  If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.  Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.  Truly 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 10:9‭-‬15 NASB]

Jesus is speaking to the apostles, and by extension those in ministry who follow in their footsteps. He speaks to the expectations of the minister, and also to the responsibilities of those being ministered to.

He's telling them, don't take what you need for your journey, but let people provide for your needs.

The principle is that the minister's needs should be met by those who receive his ministry. This means they have live by faith that God will move the hearts of people to provide. If you are in the ministry, this means you should be able to receive freely so that others may give freely. For many, it is more difficult to receive than it is to give.

There are others who go to the opposite extreme. They go beyond receiving to fleecing the flock. I have spoken to pastors who feel justified in believing that they should live at least as well as the wealthiest member of their church. But what they describe is greed and envy. If John Smith drives a Porsche, the pastor must drive a Porsche. If Mr. Smith lives in a 5 million dollar home, then the pastor must live in a 5 million dollar home.

But that is not what Jesus is describing.

As for those who are receiving ministry, I would remind you of what Jesus said in a different context. "Freely you have received, freely give." I don't believe the pastor should be the richest man in the community, but neither should he be the poorest.

When you speak in the name of Jesus - whether that be in full time ministry, or while on break at work, or volunteering in the community - you will encounter some who are open to what you are saying, and others who will oppose you.

Jesus instructed his apostles to give a blessing of peace to those who receive them, and take it back if they don't. Regarding those who reject the message of Jesus, the disciples were instructed to walk away and shake the dust off of their feet.

Those of us who know Jesus want to share His joy and love with the world. But the sad truth is that the world will overwhelmingly reject Him.

There are those who are on the fence about the gospel. They haven't accepted Jesus, but they don't outright reject Him either. There are many who will hear the message as seed that is planted, that God will water and make grow. They deserve our blessings and our prayers.

Then there are those who are hostile to anything related to Jesus. They reject any action or word of faith on your part. Jesus said to shake their dust off your feet. This is not a curse, nor is it a judgement nor a pronouncement of guilt on those who reject you. Rather, it is for your own benefit. We may feel sorrow or even guilt when people reject the gospel. You should feel free to absolve yourself, and recognize that they are in God's hands.

They may yet come to Him, as His Spirit draws them, but if they don't, they are God's to judge.

Matthew 10:1-8 Sent Out

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness....These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans;  but rather go 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, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. [Matthew 10:1‭, ‬5‭-‬8 NASB]

At the end of chapter nine, Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." [Matthew 9:37‭-‬38 NASB] Immediately thereafter, He called His disciples to send them out.

There is a principle here. Sometimes the Lord will show us where a need lies. I'm not talking about grand spiritual visions, but simply that we recognize that there is a need. It could be any need at all, from helping a neighbor who is sick or injured, or traveling overseas to feed the poor and preach the gospel. Don't think that any need is too small and not worthy of attention, nor that a need is too great and impossible to fulfill.

If you see a need, pray that God will fill that need. You may find that you are the answer to that prayer.

Let me take a moment to say this: Don't Panic!

A Christian will intercede for many needs in the world. Just because you pray about a need, doesn't mean that you will be called to fulfill it. But, you should be willing to go and fill the need you pray for if God calls you to do so.

If you feel called to fill a need, let me say this: Don't Panic!

Jesus didn't just randomly pick some people out of the crowd and send them out. The were His disciples. They had been learning from Him, and were trained by Him before they were sent out. And when He sent them, He empowered them. He gave them authority and power to do exactly what they were instructed to do, which is to preach the gospel, cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead.

Jesus said, "freely you have received, freely give." He does not ask us to give more than we have received. Are you called and gifted to be a pastor? Don't try to be an evangelist. Are you called to be an evangelist? Don't try to be a pastor. Give freely of what you have received, but don't try to give what you haven't received.

The key here is to find your gift - that which God has given you. Perhaps your gift is hospitality, and you can host dinners to encourage friendship and fellowship withing the church. Or God might bless you financially so that you can give to the needy. You may be gifted at organizing events, or listening to people who need emotional support, or...the list goes on and on. There is no calling too small or too large. It is God who calls, and He will equip you for whatever He calls you to do.

If God calls you to heal the sick and raise the dead, He will give you the authority to do so.

Matthew 9:27-38 Compassion

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith."...As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."...Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." [Matthew 9:27-38 NASB]

Jesus felt compassion for the people. That's what motivated Him.

The blind man called Jesus "Son of David". This wasn't a term that was used loosely, and it wasn't simply an acknowledgment of His lineage. The "Son of David" was to be the heir of David's throne. It was expected that the "Son of David" would raise an army to overthrow the Romans, drive out the Gentiles, and win Israel back for the Jews. He was to be their Messiah. When they called Him "Son of David", it is likely that they had this secular viewpoint, and the expectation that Jesus would rise up become an earthly king.

When Jesus heard them call Him "Son of David", he ignored them and kept on walking. He knew what the people expected of the heir of David, and didn't want to encourage that line of thinking.

It wasn't until He entered the house that Jesus healed the blind men. By moving indoors, he was away from the crowds, thus making the event less spectacular. This demonstrates the character of Jesus, that He wasn't motivated by fame or spectacle. He didn't grasp for power. As King and Creator of the universe, Jesus had the right to take power, and claim authority over all the earth. Instead, he chose to humble Himself.

When Jesus encountered the demon-possessed man, he changed how he operated. In the previous healings, He said to those who were healed that it would be "according to your faith." He makes no such requirement of the demon-possessed. Perhaps He knows that the demonic influence prevents the man from making a statement of faith. Nonetheless, His compassion is such that He delivers the man from the demon, allowing him to speak again.

Jesus walked to cities throughout the region, preaching and healing every kind of sickness. But as a man, He was limited, and could only reach a small portion of the people. But, having compassion for them, He wanted to reach them all. And He had a plan.

Jesus told His disciple to pray to "the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." He did this knowing that He was going to send out His disciple to do the same work that He was doing. I find it interesting that He asked them to pray, then made them the answer to their own prayers.

"Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd." The world around us today is like that. Just as Jesus had compassion for the first century people in Israel, so He has compassion for the world today. Let's pray together that the Lord will send workers into the harvest today.