Sent
Read This Week: Matthew 10
“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” – Matthew 10:38-40 NIV
Chapter 10 is a critical place in “The Gospels” series as we continue to read and learn from the book of Matthew. Here, Jesus gathers his disciples around him and gives them spiritual authority to go and do apostolic things like drive out evil spirits, raise the dead, and heal sickness and disease. This moment and sending out of the disciples is important because, for the first time, Christ is endowing his spiritual power and authority to others to go and do His ministry in the world.
It is also necessary to be aware of who is being sent out by Jesus. Sometimes, there is confusion around who the 12 disciples actually were, and Matthew has done a great service by providing a listing of the names in verses 2-4 of this passage:
Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Once he identifies who is being sent out, Matthew lays out exactly what Jesus wanted them to do in their ministries to the people. The striking thing here is that it is comprehensive, precise, and detailed. Jesus is specific and thorough in the way He instructs them to conduct their service and ministry. Much like God’s Word does for us today, Jesus doesn’t leave them to do it on their own. He doesn’t tell them to go and figure it out later. He gives them a game plan to follow and a pathway to success and effective ministry in His spirit.
This is our experience as well. The Bible tells us how to live the Christian life. God did not leave us without guidance, wisdom, and a plan. The following is a capsule of what Jesus tells them in verses 5-28:
• Only go to the Jewish people
• Proclaim the kingdom of heaven
• Heal the sick
• Raise the dead
• Cleanse those with diseases
• Drive out demons
• Don’t take any money
• Don’t take a bag of extra clothes
• Stay in people’s houses
• Try not to waste time on those who won’t listen
• Be gentle but street smart
• Stand firm in the face of persecution
• Be teachable
• Proclaim the truth with boldness
Then Jesus utters the famous words of sacrifice and the reward of a life with God. He says in verses 38-39, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Being a follower of Jesus means being sent out into the world to shine His light. Being sent is not seasonal and does not have a term limit. It is a whole life commitment for all of life. Being sent for life is about sacrifice, not self-fulfillment. Being sent for life means always counting the cost and then taking action in God’s power.
Jesus closes by saying, “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” A sent life realizes that the best life comes later. We serve Jesus because we love Him, want to follow Him, and do His perfect will on earth. That is what called and sent people do with their whole life for all of their life.
Last week the end of Matthew 9:35-38 says in the message: Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
Matthew 10 1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them the power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. This is the list of the twelve he sent:
Just like Jesus sent out these disciples to go help people who needed help for Him, He is sending us too. Father God is our commander, our boss, He is the miracle worker, He sent Jesus here to help us, teach us, He is the best example of being a great servant, helper for Father God, Jesus taught with authority, that is he communicated the will of God to us.
I remember the day when someone invited me to church. She was working for Father God, Jesus was calling me to have a better life with Him, He saved me. Now I am a child of God just like my sister in the Lord, I’m now a servant, a messenger, a worker for Father God. We all are called into this Harvest work. Jesus gave us authority, power, to influence others, help others, to help others who want to choose to live a better life, to live a godly life. God is working, but He does expect us to want to every day to learn how to grow in His ways and then reach out to others to help them too. Those who want to. I love the end of this chapter in verses 40-42:
“We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”
So when you feel like it is too hard, Don’t quit, don’t cave in, don’t get discouraged, God is with you, it will be all worth it in the end, all that you do for the family of God is a blessing to Him and those you reach out too! Go be the best worker for God. One day those who do respond will be with you in heaven. Father, we pray for more workers, messengers, those who want to serve You with their whole heart. And we hope we get to be a part of what you’re doing more and more. Thank you, Love you Father God, Jesus, and your Holy Spirit.
There is so much wonderful and insightful commentary here, Heidi that it is difficult to focus on just one part but this particular thought and idea stuck out to me, given the reference to Matthew 10:40-42 and being “intimately linked” with God in the work He has called us to do in the world:
So when you feel like it is too hard, don’t quit, don’t cave in, don’t get discouraged, God is with you. It will be all worth it in the end. All that you do for the family of God is a blessing to Him and those you reach out to. Go be the best worker for God.
This is a tremendous reminder in the context of this Scripture to be faithful to the calling God has placed on our lives and fully trust Him and His power with the results. This confidence in the Lord and His Holy Spirit will affirm, equip, and empower us not to lose heart or give up as we live on mission every day, serve His kingdom, and share His gospel.
What a great example of a mission with God. We too have missions with God. In our Men’s Group, we call them God Ops – special operations with God. Each day we are carrying out missions and assignments with God as led by the Holy Spirit.
The daily journey for each person varies, yet the most important aspect and key for success are that we do it with God, as led by the Holy Spirit. I love the instructions that Jesus gives them in verses 19-20:
“But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
God gives us what we need to accomplish our assignments when we need them. This is why learning to listen to God and living an interconnected life with God is so important for mission success.
Ken, this is such a great word about being on mission with God every day and drawing upon the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out the “God Ops” He has for us. This was a wonderful summation of Matthew 10:
God gives us what we need to accomplish our assignments when we need them. This is why learning to listen to God and living an interconnected life with God is so important for mission success.
God does indeed gives us all we need to accomplish His will and work as we live interconnected with him. Your last phrase reminded me of 2 Timothy 3:17 where it says that through salvation in Christ and His word, God equips his people to do every good work.
This week was amazing Thank you, God. I wrote a song out of Matthew 10 called “Let’s Shout”:
Let’s shout out to our Lord
Let’s shout out to our Lord
Let’s shout out to our Lord who has a heart of passion full of grace, mercy, and love.
Let’s follow our Lord walking, singing, and standing together
His love is so amazing
He gives us his grace, his mercy, and his joy.
Let’s shout out
Let’s shout out to our Lord. Amen.
I am so thankful to God for being so amazing. He always gives me the strength and power to do the best that I can.
Thank you so much for your song of praise this week, Alma. One can feel the joy and passion with which you wrote it. The words reminded me both of Psalm 146:1:
Shout praises to the Lord! With all that I am, I will shout his praises. I will sing and praise the Lord God for as long as I live.
And it recalled these words from the great worship song, “Shout to the Lord”:
Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.
I got a poem from Matthew 10:29-31
God’s eye is on the sparrow, God sees us as we fly.
He notices us each day that sweeps and passes by.
He hands us a flight plan, as we open up our eyes.
He charts out our course upon our morning rise.
His eyes are on this sparrow, He sees us as we soar.
He hears our wings flapping above the world’s roar.
What that means to me is that God knows our ups and downs. He gives us strength when the storms in life are fought. He leads and guides us into the right path the right flight.
This is so deep and touching, Jeri. I love your artistic takeaway from verses 29-31. I especially was drawn to these lines and the thought captured in them:
He hands us a flight plan, as we open up our eyes.
He charts out our course upon our morning rise.
I am so thankful for a gracious and faithful God that charts our course and helps us with a flight plan to navigate the skies and storms of this life. And He is faithful to do so every morning as we begin again. Thank you for this truth and word picture.