Matthew 10
COMMENTARY:
: 1 And when HE had called to HIM HIS twelve disciples, HE gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. (1849 “power” [exousia] means authority, liberty, jurisdiction, strength, the ability or strength with which one is endued, of authority to manage domestic affairs, or supernatural power.)
DEVOTION: Jesus gave HIS disciple’s power over those angels that had fallen with the devil when pride took hold of him before the creation of the world. We are told that one-third of the angels fell with the devil. The devil was one of the Cherubim that protected the honor of the LORD. Two good Cherubim were set at the entrance of the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve fell, so that, they would not enter the Garden again and eat of the tree of life.
Now we find that the devil has been removed from heaven and is in control of an army of angels who want to disrupt those who would preach the kingdom of heaven. The disciples were going to be sent out to preach the message of salvation to the children of Israel. Jesus wanted them to know that the Messiah was come. HE wanted them to know the truth concerning HIS purpose for coming.
One of the challenges the disciples were going to run into is people who were possessed with evil spirits or angels. They would have power to cast out the evil spirits. They would have the same power that Christ manifested while they watched HIM do the same thing.
They would also have power to heal those who were sick.
Why did Christ give them this power? The people understood that Christ had this power and if HIS disciples had the same power they knew that they were true followers of HIM. People understood power.
Today we have more power available to us than even the twelve disciples. Our authority comes from the Word of God. We have more revelation than the disciples had when they were with Christ. We have more instructions than they had. The Holy Spirit has been given to give us the authority to be more than conquerors.
Can every Christian cast out demons today? Is it advisable? The power is available but must not be used for personal gain. The church is the instrument that the LORD uses today to face these issues. The elders of the church are to be the ones who are called to deal with these issues.
CHALLENGE: Follow the instruction of the book of James in this area.
: 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed HIM. (3860 “betrayed” [paradidomi] means to deliver up, be arrested, to hand over, to surrender someone or something to another, or with notion of treachery.)
DEVOTION: Here we are introduced to a man who will spend a little over three years with Jesus. He will listen to HIM preach. HE will witness HIS power of the demons. HE will witness HIS confronting the Pharisees and Sadducees about their teaching the traditions of men over the commands of the LORD. He will have control over the money that people gave to Jesus to support HIS ministry.
Yet we find that he is the one who betrayed Jesus. He turned HIM over to the false religious leaders because he became disillusioned with some of the statements Jesus made about HIS death and resurrection. He thought he was following someone who was going to be a king right away. He thought that he was going to have control over all the money of the nation.
So we can have someone who followed Jesus for three and a half years who really wasn’t a believer but was in it for the money and fame. This can happen even today. There are people attending church to see what they can get out of it rather than what they can give to the LORD. They are not followers of the LORD but just people who attend a church to see what they can get out of the church. When the going gets tough they just disappear from the scene.
Many in the pews of the churches of all nations are in them to not listen and learn but to see what they can personally gain from attending. They are not servants but one of the wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are causing more problems in the church sometimes by spreading discontent. Make sure you are not just someone in church looking to just get what you can from the church or the church people but one who will give your all to see the work of Christ move forward in your community.
CHALLENGE: Don’t be one who gives the world cause to laugh at the church.
: 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. (2040 “workman” [ergates] means doer, or laborer who is paid.)
DEVOTION: Who was the first worker? It was the Godhead in creation. First they created the angels. Second they created the world. Third they created mankind.
After they created man/woman they told them their responsibility was to take care of the Garden of Eden. They were responsible for the care. After the fall they were going to have to work harder to produce the food they were going to eat.
The responsibility of mankind since the fall is to work for a living. They had nothing given to them. They either worked or they didn’t eat. That was the way the LORD wanted it to be for humans.
Here we find the LORD Jesus Christ sending out HIS disciples on a missions trip to preach the message HE had given them. They were not to take anything extra with them. They were to have their needs provided by those they preached to in the city they were in. Their lodging was going to be provided by people who were willing to listen to their message. If they didn’t listen they were to wipe their feet as a symbol of the city receiving a curse from God.
Now this is how the LORD wanted it to be so that they learned that everything they received was from the LORD. They were learning to trust the LORD for each meal and each night of lodging. It was a lesson we are to learn today.
We are commanded to serve the LORD first. Our income comes from our avocation rather than our occupation. Our occupation is being a servant of the LORD. Our avocation is the gift or talent HE has given us to earn an income to support our family. Ultimately HE wants us to know that HE is the one providing the job for us. If we lose our job HE will continue to provide for us if we are working for HIM.
There are many lazy people in our churches who expect to do nothing and the LORD will bless them. They are wrong. God does not bless laziness. HE blesses those who are first serving HIM and then going to work at the job HE provides to earn the money HE knows they need. HE will keep HIM promise of provision, if we keep our promise to serve HIM first.
Those who are called to full time ministry will receive the wages HE provides to them through their local ministry. If they do not work, they should not expect to be paid. If they are not preaching the right message HE will judge them for leading HIS people astray.
CHALLENGE: Trust in the LORD to provide your every need as you work to advance HIS kingdom. If HIS kingdom is not growing right it is because HIS laborers are not doing it right.
: 38 And he that taketh not up his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me. (514 “worthy” [axios] means valuable, weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, befitting, or due reward.)
DEVOTION: Jesus is selecting HIS disciples. HE is sending them out on a mission. HE is giving them instructions regarding what to take and who to stay with and what they are to do regarding the people they meet. This is their first trial by fire.
HE also mentions that there is a responsibility of taking up a cross. The Jews did not use crucifixion to deal with their prisoners who deserved death. The Romans used this method. Here HE was instructing them in the fact that when they were followers of HIM it was to the death. They were going to be walking to their death as HIS servants.
This Greek word is mentioned seven times in this chapter. It is mentioned first in relation to a workmen being valuable because of his work and therefore deserves to eat food. Secondly, it is concerned about a city being valuable regarding its acceptance of the message the disciples were to preach. Thirdly, it is concerned about a house being valuable because one of the disciples would be able to stay there while he preached the message to the city. Fourthly, a disciple was considered valuable if he loved the LORD more than his parents. Fifthly, a disciple was considered valuable if he loved the LORD more than his children. Finally, a disciple was considered valuable if he was willing to take up his cross or burden and follow the LORD.
The LORD does seem to lead HIS disciples through some strange paths in his lifetime. Some of the paths we are led to follow seem to be going in the wrong direction from our perspective but we need to remember that if the LORD is leading – it is the right direction for our lives. When we follow, love and work for the LORD we are considered of great value to HIM.
How valuable do we feel today? Are we more valuable than the sparrows? My wife likes this comparison. She feels the LORD is telling us that we are more valuable and therefore HE is going to walk with us through any trial HE sends our way. Trust in the LORD with all our hearts!!!
If it comes to the point in this country where we have to stand up and be counted as followers of HIM, HE will be by our side and give us just the right words to say to those who are against us and HIM.
CHALLENGE: Remember just how valuable we are in the work of the LORD. We are more valuable than the birds of the field. HE provides us with all our needs to represent HIM.
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