Matthew 10: The First Sending (1)
Pray Psalm 40.11-13.
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me!
Sing Psalm 40.11-13.
Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth
Keep Your mercy not from me; let Your love and truth prevail.
Evil and iniquity make my trembling heart to fail.
LORD, be pleased to rescue me! Let my shelter with You be.
Read and meditate on Matthew 10.1-4.
What would that power look like in your life?
Prepare.
1. What qualified these men for the mission Jesus assigned them?
2. What did Jesus call them to do?
Meditate.
Immediately following His instruction to pray for laborers to be thrust forth into the harvest, Jesus gathered His disciples for their first mission. Who were these men? And what qualified them for the mission Jesus gave them?
First, these were ordinary men—not a scholar or professional among them. They were fishermen, a tax collector, and who knows what else. Everyday men. They had no training for ministry. Their only real qualifications were (1) they had left everything to follow Jesus; (2) they had spent much time getting to know Him; (3) they sat at His feet to be instructed in the ways of the Kingdom; (4) they had observed His many good works; (5) they had publicly identified with Him; and (6) they had received authority from Him for their appointed work.
I’m a bit skeptical of the way we train people for the work of ministry, and of the people we determine to be qualified for such work. For the lifetime of this nation, we have been preparing people for the ministry using a classroom model, teaching them how to pass tests and write papers, but not paying too much attention to what characterized the disciples at this point. The result is that the Church has drifted from its ancient moorings, and is having less and less Kingdom influence in a culture and society.
The disciples were being sent to do essentially what they’d seen Jesus doing—preaching, teaching, and rolling back the effects of sin. Luke tells us He sent them out in pairs. That’s a good strategy, as each man would be able to support his co-laborer with prayer and encouragement, and by bringing to remembrance the grace and mercy of Jesus. Jesus gave them power for this mission. The Greek is ἐξουσία, exousia, and translates better authority. They were to invoke His Name in their work, and His Name would give them success (cf. Lk. 10.17). This work to which Jesus appointed His disciples extends to every one of us as His followers.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Jesus called His initial twelve disciples to Himself, with the purpose of sending them out on their first foray into Kingdom work. They were the original fishers of men and laborers into the harvest. They are our forebears and examples. They were merely humans given authority and empowered by Jesus Christ for His glory and honor. And look what they accomplished!
They had power over unclean spirits, to cast them out of those being afflicted.
They had power to heal all kinds of sickness.
They had power to heal all kinds of disease (Matt. 10.1).
Each disciple was hand-picked by Jesus for a reason.
Some we have heard about: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew.
But James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite not so much.
And of course, Judas, we know of infamously.
The obscurity of some speaks volumes to us, of all the works that need to be done in the Kingdom,
and how inglorious a lot of the work is. But all the work is important, and it all must be done,
therefore, all of us are needed.
All the minutiae of every day is an opportunity to reclaim for the Kingdom,
as we take the mundane and make it important for His honor and glory.
Thus, we can enjoy and honor Him every moment of every day regardless of the task at hand.
God gave Moses plans for the tabernacle regarding how each portion of it should be made. Even the lamps and lampstand. “Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand” (Num. 8.4). God has rhyme and reason for everything in His Kingdom. We would do well to follow His pattern and plan for life in His realm. Each piece and part of it directed by Him. Each part important.
After His resurrection, before His ascension, Jesus told these same disciples (sans Judas)—and by extension us—to wait and see what could be accomplished once they were filled with the Holy Spirit: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1.8).
This was power, not just authority.
And for us, the same—power—not just authority.
What will we accomplish with this power?
What credentials do we have, or need, to do so?
Only, that we are His, we have been with Him. We follow Him.
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men,
they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4.13).
They were living according to the pattern. Credibly credentialed. As are we.
Filled and sent to do His work, His way, according to His pattern—His Word.
Ready to accomplish small and great things for Him.
Reflect.
1. How do you see the authority of Jesus at work in your life?
2. In which areas of your life would you like to know more of His authority at work?
3. How do you know when the authority of Jesus is working in you?
What kind of people were these? Fishermen and publicans. Indeed, four of them were lowly fishermen and two were publicans—Matthew and James—and one was even a traitor. These “he sent!” John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 32.3
Pray Psalm 40.1-10.
As you wait on the Lord this morning, think about the day ahead. How will you show the Lord that you trust Him? Ask Him to help you delight to do His will, and to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom at every opportunity.
Sing Psalm 40.1-10.
Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth
I waited patiently for God; He inclined and heard my cry,
lifted me up above the sod, set me on a Rock on high!
New songs in my mouth He gave; may He through me many save.
Blessed are all who trust in You, turning both from lies and pride.
Countless wonders, LORD, You do, and Your thoughts with us abide.
LORD, Your worth who can declare? None with You can e’er compare.
Off’rings You do not require—open now my ears, O LORD!
What from me do You desire? Firm delight to do Your Word.
Take my life in ev’ry part; write Your Law upon my heart.
LORD, Your truth will I proclaim to Your people gathered ’round,
nor will I my lips restrain—let Your precious ways resound!
Of Your saving grace and Word I would speak, most loving LORD.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.
Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column addresses the question, “How to Church?” Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
