Matthew 10

Matthew 9 ends with Jesus, moved with compassion for the multitudes, telling His disciples to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers (Matthew 9:37-38). Chapter 10 continues that thought and shows Jesus actually sending out the twelve disciples. It is the second of the five long discourses in Matthew and is commonly called the "Missionary Discourse," an extended teaching on mission.

Outline

• Verses 1-4 Jesus gives the twelve disciples power to cast out unclean spirits and to heal sickness. The names of the twelve apostles follow.
• Verses 5-15 He commands them not to go into the way of the Gentiles or into any city of the Samaritans, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They are to preach, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand," and are to take no money or extra clothing. Where they are not received, they are to shake off the dust of their feet.
• Verses 16-25 Jesus foretells that the disciples will be brought before councils and synagogues, governors and kings. At that time the Spirit will give them what to say, and "he that endureth to the end shall be saved."
• Verses 26-33 Jesus tells them not to fear men. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without the Father, and whoever confesses Jesus before men, Jesus will also confess before His Father.
• Verses 34-39 Jesus says He came not to send peace but a sword. He then calls His followers to love Him more than their families and to take up their cross and follow Him.
• Verses 40-42 To receive the disciples is to receive Jesus. Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones shall not lose his reward.

Key Verses

• Matthew 10:8 "Freely ye have received, freely give" — This concisely expresses the ministry principle of freely sharing the grace one has received.
• Matthew 10:16 "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" — This describes the attitude a disciple should maintain in a hostile environment.
• Matthew 10:39 "He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" — This summarizes the paradox of discipleship.

People and Places

• The twelve apostles: Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew; James the son of Zebedee; John; Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot.
• Samaritans: The people of the region of Samaria, who were at odds with the Jews.
• Sodom and Gomorrah: Cities cited as an example of judgment.
• Beelzebub: A name that Jesus' opponents applied to Him in accusation, referring to the prince of demons.

Points for Reflection

• Scope of the mission: Verses 5-6 limit the mission to Israel. By contrast, Matthew 28:18-20 sends the disciples to "all nations." Many interpreters explain this difference as reflecting different stages of the ministry.
• Verse 23, "till the Son of man be come": Views differ on what this verse refers to. Proposals include Jesus' resurrection, the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and the Second Coming.
• The question of the staff: Verse 10 says not to take even a staff, whereas Mark 6:8 permits one. Commentators differ in how they harmonize this difference between the two Gospels.
• Application of the powers in verse 8: Whether the power to heal the sick and raise the dead in verse 8 continues today bears on the issues debated in cessationism and continuationism.
• Distinguishing text from tradition: The view that Bartholomew is the same person as Nathanael, as well as accounts of the apostles' martyrdoms, come from later tradition, not from the text of this chapter.

In the Korean Church

• Verses 16 and 8 are frequently cited at commissioning services for missionaries and when sending out short-term mission teams.
• The "cup of cold water" in verse 42 is often used in sermons encouraging service and charity.