Teachings form Matthew 10 & 11

Matthew chapter 10 opens with Jesus appointing and anointing the 12 apostles for ministry, “And when He called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” Then He give them instruction on where and how to minister that the Kingdom was at hand and to demonstrate it, “And as you go preach saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” This is well before His death, resurrection and giving of the Great Commission.

“Freely you have received, freely give.”, is something I have believed for quite awhile but don’t see being practiced by some Christian ministries. In this era of the prosperity doctrine and the Church as a business too many are more concerned about size and the bottom line (finically). That is not to say that they are not ministering the Kingdom into their community and to the world. It might be saying that GOD would rather have one thousand Churches of 100 people rather than one Church of 10,000 people. Why, when a Church of 10,000 people will do better financially then a Church of 100 people and it will have the resources to do larger works in the communities it ministers in? Because a Church of 100 people will have greater more intimate relationship with one another, it will be hard for anyone to blend in and go unnoticed, their time of worship and learning will be deeper as they know each others’ lives and situations. Their ministry in their community will be more impactful when those who were ministered to see those who ministered to them regularly, living and working in their community. (Now none of this is what I was meditating about when I sat down to write.)

I was thinking about the rest of chapter 10 and all of chapter 11, the instruction that Jesus gave them and us on how to be a disciple. There are a few highlights that are commonly preached. Jesus talks about John the Baptist being the one promised to come in the power and spirit of Elijah, He speaks judgment to the cities that did not repent because of the miracles preformed in them. And the often quoted, “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I al gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” These verses about resting in Jesus are the most taught about from this section but I think the most misunderstood.

From Matthew 10:5 thru chapter 11 Jesus is giving the disciples and us instruction on how to be ministers of His Kingdom on the earth. Remember, He told them to preach “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” We know that it is more than at hand now because on the day of Pentecost the Father sent His Spirit to all mankind (Joel 2:28-32), the Kingdom of GOD (Heaven) is on the earth and we are to do the will of GOD; remember Jesus’ taught the disciples to pray in Matthew 6:5-15, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Well His Kingdom has come and in Matthew 10 & 11 Jesus is telling us how to do the Father’s will in the earth and what the cost of it is to us.

We have all heard messages on counting the cost but today we are more likely to hear a message on GOD’s plan to prosper us and give us the good life. The principles of the prosperity teachings are base on the true principles of the scriptures, GOD does what us to prosper, the problem is in understanding what that prosperity is for us rather than our being prospered the same as others. Jesus said, “…I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10b But, the gospels are full of Jesus’ teachings that the life is going to have difficulties and we are not to seek to be rich. Matthew 6:19-34, store up treasures in heaven not on earth, you cannot serve riches and GOD, seek GOD first and He will provide what we need for life. Matthew 19:16-30, how hard it is for the rich to enter into Heaven.

So here are a couple of my highlights, “Whatever I tell you in the dark speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body only but cannot 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 copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” It starts with the admonition to teach the Word of GOD, it ends with GOD’s promise of care and provision, but the middle reminds us that obedience will come at a cost but disobedience will have a eternal cost.

What about, ”Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. He who love 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 finds his life will lose it and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Jesus is saying that He did not come to bring peace but many in the Church are speaking peace and prosperity. Jesus is saying we will be persecuted by our very own family and that we cannot put them before serving Him and His Kingdom. We must take up our cross and follow Him! That was a hard one for them because He had not been crucified and raised all they understood about the cross was that it was a very cruel Roman form of corporal punishment. We understand it in the knowledge of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension, but many Christians do not live their life by losing it for His sake. Many Christians just want to go to church regularly and give money sometimes and wait for the rapture to rescue them from persecution. This mindset will not lead to eternal salvation, this lifestyle is not what most of the Church is experiencing around the world.

“At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You Father, LORD of Heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Our true rest is not in relaxing and taking breaks but in being absolutely surrendered to Jesus by dying to ourself. Steve Scott said “His yoke is what He said…His words. We are yoked to Jesus by His words!” GOD holds each of us accountable to know what His Word says and to live accordingly then we will have rest. Not from the works but from the fear of what the world will do to us. If we take up our cross and follow Jesus it does not matter because our life is not about this world but about His eternal Kingdom.

Remember, the books of the Bible were not written with chapter and verse divisions or with subtitles inserted or cross references and notes, these are devices of men to make reading, study and memorizing easier; but sometimes they breakup the thought of the writer and sometimes we lose the concept of the truth that Holy Spirit is revealing. Remember that the translators of different versions at different times in different languages also affect how we understand it in our everyday language and culture. So read it, meditate on it (think about it) and pray, ask Holy Spirit to reveal His truth for you and those you love and minister to.