Agape
Dave
Please re-read Matthew
10:8-23
If I were hiring 12 guys to
go out and do my biding with the rules set forth in these verse I would have no
takers. We live in a capitalist society. We always expect to get something for
what we give. In these verses it is just the opposite. Expect nothing, take
nothing, and carry nothing with you. The first two verses say: Mat 10:8 “Heal
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you
received, freely give. Mat 10:9 "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your
money belts, Mat 10:10 or a bag for your journey, or even two coats,
or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. You can
heal raise people from the dead and you will receive nothing for it except room
and board. Why would anyone take that deal? Jesus said what is freely given to
you should be freely be given to others (my paraphrase). If the Son of the God
of all the heavens gives you an command I think that you would do just that. If
you had seen what these disciples had seen and now those powers were given to
you. I think it wouldn’t be hard to follow his commands.
Mat
10:11 “And
whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at
his house until you leave that city.
Mat 10:12 “As you enter
the house, give it your greeting. Mat 10:13
“If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if
it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Mat 10:14 “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go
out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Mat 10:15 “Truly I say to
you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for
that city.
If you want to read about
Sodom and Gomorrah you can do so at Genesis
14. Read on for several chapters and you will see why the threat of ending that
way is undesirable.
The disciples were to look for a worthy house. The Message
translates this to be a Good man’s house. Not rich but one that is honest and can
see the worthiness of Christ. When you find it stay there and bless the home.
If you find they are not worth then do not bless them.
So what does
bless them mean? If the house is worthy, open to the gospel, then bless them.
That would be a reward of knowing Jesus as their savior and their reward would be
in heaven. If they are not worthy, not open to the gospel, then bad things will
happen and they would have been better off in Sodom and Gomorrah. Not the outcome I would prefer.
Mat
10:16
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the
midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Mat 10:17 “But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; Mat 10:18 and you will even
be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and
to the Gentiles. Mat 10:19 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what
you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.
Mat 10:20 “For it is
not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Mat 10:21 “Brother will
betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause
them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name,
but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. Mat 10:23 "But whenever they
persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will
not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
We are back to the stuff that
would scare the average human. Things like you will be hated, brought before
the powers that be. But the new thing here is that they will know what to say
and when to say it. In other words as we would know it, the Holy Spirit will be with
you and guide you. The last piece is interesting. If the town does not accept
you and your message leave and wipe the dust from your feet. In other words
forget about them and move on to fertile ground. Jesus also said that they will
not finish before the Son of Man comes. That would be the crucifixion and the resurrection.
Agape
Dave
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