Matthew 10:1-8 NIV UK
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and illness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles:first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew;James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew;Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” 8 Heal those who are ill, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Introduction
You’ll need to bear with me for a few moments. I am going to ask a lot of questions. I will hopefully get you to think back a bit. It will be further for some of course but nonetheless I pray that God guides how far back to go… So…
Where have you come from? Now I can ask that and ignore your reply 😉 But you might want to think about it for a while or even talk between yourselves
What has been your past life? (literally not you were a worm at some point) Where were you born? The things you’ve experienced/particularly remember?
Who made up your relationships? Brother sister mum dad friends girlfriends boyfriends, those sorts of things.
What are your abiding memories?
What has made us who we are today? Who we are?
Is it “What we do”?
There’s a lot there but we are complicated things aren’t we? Fearfully and wonderfully made.
Some more questions. Where are we now then? Geographically?Financially?Work wise?Emotionally? Spiritually?
What’s our position in our part of the world?
And I guess we need to ask “Where are we going?” More tricky, that one. Not really expecting an answer. I quite like not knowing. It’s been like that for my whole life. Not to say I don’t get nervous, fearful, I am actually quite a worrier. But the past has shaped part of me… Brief history, up to the age of 37 when I entered training for the ministry, I’d had at least 16 different addresses. Several jobs/companies
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What comes before?
So we can ask the same questions of the disciples, in particular, and look at …
What comes before? When we read these verses. The text… what verses come before chapter 10?
You are clever, of course it’s Chapter 9 – You can read it as I speak or refer back to it later but in simple terms ch 9 tells these stories.
Forgiveness and Healing of paralysed man
Calling of disciple Matthew
Fasting and wine skins
Raising the dead
Healing of young Girl
Healing x 2 Blind and Mute
Quite something to witness for a disciple. Their past life before these events would have been fairly normal. Now I would not dare to assume that this is the same conclusion you came to when I asked all those questions before. That your life was just normal. I have often thought how ordinary my life has been. I have even been tempted to write a book called “ A very ordinary life” an antidote to the superhero testimonies that DO encourage but equally seem impossible to attain and have always left me feeling flat. I firmly believe that our lives, since, but also just as much, before, we came to faith are important even though WE might think these lives don’t come up to scratch or are a bit dull.
It’s the experiences we have had or gone through that make us see the world in a certain way. Coming to faith is about a change in WHAT? Our world view? How it all works? What’s possible? Our capabilities? The answers would all be very different, however, What Jesus says next is telling.
The disciples have had their worldview changed by the events we described earlier. Surely something has got to change if you see those things. Jesus talks about a harvest – A classic case for the encouragement of sharing the Gospel of telling others of salvation and the relationship that can be found in Christ. Not dismissing that at all but in reference to what had gone before I wonder if we can add an extra dimension to what Jesus is asking or pointing out.
The final healings before the harvest is that of the blind and the mute. They lead straight into the encouragement that the harvest is ripe and workers are needed. Does the healing of the blind and the speechless have a bearing here? Are we sometimes Blind to it…Is Jesus saying do you not see it? Why can’t you OPEN YOUR EYES? Equally are we just as blind to what we are capable of if we allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us? How does our past, what you have seen and heard and experienced, enable you to be and do more than you might imagine.
Equally our, sometimes Muteness (if that is even a word)… Does Jesus just ask a rhetorical question “can you not speak? Why can’t you open your mouth? You can tell tales some have never experienced? Stories that resonate with others? Give comfort because you have been there. You were once ripe harvest and now look at you?
When it comes to our present life of faith, our journey, our witness, our past is important no matter what it is that has happened. It shapes us and gives us insight and that can help us to see where the harvest is and know what to say to it. But we’ll hear a bit more about that a little later but first let’s look at the verse to hand.
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What about now? Matthew 10:1-8
So then for the harvest to be reaped Jesus needs to do something with this bunch of disciples. They know where they have come from. They have just experienced something that is amazing and so their present situation must have been one of awe, wonder, a little bit of apprehension, maybe some were just raring to go. I don’t know but “How would you feel?” after that…
… Jesus though does 3 things
He calls and equips the disciples – They are no longer JUST MERE fishermen etc…
Jesus confirms the task is for all – So not one is left out, each is as important to this task…
Then gives them the commission – Reveals the task ahead which we might find a little LESS than we first thought?
1 – v 1 Calls and equips – Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
God calls and equips – There are many verses we could look at to encourage us that God does in fact equip us but I have always loved Moses’ encounter with God and in particular Exodus 4:1-17 where God shows Moses a few miracles and yet Moses still says twice “Lord pardon your servant” and eventually he utters those words spoken by so many, “send someone else”. One of the excuses he uses is “I am slow in speech” and although God relents and says “tell Aaron to speak for you” eventually Moses does speak directly to Pharaoh just as God intended. Eventually Moses finds he is equipped to speak as God commands.
Remember “God doesn’t call the equipped — he equips the called.” we will always and it’s a completely understandable default, say “I am not ready”…Well GOOD you’re not supposed to be. God does not want the specialist but the submissive. A person who is open to allowing God to work through them and give them all that is required for the task.
What’s your call? – specific and general
What’s your equipment? – Talents, gifts Natural and Spiritual
2 – v 2-4 Confirms the Roll Call – 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus makes no distinction here about who does what and where they are on the pecking order: it is a list of all 12 – everyone is involved, everyone is called and everyone is equipped. We cannot say we are not part of this or that, no one was left off the list
Jesus leaves no one out – It is his Church, his body that is called to reap, share the gospel, experience His call and work together for His Kingdom. And the apostle Paul says as much in Gal 3:23-29 – Although not an exhaustive list, which one could ever be, he reiterates that there are no longer slaves or free people. Young or Old doesn’t matter. Your financial status is not a barrier. Your gender is irrelevant. In fact anything you might think that defers you from the list is invalid. We are all called and all equipped.
3 – v 5-8 -Commission – Share as you have seen and experienced. No more no less – 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Jesus here qualifies that what they must do is give testimony of their faith. Of what they have seen. He follows those events in Chapter 9 and says “as you have seen and experienced, share that.
It is in essence saying share your memories and experience of God and what He has done. What God has done for you? Your past experiences will matter. Who you have been and where you have been will have a bearing on how and to whom you share the Gospel with. But also not being blind to what Jesus is revealing now. The reality of God in your life – How you have struggled with it at times. The moments of joy and pain. Life is not always good, even for those of faith, but you can testify to what God does and has done for you to others. And WHO ARE THE OTHERS? Ah the not so big commission?
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What next?
In our experiences of life and our ongoing relationship with Jesus we have a very unique take on God, the world and faith. We are asked to share with others from those experiences. We shouldn’t attempt to share others’ experiences because not only is that just daft we can be found out very quickly to be false.
Our blindness can be down to not seeing the field ready for harvest in front of US. You can’t see this but the US is in capitols because it is important to open our eyes to what is in front of each of US. We will see what that is in a moment.
Equally the fear of speaking out stops us. God can open our eyes and open our mouths. The promises are there and I’m sure many of us have experienced times when God has done this or that in our lives. I’m sure we have felt Him put the right words at the right time to the right person before. We can share about that because that is our past, whether we believed or not at that moment is another question.
Helping us to do that is about seeing the call that God has placed on our lives, ALL of our lives and in confidence know that He equips us for the job in hand. God equips everyone for the field they are in… so think about ch 9:38 God sends the workers.
Where is that field then? I did warn you it’s not that exciting but it can be more frightening than any other field. So much so you may just as Moses did, want to say “Pardon your servant Lord…Send someone else”
“Israel” is the field – For the disciples the express command Jesus was “do not go to the gentiles” Do not go to those who will not understand your experiences of God. Go to your home, your street, your village – We often think “that can’t be right, what about others?” those in this place or that country? Even to this town 20 miles down the road… We can often quote Jesus when He said “prophets are not welcome in their own country” But is that just another excuse?
I make no apologies for reiterating this once again. God calls you to where you are – And equips for that place/time. We can be and others are certainly called to somewhere else but if you were to ask them they will say it is because of their experiences and talents/gifts that they feel they are called at any particular time. For your time and place it is NOW and HERE.
BE ENCOURAGED BY THAT when we see and speak to – our family, our friends, the people on our street and in our workplaces, it is there that God has called and equipped you for the task.
Why at this point does Jesus send to “Israel” to our home field? – He’s saying to the disciples…”Because they will understand THAT you will understand them and their lives…” Sometimes a rich man doesn’t not know what it is like to be poor.
We will know the same struggles/worries/experiences – Apart from, one very important difference. It is the same for disciples and Israel – They were the same apart from their knowledge of and more importantly the relationship they had with Jesus. Faith makes a huge difference to our lives, actions, attitudes… doesn’t it?
And there will also be the “Lost sheep” – There will be those who we know and that have responded, at first, but now gone away. Our call is to them.
There will be those with a calling but have drifted/moved, succumbed to pressure of the world, their fear and worry – all experiences that are similar to ours but we, in Christ, have persevered.
We can identify and reach those of our “Israel” as we remember what we have seen God do in our lives. We can share those experiences with our home field because we are equipped by God and know some of what it is like to be them. It is a place and time God has put us in and it is purpose we are well able to see and speak into.
Let us pray
Prayer
Hebrews 13 20-21
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Heavenly Father Thank you for the peace we have that comes from knowing you through your son Jesus Christ.
Thank you for His constant care in our lives.
Help us to see His call on our lives.
Give us sight of the fields in front of us and see the Holy Spirit’s work to equip us to work in that field. To release our tongues to share our experiences with those we are called to serve.
We pray that those we are called and equipped to speak to, will know the same Holy Spirit working in them as we love them as you do.
For all this we wish to do for the glory of Jesus Christ
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.