Matthew 10:1-26

10:1-4 | In the last verses of chapter 9, Jesus urges His disciples to pray for laborers. In the first verses of chapter 10, He calls them to become the answer to their prayers as “sent ones” (apostles). They would be sent forth for three purposes: (1) to share His presence – “that He might be with Him” (Mark 3:14); (2) to share His purpose – “that He might send them out to preach”; and (3) to share His power – “to have power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons.”

10:5-7 | The 12 apostles were specifically instructed to take their message to the house of Israel. They were told not to go to the Gentiles or Samaritans because the message of the kingdom was for the Jews first (Rom. 1:16). If the Jews accepted their King, the nations would then be blessed through them (Gen. 12:3; Isa. 60:3).

10:7 | The content of the apostles’ message was to be the same as that preached by John the Baptist and by Jesus: the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

10:8 | Because God had freely given the apostles the resources they would need to perform their ministry, they were not to sell their services and make money from what they did (Acts 8:17-20).

10:9-10 | The idea that the worker is worthy of his food finds multiple expressions in Scripture. Paul writes that “elders who rule well” should be counted worthy of “double honor,” and then quotes the text, “The laborer is worthy of his wages (1 Tim. 5:17-18). In defending his apostleship, Paul quotes the OT, saying, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain” (1 Cor. 9:914). Workers in ministry should receive financial support from those they serve.

10:11-15 | Anyone who rejected the message of the apostles was to be regarded as a pagan with whom the disciples would have no affiliation.

10:16 | The apostles were being sent as sheep among wolves, and therefore their calling was dangerous. To avoid being deceived by evil, they were to live in humility, gentleness, and integrity among those to whom they ministered (Luke 10:3; Rom. 16:18; 2 Cor. 12:16; Eph. 5:15; Phil. 2:14-16; Col. 4:5). In Jewish thought, serpents were considered cunning creatures (Gen. 3:1; Rom. 16:19).

10:17-20 | This promise of Jesus was fulfilled many times in the life of the early church, as recorded in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. Christians today can also trust the Holy Spirit to give them the words to say when they must defend their faith or are persecuted for it.

10:23 | In Jesus’ day, the title Son of Man was not as common as some other messianic titles, so it let Him reveal His identity without creating messianic misconceptions among His hearers.