St. Matthew

Chapter 10

Chapter 10 is the second discourse marking the second section of Matthew’s arrangement. The section is announced in 9:35 – 38 with the “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness.” You may remember that these are markers for the new discourse to begin. Matthew begins by naming the twelve disciples, soon to become apostles. The distinction lies in that disciples are students who are taught the ways of the teacher and apostles are those who are “sent out.” Apostle means one who is sent out.

We need to add a brief note at this point. The four gospels vary to some degree, especially the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) in comparison to John who names other disciples not listed by the other three. The question has been raised as to whether The Twelve is an actual group. Some scholarship has stated that the number twelve is significant because it reflects the Old Testament Community of Israel – The Twelve Tribes of Israel. It appears possible that the twelve disciples is a New Testament construct to makes us see the Christian Community as the New Israel, God’s chosen people for a new age. Membership in this community is not by birth, but by faith in following Jesus the Messiah.

Jesus sends them out with special instructions:

Go only among Jewish people – the tribes of Israel
Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom by word and actions in healing sickness, casting out evil spirits and demons, and cleansing lepers
Take no visible means of support, no money, extra clothing, and no walking stick and take no pay for delivering the goods news. God gave freely, you give freely also. Support including lodging is found along the way from those that they serve.
Serve those who will accept it, but if someone rejects what you offer, or rejects you do not spend a lot of time worrying about it. Shake the dust off your feet and move on to the next place. The cost of rejection will be great for those who reject it. Sodom and Gomorrah will have a better time of it than they will have.
He warns them that they will not have an easy road. They are going out “like sheep among wolves.” He warns that they will be brought into court and before rulers and that, they will be required to make account of themselves. They are not to worry about their defense. God through the Spirit will give them every word that they have to speak. Jesus warns that the betrayal will extend to members of their family as well.
Jesus teachers that disciples are not better than their master is. If their master is persecuted, they will be also be persecuted.

Jesus then teaches about fear. Disciples need to be clear about who watches over them. It is God. Who therefore, is the one to fear, the one who can kill, or the one who can not only kill but also then condemn to hell? The answer is obvious. If there is to be anything at all to fear, it would be God; however, we do not need to fear God because this is the one who doesn’t let a sparrow fall to the ground without notice and the one who knows even the number of hairs on our head. Fear for life need only be present for those who do not know that God is watching over them.

In vs. 32-39 Jesus also deals with the element of the love of God above all things. The first commandment about loving the Lord you God above all things are at the core of what Jesus teaches about “acknowledging him before others.” He will acknowledge them. Denial before other brings denial of Jesus. This also related to the issue of bearing witness and offering defense when disciples are brought before those who demand explanation. Love of God above all things places the disciple in the position of risking all for the love of Jesus and the commission to which he sends his disciples. There is no passivity about discipleship. Disciples are also sent out to bear the good news to the world.

Vs 34-39 bring a rather disquieting message, rather opposite to what many of us may have been taught about peace and conflict. Jesus announces that he does not bring peace but a sword. Often the position of the disciples brings conflict into families. This was especially true in the time when Christianity was in its infancy. When Christianity was a rebel religion in the Jewish and pagan worlds, and especially when Christianity can to be outlawed, a family member who came to know Jesus could be cut off from the rest of the family. They could be turned over to the authorities as outlaws. He brings no peace here. There is no compromise. Love of family members, wife, and children, spouse more than God is not acceptable. Even love of ones’ own life more than God is unacceptable. Following Jesus as disciples is to put all other things in second place and to offer God the first and the best. This is what it means to take up the cross. Clinging to life and all of the trappings that surround life is to risk separation from the life that Jesus has called his disciples to follow.

The cost of the discipleship is the entire life. Jesus asks his disciples to consider that their lives are on loan to them. Their lives belong to another who has given live itself as a gift. Discipleship is about the course of living in the footsteps of Jesus. Loving those who he loves and bringing the good news of God’s love and providence to the world is life that Jesus calls his disciples to. The Christian life is about giving. We modern Christians have thought about it in terms of time, talents, and treasures. Unfortunately, we have also thought about it in terms of balancing the three. If “if can’t” give the money, I’ll give more time, or I’ll give my talents. The way that God views these three divisions is for us to recognize that our time belongs to God, our talents belong to God, and our treasures belong to God. Disciples are called upon to give our lives to the God who has given our lives to us in the first place. This is the center of the first commandment. Nothing may take the place of God’s place as the first, the last, and everything in between. If our human sin has led us anywhere, it is to place our selves in the place of God. We place our needs and our wants ahead of God’s will all of the time. The gospels’ most poignant example of discipleship is the poor widow who did not put in 10%, she gave everything that she had. Mark and Luke both recount the story (Mark 12:41-45; Luke 21:1-4). This is example of Jesus’ own life as he gave his all for the good of the world. Time, Talents, and Treasures are not options to choose from, they are the all-inclusive picture of the Christian’s life, all of which is owed to God.

The Rev. Dr. Kipp W. Zimmermann

Wednesday, May 10, 2006