Matthew 10:8-10
“Heal the ones who are weak.
Raise the dead. Make the lepers
clean. Cast out demons. You all received without cause; give without
cause. You all should not acquire gold
or silver or copper into your belts or a travelling bag into the road or two
tunics or sandals or a staff. For a
worker is worthy of his wages.
Thoughts for Today
First Thought:
Let’s look at the continuation of the list from
yesterday. Yesterday we heard that the
apostles were to proclaim the coming of the kingdom. But their work is not supposed to be limited
to talking. They are supposed to do
something, too. They are to heal. They are to raise the dead. They are to cleanse people. They are to cast out demons. These are all actions. They are to put faith on display. Being an apostle of Jesus is not just about
words and teaching. It is just as much
about doing.
Do you have proclamation in your life? Do you have faith in action in your
life? How close to you to finding
balance between the two?
Second Thought:
Look at the people who are the focus of the work of the
apostles. The first word – a word many
translations give us as “sick” is actually the Greek word for being weak: astheneo
(ἀσθενέω).
Then there are the dead. This can
be taken spiritually – those who are dead in sin. But I think it can also be taken physically,
although admittedly we don’t see this on display all that often. Then there are the lepers. These are people whose problem is highly
contagious and capable of infecting others!
Then there are the demon possessed.
These are spiritually oppressed people under the dominion of Satan: the
prince of this world. Look closely at
this list. You know who you don’t see on
this list? You don’t see the people who
are perfect. You see the highly talented
and extremely popular. You see the
social outcasts. You see the people that
the world walks upon, treads over, oppresses, and otherwise would rather
ignore. Jesus Himself says that those
who are well do not need a doctor. As
followers of God, we are to be on the lookout for those who are in need of a
doctor – especially a spiritual one – too.
Do you tend to focus on inviting people into your life who
are put together? What is the risk of
listening to Jesus’ advice and inviting broken people into your life? What is the reward of this act?
Third Thought:
Regarding the end of this passage, this would be a passage
that would ring very true in the ears of the Jews. The Mishnah – a Jewish book of importance second
only to what Christians call the Old Testament – teaches that any Rabbi who
received money for teaching invalids his righteousness. It teaches that any judge who receives a wage
for sitting in judgment invalidates his right to be a judge. We have been giving salvation and wisdom for
God without cause. Why should we extract
anything for it?
How willing are you to give your faith away for free? Do you ever feel like you should be given
something back in return?
Fourth Thought:
I’m going to end on a really cool note. Jewish teaching indicates that when one went
to the temple in Jerusalem one was to do so with staff, sandals, a belt full of
money, or even dusty feet. Why did they
teach this? It is a symbolic act that
demonstrates that when coming to God a person has left behind the things of the
world. It is a demonstration that a
person is focused entirely upon God.
Notice the list I gave here and the list given by Jesus in this
passage. It is practically identical. Thus, when Jesus is laying out this teaching,
He’s not saying that we have to live a life of abject poverty. What Jesus is doing is tapping into a common symbolic
gesture. Jesus is saying that we need to
live a life in a posture that reflects coming to God and leaving behind the
things of the world. It isn’t a
commentary against wealth as much as it is a commentary in favor of dependency
upon the Father.
Are you dependent upon God?
How easy is it for you to keep something back “just in case?” Do you struggle with this temptation or do
you have an easy time letting this one go?
Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 10:11-15
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