Oh wow! I LOVE this passage today. It's like Jesus' pep-talk to his disciples (and to us) as we step into the world on His behalf, a world that will hate us. You have got to read this! Here is the link again for you, since this is long, but I just couldn't break it up!
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:35%20-%20matthew%2010&version=NIV1984
I do want to make sure you read the last couple verses in Chapter 9. Starting at verse 35,
"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Can't you just SEE Jesus' heart?! What did he do? He went through ALL the towns and villages...he didn't want to miss anyone! The three verbs here are that He taught, preached, and healed EVERY disease and sickness. I don't see anywhere that His main purpose was to condemn, judge, or point fingers at us. He has compassion on us because we are harassed, worn out, beat down, and lost...just like sheep without a shepherd. And after looking around at these people that he loves as He travels the country side, His response is to say to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." People need to know the love of Christ! They are harassed, helpless, and lost. There are many of them, but not many workers to show them the love of Christ. His heart is breaking for those who are lost and without Him. Again, don't you want to just go sit beside Him for a while and soak up some of His presence? I can't wait.
So, in Chapter 10, we see who He sends out first -- His disciples. And they are listed there in pairs because I'm assuming they were sent out in pairs. Jesus does not want or expect us to think we are best when we are working alone!
Verse 8 says, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Until today, I always thought this verse which talks about giving freely referred to material possessions, but here the phrase comes after this list of healing people. (And how amazing that Jesus gave these normal men the ability to heal people, huh?). So, after this list, I see that it's not material possessions they are giving but grace and mercy. Jesus so wants us to give grace and mercy. And how? Freely. I'm learning more and more in my own life that when I fail to give grace or mercy to someone it's because I have lost sight of how much grace and mercy Christ has already given me. I could list for you all the things I have that I don't deserve, and all the things I deserved (punishments) that I never received because of Christ. When I lose sight of that, how quickly I become judgmental of what others deserve. Oh Lord, help me.
The next section of verses talk about all that they will go through as they are walking the country speaking on behalf of Christ, and Jesus tell them not "if" you are arrested, but "when" you are arrested, "do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." What assurance! And we can call on that assurance even today because we have the Spirit in us! Today, ask Him to guide you in your words and actions. He is ready and willing!
So often, from the pictures we were shown in Sunday School as a kid, we think of Jesus as this tender, weak man who is fragile when it comes to the ways of the world. But what I love about this chapter is that He is anything but that! He tells the disciples to be shrewd as snakes; he warns them of the hardship that's about to come, and I don't believe He's saying all of this using the tone in which you talk to your dog! Look at what He says beginning in verse 34:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
That's hard core! I don't see any sweet but empty promises in there. Who Jesus claims to be is a big deal, and He knows that even within families it could be detrimental. Families will be split apart over their belief or unbelief in Christ and what He says! He's not saying that news of your conversion to your family will be welcomed news to them, or that your sister will be glad to hear you will no longer do what you used to do with her on the weekends, or that your kids will be excited about going to church with you on Sundays!
But don't be anxious that Jesus thinks you are just an expandable human being. Look at what He says about you starting in verse 28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Should you die because of your faith, God sees that. Not even a bird will fall to the ground apart from the will of the father! But God knows even the number of hairs on your head, or the number of hairs that used to be on your head, or the number that of hairs that you recently had highlighted. He knows your DETAILS. No matter what, Jesus says here, "don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." You are never out of God's sight or out of His thoughts.
The one-line summary of this passage? Living for Me is not going to be easy, but I will be constantly with you.
If you haven't read the passage for today, I can't encourage you enough to put that link in your browser and read these powerful words of Christ! There is so much more in there than I have time to begin to cover. Really look at who He is. He's not the quiet, shy, weak man that so often comes to mind, and I hate to admit that it even does come to my mind when I am persuaded by the culture. Read this passage and look at His authority! It's THAT authority that is walking with you today.
No comments:
Post a Comment