This is week 11 of “Follow Me,” our deep dive of the gospel of Matthew. And today is actually the end of Part I. We’ll come back with Part II in the fall.

If you remember, we began this series on Easter at the end of Matthew’s gospel. With Jesus sending out his followers to make disciples of all nations. To spread his healing mission to all corners of the earth. It’s a moment that’s often called the Great Commission.

Well, today’s passage is a perfect way to end Part I, because here Jesus is sending out his 12 disciples on their first, “mini” commission.

It’s a bit of a longer passage, but it’s filled with some extraordinary and insightful ideas, so we’re going to try and explore as much of it as we can with the time we have.

And here’s why I want to do this. Here’s why I find this passage so powerful for us today. Because technically Jesus is just talking to his 12 disciples in this passage. He’s giving them instructions for a temporary, time-bound little assignment.

But the more you read, the more you realize that Matthew is using Jesus’ words here to communicate to his readers 50 or 60 years after this event. And by extension, these words of Jesus are directed at all of Matthew’s readers, including you and me.

So as we read it’s almost like Jesus is talking to his disciples, but then he starts looking straight at the camera and talks to us, breaking the fourth wall like Deadpool.

I’ll show you what I mean. Let’s get into the passage and find out what it means to be sent by Jesus.

Turn with me to Matthew 10, Page _____. And while you do I’ll pray for us.

[PRAY]

AUTHORITY

So, in the first 9 chapters of Matthew, we’ve seen Jesus’ ministry begin, we’ve seen his incredible, provocative teachings (like the Sermon on the Mount), and we’ve seen him do some pretty amazing miracles.

Up to this point, Jesus’ disciples have been mostly passive observers. But not for long. Here’s why:

Matthew 9:36-38

When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Matthew tells us Jesus has compassion on the crowds. It’s that Greek word I like: splanchnon - literally “guts.” He is deeply moved to his core by how confused and helpless they are. The people need healing. They need hope. They need salvation.

“The harvest is great,” he says, “but the workers are few.”

And so, Jesus decides the time is right to multiply his efforts.

Matthew 10:1-2

Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Here are the names of the twelve apostles:

Matthew lists out all 12 names. Then he tells us this:

Matthew 10:5-8

Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

First, just a bit of context. In verse 5 Jesus tells them not to go to the Gentiles or Samaritans.

Galilee was bordered on the north and the east by Gentile communities, and to the south were the Samaritans. Essentially Jesus is limiting the scope of their call. “Stay in Galilee, focus on the people of Israel…”

This is different from what Jesus says in the Great Commission at the end of Matthew. There, he sends his followers out to

Matthew 28:19

Go and make disciples of all the nations…

Again, this is a “mini” commission. It’s a chance for Jesus’ disciples to get their feet wet actually doing the work of the kingdom.

So let’s talk about what Jesus is sending them to do. Verse 8. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.”

You know, basic, beginner-level, summer internship kind of stuff. Yeah, obviously not. These are the same things that Jesus been doing up to this point in Matthew.

So how in the world are these teenage disciples supposed to do all of this? They’re not the son of God or the Messiah like he is.

Well, the answer is back in verse 1. Take a look. “Jesus called his disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.”

There’s that word “authority” again. It’s the Greek word,

exousia - power, authority, dominion

And as we’ve said multiple times, this is an important thread throughout Matthew’s gospel.

In a world full of Roman legionaries and high powered Jewish religious leaders, Matthew shows us, again and again, that Jesus, this humble rabbi from Galilee, is the one with true exousia. True authority.

And yet here, Jesus is giving authority to his disciples. It’s the same thing that happens in the Great Commission. Jesus says, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go…”

This is the answer to our question about how the disciples can do these things. Healing people, casting out demons... It’s not because they are particularly powerful or special. It’s because

Jesus’ disciples are sent with his authority.

They go in his name. As his representatives. With his message. Verse 7. “Go and announce to them that the kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Or, I think a slightly better translation is, “the kingdom of Heaven has come near.” In other words, it’s arrived. It’s breaking in.

“I’m sending you with my authority to declare that the rule and reign of God is finally here.”

TRUST

So that’s the mission. Next Jesus starts to give them some instructions on how to go about it.

Matthew 10:9-15

“Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.​“Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.”

I love this part. “Don’t take any money. Don’t take a change of clothes. Just go…” Can you even imagine?

By a show of hands, how many of you would have a straight up panic attack if you had to go on a trip without a wallet or a suitcase?

Now, it’s true that in the ancient world, and even in many non-western cultures today, there is a much greater expectation of hospitality. People will much more readily take care of the needs of strangers: feed you, offer you shelter.

I’ve experienced this multiple times during my travels around the world. So it’s not like the disciples were completely at risk of hardship or starvation.

But there’s more going on here than just relying on Middle Eastern hospitality.

Look at verse 11. “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.”

A worthy person. Why would someone need to be “worthy” to host a couple of young knucklehead disciples who didn’t even think to pack a suitcase?

Well, it’s because they’re not hosting young disciples. They’re hosting Jesus himself through these young disciples.

Remember, they are sent with his authority. His presence. His power.

So it is an incredible privilege to be considered “worthy” to host them. To have Jesus’ kingdom of love and life springing up in the middle of your living room!

And the assumption here is that these worthy people will be waiting.

It’s as if Jesus is saying, “They don’t know me yet, but God has been preparing them to receive the blessing of my ministry through you. To be the launchpad for others to receive it in their community. Worthy people are waiting for you.”

“And on the off chance you can’t find a worthy person in one village, shake the dust off your feet and move on. Because in the next village, you will.”

Bottom line, this is why Jesus tells them to go without supplies. Because

Jesus’ disciples are not on this mission alone.

God has already prepared the way for the good news of his kingdom to spread.

SHEEP AMONG WOLVES

But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. Let’s keep reading.

Matthew 10:16-20

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Real quick: that last line is yet another example that it isn’t the disciples who are going. It’s Jesus going through them. “It won’t be you speaking. It will be the Spirit.”

Now this is the part of this passage, as Jesus talks about the hardships they can expect, where it’s clear he’s breaking the fourth wall and looking right at the camera.

Remember, Matthew’s gospel is a Discipleship Manual. He is capturing this teaching not just as a historical record, but as a message to his own readers in the late 1st century.

Verse 18. “You will stand trial before governors and kings…” Galilee didn’t have a governor or a king during Jesus’ ministry. For a short little local mission, how many courts are the 12 disciples possibly going to be dragged into?

These weren’t necessarily things Jesus’ original disciples were going to face in Galilee, but this is exactly what Christ-followers were facing all throughout the Roman Empire by the end of the first century.

Persecution from synagogues, unjust trials, having to defend themselves before civic leaders. They were, as Jesus calls them in verse 16, “sheep among wolves.”

And so Jesus gives them some advice. “Be a shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”

Here Jesus is tapping into deeply established biblical imagery from the Old Testament. For one thing, snakes were considered the “craftiest” or “shrewdest” of animals. That’s how the snake in the garden of Eden is described.

However, being “crafty” is not necessarily an evil thing in the Bible; it’s more something associated with wisdom or street smarts. We see the same Hebrew word for the snake’s craftiness used as “wisdom” in Proverbs.

Proverbs 12:16

A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise (shrewd/prudent) person stays calm when insulted.

That’s what Jesus wants for his disciples: wisdom. To not be naïve and easily manipulated.

It’s as if he’s saying, “The world is full of powers that oppose my message. So don’t go in blind. Be prepared for opposition. Be as shrewd as snakes... but at the same time be as harmless as doves.”

The Greek word for “harmless” could also be translated “innocent” or “blameless.”

Throughout the Bible, doves are symbols of peace and the Holy Spirit and New Creation, like the dove which shows up after the flood in Genesis. Doves are messengers of hope.

I think Jesus here is reminding his disciples that even though you are going out like prey animals into a world of predators - sheep among wolves - you cannot play by their rules.

You may be the victims of violence or persecution, but you don’t do violence back. You are peacemakers. Representatives of a new way to be human.

So yes. Be shrewd. Be wise. Don’t be naive. But as you go, remember the values of the kingdom: Forgiveness, mercy, and self-giving love. Bottom line, as I’ve said many times before.

Jesus’ disciples are sent into the world, but they are not of it.

LITTLE ONES

Over the next several verses, Jesus elaborates on the friction his followers will experience as the good news of the kingdom spreads around the world: persecution, betrayal, divided families, even death.

It’s going to cost them a lot to be Christ’s messengers in a broken world. And yet participating in his mission of healing is exactly the way to find true life.

Matthew 10:38

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

“The world runs after wealth and power and self-preservation. But if you are willing to set all of that aside, and follow me despite the cost, you will experience the life-changing presence of God’s Spirit going with you.”

Remember, Jesus’ disciples are sent with his authority. And they’re not alone on this mission. Which is why Jesus ends his instructions to his disciples like this:

Matthew 10:40-42

Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me… And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.

I love this. In verse 42, when Jesus mentions “the least of my followers,” he literally just calls them “these little ones.” The word is:

mikros - little, small, young, humble

It’s where we get our prefix “micro-.”

And I love it because that’s exactly the vibe we get throughout this chapter. Jesus’ disciples are little ones. They’re doves. Sheep. Vagabonds without a suitcase. They’re nobodies.

And yet, these are the exact same disciples being sent into this broken world with the authority (exousia) of Jesus himself. They may seem wholly insignificant, but this is how God’s kingdom spreads. We see it all throughout Matthew.

The kingdom is like a tiny mustard seed that becomes a giant plant. The kingdom is like a little bit of yeast that transforms an entire batch of dough. Or how about the intro to the sermon on the Mount?

Matthew 5:5 (NRSV)

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

The point is this:

Jesus’ disciples may seem insignificant, but their message will transform this world.

These nobodies, these “little ones” are empowered by the very Son of God himself. “Anyone who receives you receives me.”

SENT

Now, Matthew doesn’t tell us the result of this “mini” commission. In his gospel, at least, we don’t know how it went for the disciples. But Luke describes the disciples coming back from their mission filled with joy and amazement.

Why? Because things went exactly as Jesus predicted. They cast out demons. They healed people. They found communities receptive to the message of the kingdom.

I don’t know why Matthew doesn’t include those details. But I do have a hunch.

We’ve already covered how Jesus is breaking the fourth wall here. Talking not just to his 12 disciples, but to all who would follow him in the future, including you and me.

I wonder if we don’t see the results in Matthew because he wants us to recognize that the mission Jesus is describing here is ours.

In other words, if we want to know how all this stuff plays out, practically, we have to find out for ourselves.

So with that in mind, I want to revisit what we’ve learned about Jesus’ disciples in this passage and I want to apply those learnings to you.

Because remember. Following Jesus is not about obeying religious rules or going to church every now and then. It is about surrendering your very life to him and going where he sends you, even into the most dark and broken corners of our world.

Jesus is sending you out to heal the world.

That may sound intimidating but don’t forget that just like the original 12 disciples of Jesus,

You are sent with his authority.

You are his representative. The abundance and life of New Creation springs up wherever you go because you have the Spirit of Jesus within you.

So I encourage you: be bold as you seek to heal the broken places. Have courage to love the unlovable. Because it isn’t you on this mission; it’s Christ in you.

Second, remember that:

You are not on this mission alone.

Jesus promised his disciples they would find “worthy” people to host them as they spread the good news.

Now, most of our God-given missions likely do not involve sleeping on a bunch of strangers’ couches, but what would it look like if you moved into this world with Jesus’ love completely confident that he is preparing the way for you? Lining your path with people “worthy” to support you?

My encouragement is this: don’t lose hope because the world seems just too broken for you to make a difference. Jesus has called you to help heal it, and he is not going to leave you hanging.

Go and trust that he has already prepared the way.

Next, remember that

You are sent into the world, but you are not of it.

You are a sheep among wolves, so be wise. But remember that you cannot play by their games. Bullying, coercion, manipulation, rage…

No. The message of Jesus spreads through humility, love, and self-sacrifice. We can only heal this world if we show our friends and neighbors that there is another way to live.

Finally, don’t ever forget that,

You may seem insignificant, but your message will transform this world.

Why? Because you are bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. You’re telling people that New Creation is breaking in. That your sin and shame can be lifted. That God loved you so much he sacrificed everything to bring you home.

That is a message of hope that our broken world is desperate to hear.

Yes, we are all “little ones” compared to the powers of this world, but that’s the point. The words of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians capture it perfectly:

1 Corinthians 1:26-28

Few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

Jesus came to bring life to a humanity trapped in death, and he has chosen you as his instrument to do it. He’s asking you to go.

How will you respond to his call?

[PRAY]

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