Sent Out to Minister
TRANSLATION
(1) And Jesus called to his side twelve of his disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal every disease and every sickness. (2) Now the names of the twelve apostles are as follows: first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, (3) Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, (4) Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
(5) These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and do not enter any town of the Samaritans. (6) Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (7) And, as you go, proclaim ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. (9) Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your purses, (10) no wallet for your journey, neither extra coat, nor sandals, nor staff, for the laborer is worthy of his upkeep. (11) And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and there you shall stay until you depart. (12) And as you enter the house, greet it. (13) And if the house is worthy, let your peace rest upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. (14) And if anyone will not receive you nor listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet as you depart from that house or that town. (15) Truly, I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that town. (16) Behold, I am sending you as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
OBSERVATIONS
This passage contains several repetitions that help us determine its message. “Twelve” referring to the disciples/apostles is found three times (vss. 1, 2, & 5). In sending them out, Jesus used the command, “go,” three times (vss. 5, 6, & 7) as well as several important terms: “sheep” (twice in vss. 6 & 16), “house” (four times in vss. 6, 12, 13, & 14), “town” (three times in vss. 11, 14, & 15), “worthy” (three times in vss. 11 & 13), and “peace” (twice in vs. 13). At this point in his earthly ministry, Jesus explicitly told his disciples to limit the scope of their ministry to those belonging to the covenant nation of Israel.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus chose twelve of his followers to send out as “apostles.” (1-4)
II. Jesus instructed them and then sent them out to minister exclusively to the Jews of Galilee. (5-16)
IDEA STATEMENT
Jesus chose twelve of his disciples to extend his earthly ministry, sending them out to minister exclusively to the Jews of Galilee.
APPLICATION
Paul reminded the Roman believers in the first chapter of his epistle that God’s offer of salvation had always been “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). Paul clearly laid out the privileges of having been born a member of the chosen people of God in Romans 9: “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen” (Rom. 9:4 & 5).
However, by refusing to accept their Messiah at his first coming, Israel missed the opportunity to become God’s conduit of salvation to the world and, instead, found herself sidelined, watching the Gospel receive a far greater welcome among the Gentiles. Until his rejection, Jesus limited his ministry and the ministry of his disciples to the chosen people of Israel with only a few exceptions. In this trial run, he gave the twelve he had called to serve as his “apostles” (sent ones) specific instructions and then sent them out to minister. How would these men do in their first foray as ambassadors for the King of kings?