A HOUSE WORTHY?
Matthew 10 (Amplified Bible)
The First Commissioning of Discipleship
Matthew 10 (Amplified Bible)
The First Commissioning of Discipleship
The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service
Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
2. Now these are the names of the twelve apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives): first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3. Philip and Bartholomew (Nathanael); Thomas and Matthew (Levi) the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (Judas, not Iscariot); 4. Simon the Cananaean (Zealot), and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.
5. Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them: “Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not go into a city of the Samaritans; 6. but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9. Do not take gold, or silver, or [even] copper money in your money belt, 10. or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support. 11. Whatever city or village you enter, ask who in it is worthy [who welcomes you and your message], and stay at his house until you leave [that city]. 12. As you go into the house, give it your greeting [that is, ‘Peace be to this house’]. 13. If [the family living in] the house is worthy [welcoming you and your message], give it your [blessing of peace] [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God]. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. 14. Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust [of it] off your feet [in contempt, breaking all ties]. 15. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city [since it rejected the Messiah’s messenger].
A Hard Road before Them
16. “Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda]. 17. Beware of men [whose nature is to act in opposition to God], for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; 18. and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you within that [very] hour; 20. for it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21. “Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will rise up and rebel against their parents and cause them to be put to death. 22. And you will be hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name, but it is the one who has patiently persevered and endured to the end who will be saved.
23. “When they persecute you in one city [because of your faith in Me], flee to the next; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
The Meaning of Discipleship
24. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a bond-servant above his master. 25. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the bond-servant like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebub (Satan), how much more [will they speak evil of] the members of his household.
26. “So do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed [at the judgment], or kept secret that will not be made known [at the judgment]. 27. What I say to you in the dark (privately), tell in the light (publicly); and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops [to many people]. 28. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29. Are not two little sparrows sold for a copper coin? And yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered [for the Father is sovereign and has complete knowledge]. 31. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32. “Therefore, the one who confesses and acknowledges Me before men [as Lord and Savior, affirming a state of oneness with Me], that one I will also confess and acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven. 33. But the one who denies and rejects Me before men, that one I will also deny and reject before My Father who is in heaven.
34. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword [of division between belief and unbelief]. 35. For I have come to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36. and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS [own] HOUSEHOLD [when one believes and another does not].
37. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38. And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me. 39. Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].
The Reward of Service
40. “He who receives and welcomes you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41. He who receives and welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous (honorable) man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42. And whoever gives to one of these little ones [these who are humble in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water to drink because he is my disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”
The Second Commissioning of Discipleship
35. And He said to them, “When I sent you out without a money belt and [provision] bag and [extra] sandals, did you lack anything?” They answered, “Nothing.” 36. Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money belt is to take it along, and also his [provision] bag, and he who has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. 37. For I tell you that this [Scripture] which is written must be completed and fulfilled in Me: ‘AND HE WAS COUNTED WITH THE CRIMINALS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment [and is settled].” 38. They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”
The Garden of Gethsemane
39. And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed Him. 40. When He arrived at the place [called Gethsemane], He said to them, “Pray continually that you may not fall into temptation.”
Amen
The discipleship instructions and predictions have been amazingly accurate in both the first and second commissioning of my assignment.
Whether the disciple’s peace shall remain upon a city, or that city receives rebuke and denunciation is based on the city's reception to the messenger and obedience to God's Word. The sword, which is the good news of repentance for the remission of sin, is necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff, to distinguish authentic believers from “fake Christians," (i.e. hypocrites).
GOD IS NOT MOCKED
A city can not cast God’s little ones (disciples) out onto the streets and expect to prosper simply because a cup of water is given. The water analogy is not purposed simply that a city might maintain her own reward, and definitely not in attempt to heap hot coals on the disciple’s head; the analogy is representative of a city’s acknowledgement of those who bring the message of repentance as disciples of the Lord. A city will not prosper when operating in such juxtaposition to faith; such is hypocritical and lukewarm in God's eyes; thus He vows to spew out. When a city rejects the messenger, she rejects the one who sent the messenger, as well as the rewards that prosper a city. When the messenger is treated like nothing; nothing is rewarded; moreover God’s vengeance is kindled because yet again He has been rejected.
There’s no doubt in my mind that, like the first time around, as it is written in Acts 18, God still has many people in this city, but where were you? Why the silence? I can only hope that, knowing better, you have not been among those who chose to torment, or worse still, turn their backs and look the other way. Either you believe The Word, that God is still in the discipleship business, or you don’t.
WORD OF GOD
Thanks be to God.
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Thanks be to God.
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ENSIGN
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