Summary:
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
Verses 1-20
Jesus called His disciples to Himself and gave them the authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every sickness and disease.
The 12 apostles:
Simon (Peter) and his brother, Andrew
James and John, the sons of Zebedee
Philip and Bartholomew
Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him
Jesus sent them out with the following instructions:
- Do not go out to the Gentiles or Samaritans, but to the lost sheep of Israel.
- Tell the people that the kingdom of heaven is near.
- Heal sicknesses, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, and drive out demons.
- As they had freely received from Him, they were to freely give.
- Leave all gold, silver, copper, bags, extra tunics, sandals, or staffs because the worker is worth his keep.
- Find a worthy person in each town to stay in. Greet the home. If it is worthy, let your peace be there. If not, let your peace return to you. If anyone rejects you and your words, shake the dust off of your feet when you leave the home or town. It'll be better for Sodom and Gomorrah on judgment day than for that town.
Jesus was sending them out as sheep among wolves. The apostles were to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard. Men will hand you over to the local councils to be flogged in their synagogues. On His account, they will bring you to the governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. When you're arrested, don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. It will be given to you; the Holy Spirit will speak through you.
Lori's Thoughts:
I believe that a disciple is one who learns from Jesus and follows Him. An apostle is someone who is ready to go out and carry out Jesus' work, by His power. The disciples were called apostles once Jesus shared with them His power.
I think the apostles were all brothers, two sets each. We know for sure that the first two sets are. I'm guessing the rest are because they are listed in a similar manner. Also, James was the son of Alphaeus. James is listed next to Thaddaeus. Fathers and sons tended to have similar names, so I believe Thaddaeus was also Alphaeus' son.
Why did Jesus call brothers? Maybe their family bonds would help them as they went out to do Jesus' work and were persecuted. I'd like to go with my siblings out there.
Jesus sent them to preach the message to the Jews (aka Israelites). Why is that? I know the devil attacks those closest to God the most fervently. The Israelites were God's chosen people and they were lost. The apostles were charged with renewing Israel's faith. They were enabled to preach the good news, heal, and drive out demons. God was reaching out to His children with the broken spirits. Later, He'd reach out to those who hadn't known Him before.
If the apostles brought nothing with them, they'd be better able to discern who earnestly sought God. If they had nothing else to offer, then people wouldn't be after their money or possessions, just the Word of God. Also, the apostles were to earn their keep in all places. They were to depend on God to supply all their needs and not take extra payment than their basic needs required. We cannot serve both God and Money.
If they were rejected, they were not to take it personally. Those people were rejecting Jesus and would be judged for it. Those that deny Him have chosen hell. Those that accept Him have chosen the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus is sending us out where it is dangerous. He wants us to be innocent, but not weak. We are to be street-smart. We are not to run into danger, but be aware of it. If we are in trouble, God will be with us.
Those that do His work will be at odds with the church and with the government. We will be arrested, put on trial, and tortured. Still want to serve Him? It is not for no reason that we suffer. We suffer here to reign there. This is not our home. We suffer to reach heaven's gates with a multitude by our side. Let us not grow weary or afraid, but be strengthened by God in this spiritual battle.
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