5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. Matthew 10: 5-15 ESV
Matthew 10: 5-15 Proclaimers
These twelve Jesus sent out - The harvest is great and the laborers are few, so He tells them pray for laborers, and now He sends them out. Matthew's gospel has been concerned with Jesus as King, the Messiah, giving first His lineage in Matthew 1, and Jesus Himself preaching the Kingdom at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. These are His core 12. Later He will send out 70 more by pairs.
Broadus on the lists of twelve - We observe at once that, with all the variety in the order of succession, Simon Peter is always first, and Judas Iscariot last. Again, the first six names in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the five earliest known converts. (John 1:35–51), together with James, the brother of one of them; and the first four in all the lists are the two pairs of brothers whose call to follow Jesus is the earliest mentioned. (4:18–22.) Furthermore we note in each of the lists three groups of four, headed respectively in every list by Peter, Philip, and James, which groups contain always the same four persons, though within the limits of each group the order greatly varies, except as to Judas Iscariot. It seems a natural and unavoidable inference that the Twelve were in some sense divided into three companies of four, each having a recognized leader. The foremost in the first company, and at the head of all the Twelve, is Simon Peter. - Precept Austin
12In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God. 13 When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles: 14Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;… Luke 6: 12-14
…13There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.… Revelation 21: 13-15
Go nowhere among the Gentiles - The disciples had seen Jesus heal a Gentile Centurion's servant, and also be amazed at the man's faith, but overall, mostly, Jesus ministry has been directed toward the Jews. His disciples are Jews living in Israel, and the Scriptures make it clear that Israel is His chosen people, and that salvation comes through the Jews. Jesus is born of the Royal lineage of Judah, the Jews have carried the oracles of God, had the Tabernacle and Temple. They have the OT prophets, the law of Moses, and they were called to be a light to the nations, a blessing, but in order to do that they must take care of home first. Their house must first be cleaned. The disciples must first go out in pairs, they are still in learning, and in no way ready yet for such a broad assignment.
…17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. 18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22: 17-18
Jesus dealings with a Canaanite woman are coming up:
…23But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “ I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.…
…26But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “ even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.… Matthew 15: 23-28
Enter no town of the Samaritans - The first person that Jesus revealed Himself to as the Messiah was a Samaritan woman, but here he forbids the disciples to go into these towns. There is a lot of tension between the Jews and the Samaritans, who are a mixed lot of people placed in the land by Assyria. The northern kingdom had a lot of superstition and apostasy starting back in the days of Jeroboam, after Solomon's reign, when the kingdom was divided. They use some of the terminology, are expecting Messiah, but some Samaritans had also raided the Temple and desecrated it with the bones of the dead. The religion had been so corrupted and intermingled with other religions that it was no longer recognizable as a form of Judaism. The disciples aren't yet ready for these sort of confrontations. They need to mature first, and they need to be made into that light that will shine and bless the nations. There is an order to this, and Christ is giving them very clear direction.
…18In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. You have spoken truthfully.” 19“Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”…
…21“Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.…
…24God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” 25The woman said, “I know that Messiah” ( called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.” 26Jesus answered, “I who speak to you am He.”… John 4: 18-26
15That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. 17For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”… Romans 1: 15-17
You say, what about the Samaritans? Does He got something against the Samaritans? No. The Samaritans were okay, but the Jews hated them – absolutely despised them. It was one thing to be a Gentile. You couldn’t help that. You were born a Gentile. I mean you just sort of were a Gentile. Tough luck. But to be a Samaritans is to be a corrupted person, because a Samaritan was a half-breed, and they reflected the intermarriage of the Jew with the Gentile, which was a crime unforgivable in the minds of many Jews. Jesus didn’t have a problem with that. You see, the first woman that Jesus ever announced His Messiahship to was a Gentile woman living in the city of Sychar who had a handful of husbands and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. Not a nice lady. And a Samaritan. And it was to her that He revealed His Messiahship. No, he had no problem there. And when He was talking about how men ought to love and how they ought to love their neighbors, He used a Samaritan as an illustration.
You say, well then if God loves Gentiles and God loves Samaritans, why does He tell them don’t go to them? Oh, I’m glad you asked. By the way, the Samaritans had fomented the hatred, because 20 years before the time of Christ, the Samaritans had stolen into the temple in the middle of the night during Passover and thrown dead men’s bones all over the temple enclosure, which polluted it. And so there was just a terrible hatred at that point in time. And there were lots of problems in going to a Samaritan town and lots of problems in going to a Gentile town, particularly for this little group of unqualified guys. - J Mac
To the lost sheep of the house of Israel - They have all the prophecies about Messiah, and we know from Isaiah that they will be the first to reject Him. There is however a remnant in every age, and these will begin to fulfill the duty that Israel has so long neglected, to be God's light before men. Paul will be called and fitted as an Apostle to the gentiles, and yet he will always go to the synagogue first in every city.
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.
15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Romans 11: 11-15
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand - A simple message, Messiah is here, heaven has touched earth, God has to His deity also added humanity. They are heralds of the gospel, the good news, that all have sinned, yet there is only One Who can reconcile, and He is here. They are pronouncing Jesus, going before the King in every place, announcing His arrival. They are certified in their message by displaying the realities of the Kingdom, healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the unclean, and chasing out demons. These are all earmarks of the Kingdom, a time when Satan will be locked up for a thousand years, and the results of sin negated. The sign of raising the dead also points to regeneration, being born again, as cleansing the lepers is a sign of the Spirit's sanctifying work in believers, and this begins even now, for it is given to men once to die and then the judgment. You enter the Kingdom now while it is still today, you enter by faith alone, in Christ alone, He is the only way. The Kingdom of Heaven is always near, every generation need look to it as though it were the next moment, for when you die that is it, you enter the realm of eternity, so where will you spend it, in or outside of the Kingdom?
…16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” 17From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4: 16-17
Give without pay - Remember, they are sent out by Christ, yet it blows my mind that Judas is with them. This must have started an internal battle in the man, for one can just imagine the price you could command with that power to heal. The power isn't of their will, it does not originate with them, and it is the word that the power points to, so Jesus tells them to give freely as they have been given to.
…17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money. 19“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”… Matthew 4: 17-19
The laborer deserves his food - They could expect to be fed and sheltered for their work. He is teaching them to depend on Him, on God's word and to build up treasure elsewhere. He wants others to see the value of their ministry and provide their meals, but not to base who they help by their means. Don't look for who is rich, but for who is worthy.
1Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown, 2and said, “ My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” 3But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.… Genesis 19: 1-3
And if the house is worthy let your peace come upon it - Hospitality was a customary thing in the Middle East. There wasn't always a hotel around, sometimes you stayed in a stable, but people had a sort of golden rule about this, knowing that they may be strangers sometime, they would also entertain travelers as well. Jesus is giving a cautionary here though too, sometimes you may be referred to someone that is called "worthy", but come to find that they are not. I have know many instances of this where people talked to me about God, pretended to be of the same mind, from the body of Christ, yet they were working an angle, and something didn't feel right, which would eventually surface. Remember, many will say, "Lord, Lord", but He will tell them, "depart from me ye that work iniquity". The referral may come from other believers who have been duped, so always be on your guard, hear out their doctrine, take care that they aren't just nodding their head, observe their life, the way they treat their spouse, and ask God for wisdom. If everything checks out then let your peace come upon it, stay with them, but do not stay so long as to be a moocher. If they prove to be unworthy, bring shame on the name of Christ, have a church face and a home face, are given to do things that are dishonorable, immoral, then separate yourself from them quickly. You do not want that association, you do not want people to think that an apostate has your approval.
And stay at his house until you leave that city - Why does Jesus say stay put? For one thing He is calling His disciples to be content with the worthy person's hospitality and don't be attracted to another person's more impressive accommodations. Paul practiced this principle writing...
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Phil 4:11-13+)
"Jesus telling his disciples to stay with them in one house contrasts with the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging." (NET NOTE) - Precept Austin
9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.…
…12What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5: 9-13
Or listen to your words - We need to remember that the Word does not change, the gospel is the same, and it is the Holy Spirit Who causes men to hear, so if they won't we must keep going, spreading the gospel. We have no right over the message, it cannot be altered to accommodate; if they will not hear then we cannot make them. He is preparing His disciples for those times when they will not be well received, even by kin.
…36Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.” Mark 9: 36-37
…7For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness. 8Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit. 9Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.… 1 Thessalonians 4: 7-9
Shake off the dust from your feet - I have had Jehovah's Witnesses dust off their feet when they left my house screaming at me, and on more than one occasion, but I consider it a compliment since they are a cult that teaches extrabiblical prophecies and visions. They, like Mormons, add to the Scriptures there own teachings, and they deny the deity of Christ. They do not see Scripture as sufficient, sealed or enough.
MacArthur comments on shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them - "When they came back into Israel from a Gentile country, many Jews would literally shake as much dust off their feet as possible in order not to bring pagan soil into their homeland. For the apostles to shake the dust off their feet while leaving a Jewish house or town would be to treat the inhabitants like Gentiles—whom most Jews considered to be out of God's reach. When the leaders of the synagogue in Pisidia of Antioch drove Paul and Barnabas out of their district, the two men "shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium." (Acts 13:51+). Of the unbelieving Jews there Paul had declared, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles." (Mt 10:46; cf. Mt. 7:6). It is not that we are to turn away from those who reject the gospel at first hearing or even after several hearings. Had that practice been followed, many believers would not be in the kingdom today. Through Paul, the Lord Himself entreated unbelieving Corinthians to "be reconciled to God." (2 Cor. 5:20). Were God not marvelously patient and long-suffering with fallen mankind, He would have destroyed the world long ago. He is infinitely patient with sinners, Peter tells us, "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Pet. 3:9). Jesus was not speaking of those who are slow to understand or believe but of those who, after hearing a clear testimony of the gospel and seeing dramatic and irrefutable signs of confirmation, continue to resist and oppose it. When a person's mind is firmly set against God, we should turn our efforts to others. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 8-15) - Precept Austin
1Of David. I give You thanks with all my heart; before the gods I sing Your praises. 2I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else. 3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.… Psalm 138: 1-3
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