week of 07/22/11 5th recorded HighQuest Matthew 10:1-15

The passage I read was Matthew 10:1-15

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+10%3A1-15&version=NIV
The verse that most stood out to me:

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

As I reflect:

God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

This is appropriately the first time the 12 were called apostles because the word means “one who is sent out” and that is exactly what Jesus is doing. He is sending them out. Looking back, remember these were all ordinary men with no qualifications for ministry whatsoever. Just like you and I were called to follow after Jesus and when we came to salvation we had no qualifications to share the word in any way. But God has qualified them just as He has qualified you and me for our respective callings to share the word. The apostles went down in history to be forever known as the early church starters and as those who faithfully kick started this relationship with God offered to the world in the package of Christianity and Messianic Jews. We are called to do no less in the name of Christ than to share the love of God with others and in this way also communicate the gospel truths that they may also chose Heaven or hell; God or Satan.

The proper order of ministry.

As I read I came across verse 5 where Jesus told them, “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.” I admit I was a bit perplexed until while researching the passage I came across a reminder of Romans 1:16 which says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”. So Jesus was in the process of ministering to the gentiles when He gave this command to “go out”. It’s not that the disciples didn’t later preach to the gentiles, but that Jesus (and others) were doing so at the time and later the disciples would reinforce this initial work after preaching initially to the Jews. Makes sense. This is the order and process of the spreading of the Gospel message. The priority makes sense when you consider the position of Israel’s relevance throughout history as God’s people.

So the disciples are sent initially to the “lost sheep” of Israel. As we also are sent not to the spiritually healthy but to the spiritually sick to provide the message of forgiveness and healing in Jesus.

Trust God on your journey

Verse 9-12 explain the expectations of how the 12 were to provide shelter and food for themselves. It’s fairly basic when the over all picture is examined. God would support them on their journey with a select few who would welcome the disciples as they came and supply food as well to them. There would be those that would not welcome the disciples as well. For them, the wrath of God awaited as punishment. So pretty simple overall plan boils down to , “trust in God” and “use discernment”.

Daily application

All in all, the passage seems to focus mainly on the overall goal of ministry as well as the result of maturity in Christ. These men were taught and grew mature to the very day of their being sent out to do the work of God. We are in fact an army of God and we also are training today and every day but for many of us we are not waiting until a single day comes when we are “sent out”. Instead we have realized that every day on the internet and in the “real world” we are already sent out and are actively ministering to all those we come across that are lost sheep in need. For this reason, may we always be mature in our walk and use spiritual discernment. Surely our battle field also has a great many that will not welcome us or the message we bring. But trust in God and continue answering the calling placed on our lives Christian. Never turn a deaf ear to the needy, but be deaf to the insults to us and our God. Never turn a blind eye to the lost, but be blind to the scar that sin can give your eyes. And do not fail to bring God to the sinner, but fail to join in sin when in the sinner’s presence. Remember, we are the body of Christ. Let’s be a busy body doing the work of the Lord.

My response to the Lord:

Lord, I thank you for daily working on me. I thank you for your Holy Spirit here with me. I thank you for your life guide that is the Bible. Please help me to be faithful to you always. Please help me to recognize daily the many opportunities in my life which to reach out to others. If you desire for any reason that I go elsewhere, then Lord I pray you guide me there to do your will. May I use spiritual discernment in this daily mission field to reach the lost sheep. Lord, work in and through me as you desire. In Jesus’ name. Amen.