Contents:
• Jesus distributes authority
• Jesus prepares the twelve before sending them out
• Shrewd as a snake, innocent as a dove
• If they hated Jesus, they will hate you
• Our own limited understanding
• No possible way that preterism is correct
• Persecution
• Public confessions of Christ
• Jesus is divisive
• Find life, lose life. Lose life, find life.

Before reading this commentary, I encourage you to first read the text of Matthew chapter ten.

Verse 1

Whenever a sentence in the Bible begins with And, Therefore, But, Or, Thus, etc….it is a continuation of what was being said previously. I had a pastor who would often say “Whenever you see the word Therefore, ask yourself, what is it there for?”

Jesus, having just finished stating that more workers are needed, gives authority to his twelve disciples. He gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.

The author of this commentary holds the opinion that Jesus giving them authority over demons and illnesses was special circumstances for that moment. Today, if you or I order a demon to be cast out, it is not we who do the casting out, but Jesus. If we lay hands on someone and pray for healing, and that person is instantly healed, it was not by our authority that the person was healed. It was Jesus who healed them.

After the resurrection Jesus appears to his disciples and says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. (Matthew 28:18)

Don’t lend yourself toward pride believing that you have the authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. Remember what is says in Matthew chapter seven, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.

I have no doubt that demons may be willing to leave voluntarily for the purpose of allowing a person to delude themselves into believing they’ve been given special powers and spiritual authority. Do not become prideful.

likewise, also recall what is says in Acts chapter nineteen,

Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. But one day the evil spirit responded, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. (Acts 19:13-17)

I once attended a small group bible study as a pastor’s house. We were talking about the topic of miracles being performed by people. The pastor pointed out the window at his swimming pool his back patio (in Florida, almost everyone has a swimming pool in their backyard). He said, I could have all the faith in the world to walk on water across the surface of that pool, but I’ll never be able to do it unless God tells me to do it.

Thus, it is not we who perform miracles, (as though we are someone special), it is God who performs miracles through us. God gets the glory, not us. You didn’t do anything except to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting to be obedient.

Do not believe the pastor who claims that he possesses miracle powers. Miracles are real, and they do happen, but God is the one who makes them happen. God sends us only to deliver his miracle, as messengers of the gospel.

Verses 2-4

The names of the twelve disciples are listed.

Verses 5-11

I recall at a previous church that before they would allow anyone to go on a mission trip, each person on the mission team was required to take a class called Missions 101. The class gave instructions on how to share the gospel and how to conduct one’s self while on a mission trip.

When reading verses five through eleven, I feel as though Jesus is teaching Missions 101.

As part of the 101-class students were instructed to go out on the town not far from the church and share the gospel with people. Many Christians have never shared their faith with anyone, so before traveling to a foreign country and only then trying to figure out how to share the gospel, our church wanted us to gain that experience in our own home town first. That way, when we arrived at our foreign destination, we’d already know what we were doing. We weren’t trying out something new for the first time, thousands of miles from home.

Much like Missions 101, Jesus, in these verses, is telling his disciples to go out and share the good news only within Israel. In other words, He is sending them out locally first, so that they can learn, in their own hometowns, what to do before Jesus sends them out to make disciples of all nations.

Verse 16

This verse has stuck with me my entire adult life. When I was in my mid-twenties my spiritual mentor told me “Be as shrewd as a snake but as innocent as a dove”. Those without the Holy Spirit can be manipulators, liars, tricksters and hucksters.

Being as shrewd as a snake means that you need to be street smart. Someone who is aware of the schemes of men and knows when someone is trying to deceive them.

Meanwhile, being as innocent as a dove means that although you are street smart, you don’t do those things yourself.

Off the top of my head, I can think immediately of two scenarios in which a Christian today needs these qualities. The first is in deciding who is going to be your spiritual leader (i.e. your pastor). Many churches today have been corrupted by pastors who embrace the culture at the expense of Jesus Christ. When you become a member of a certain church, you are making that pastor your spiritual leader. My parents taught me not to take candy from strangers. In the same way, don’t take spiritual guidance from strangers either. Before you commit yourself to joining a church, make sure that pastor is preaching the truth of God’s word.

The second scenario is a warning to single people. For single women, be aware that there are some men who will attend a church because they believe Christian girls are naive and easy. These men are easily spotted because they will boast and brag about their own righteousness, believing that such boastings will impress Christian girls. On the flip side of that same coin, there will be some women who have spent their twenties and early thirties being wild and promiscuous. Now that a little bit of age is beginning to show on their face, worldly men no longer pay them any attention. So they think they can now stroll into a church and find a good Christian man to marry and who will provide for them for the rest of their lives. They’re not there for Jesus, they are there for money. Know this: A quality woman will display spiritual wisdom. When you talk to women about matters of faith, look for a woman who knows the word of God and can articulate spiritual wisdom and understanding. Any person who possesses little spiritual understanding is likely not yet marriage material. Ask the Lord for wisdom and he will guide you to it.

Verses 17-20

The world hates Jesus. There are many places in the world today and throughout the recent and distant past in which Christianity is and/or was totally illegal. I have read several books and testimonies from individuals who went to prison because of Jesus Christ. In such situations, what should one do? Rely upon the Holy Spirit.

Verses 21-22

When Jesus talks about brother betraying brother to death, and a father his child, He is saying that for some, pressure from their immediate family members will be especially intense. When reading this verse, I immediately think about the Islamic religion and how in some instances, if a Muslim converts to Christianity, their own family members kill them. Jesus is saying that those who persevere to the end will be saved.

Let me remind the reader that salvation equals life. Recall what Jesus said to the Sadducees in Matthew chapter 22; “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Thus, a person who is killed in this mortal life for the sake of his faith in Christ, will not die, but rather will continue to live spiritually. Then at the second coming of Jesus Christ, will be put back into their body (then glorified) in order to rule and reign with Christ on this present earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20). The take away is that there’s a lot of life still to live if one dies for Christ.

Verse 23

There have been many scholarly people who have offered a variety of interpretations for verse 23. As for myself, when I see the phrase Son of Man Comes, I immediately associate this with the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.

However, that makes little since because we know that since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the upper room, (Acts 2), the gospel has been taken far beyond the towns of Israel.

So again, whenever we see something in the Bible, that appears to be wrong or a contradiction, we must conclude that the error is in our own limited understanding. God knows everything. Our level of intelligence compared to that of God’s would be like comparing the intelligence of a gold fish to that of a person with a PHD level education.

So therefore, it is perfectly Okay to continue to operate your life in faith, pursuing Jesus Christ, while simultaneously not having all the answers to every little nuance of God’s word.

So then, what does this verse mean? I don’t know, however, I am inclined to lean toward the interpretation that Jesus is not referring to his 2nd coming at the start of the future Millennial reign, but rather is referring to God’s wrath being poured out on Israel, and in particular during the time period of 70 AD.

However, what I can absolutely tell you is that the 2nd coming of Christ did not occur in 70AD. I’ve met some people who cling to such an interpretation as stubbornly as my dog when she and I play tug-of-war with her favorite pet blanket.

There is no possible way that the second coming of Christ has already happened or that the Millennial reign already happened or is currently happening. The reason I can say this with such confidence is that Satan has not yet been bound (Revelation 20), and when I was a kid my friends and I would go out into the fields and catch garter snakes and corn snakes, they would always try to bite us. Sometimes they would succeed at biting us.

The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them. The cow will graze with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water. (Isaiah 11:6-9)

Verses 24-25

Jesus is again emphasizing that if they persecuted Him, they will also persecute His followers.

Verses 26-31

Continuing his thoughts about persecution, Jesus instructs his followers to not be afraid of those who will persecute them. He is telling the disciples not to hide the gospel, but to speak it openly and proclaim it out loud, even from the rooftops.

He goes on to say that persecutors may be able to kill the body, but afterward can do no more. They can not kill the soul. “Instead” Jesus says, “fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell”, namely God.

But then Jesus offers them reassurance, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” He is saying that God values you greatly and that nothing will happen to you apart from His will.

Writing that last sentence, I am reminded of Nabeel Qureshi. I encourage you to read about him and listen to his incredible testimony.

Verse 32

The interpretation of this verse is very straightforward. If you deny Christ, you will not be saved. However, always remember that as long as you are alive, you remain under grace and continue to have the opportunity to repent and turn to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. A person who denied Christ before others in their youth, but accepted Christ as savior when they were old, does not need to worry about being denied before the father because his sins are forgiven.

For every person there is a cut off point at which it then becomes too late to make any further changes. That point is your death. When your soul departs from your body, you either ascend to heaven or descend to hell, and there is nothing further that can be “done” to alter that course.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 4:7b)

Verses 34-36

Simply put, Jesus is divisive. And he should be. God is seeking those who love him, but most people hate him.

So it makes a lot of sense that he did not come to bring peace but rather a sword. I have attended football games in which spectators have started fights in the parking lot with fans of the opposing team. It was just a game, yet people have so much hatred that they’re willing to fight over a stupid game. Imagine then how much more they might be willing to persecute you over something that actually matters, but which they hate.

Verses 37-38

Continuing his thoughts Jesus then says that if you love your family more than you love Jesus, you are not worthy of him. He was talking about persecution and he is still talking about persecution.

Remember, Jesus is talking to a group of Israelites. Imagine, even today, if a Jewish young man or woman were to go home and announce to their family that they have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. It might cause division in their home. So the young man or woman who denies Christ in order to merely keep the peace in the house is doing something unworthy of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Verse 39

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Throughout my Christian walk, I have heard this verse be used with different applications which are very fascinating. In its context, however, Jesus is still talking about persecution. A person who denies Christ in order to save his own life, will end up losing his soul in hell (hell = spiritual death). But the person who is killed for the sake of Jesus Christ will find eternal life.

Another application in which I have heard this verse used is the idea of those who make personal sacrifices for the sake of following Jesus Christ.

One might say, “I’m going to find my life by pursuing wealth and abundance”. This person proceeds to dedicate his life to making himself rich. In the end he will lose his life when he dies and goes to hell.

On the other hand, another man who was on the same path of pursuing wealth and abundance, finds Jesus and makes the conscious decision that he is going to give up this life of pursuing wealth and instead follow Jesus. In doing so, he finds the true purpose and meaning of his life. So he gave up his life of pursuing wealth, but found his life in Jesus Christ.

Verses 40-42

Logically, if you or I bring the message of Jesus Christ to someone and they receive us, by receiving the message of Jesus Christ, they are receiving Jesus.

In verse 41 Jesus is expounding upon verse 40 and giving examples to show the simplicity of this logic. If you receive a prophet, you get a prophet’s reward. If you receive a righteous man, you get a righteous reward. Likewise, anyone who receives Jesus gets Jesus’s reward, which is eternal life. Furthermore, verse 42 is giving indication to the idea that our reward can never be taken away. It can never be lost.