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Matthew 10 Devotional: Study the commissioning of the twelve apostles and Jesus’ instructions for the mission. Learn the cost of discipleship and the promise of God’s sovereign care for those who represent His Kingdom.
Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to Matthew Chapter 10. Up until now, we have watched the disciples follow Jesus and listen to His teaching. Today, the "classroom" moves into the harvest field. Jesus is giving His followers authority and sending them out with a message of hope and a warning of hardship. Let us listen closely, for His instructions to them still echo for us today as we represent Him in our own world.
Matthew Chapter 10 Introduction:
Matthew Chapter 10 Introduction:
The Sent Ones and the Cost of the Kingdom
In Matthew 10, Jesus calls His twelve disciples by name and empowers them with His own authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. He gives them specific instructions for their journey, warning them that they are being sent out "as sheep among wolves." This chapter is famous for its "hard sayings"—Jesus speaks of family division, persecution, and the necessity of taking up one’s cross. Yet, in the middle of these warnings, He provides profound comfort, reminding them that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father’s notice.
What can we learn from this today? In this chapter, we see the mission of the universal Church. As your Statement of Faith affirms, the Church’s mission is to proclaim the Gospel and demonstrate God’s love in the world. Jesus makes it clear that being His representative is not always easy; it involves "losing one’s life" to find it. However, we also see the Sovereignty of God in the middle of the mission. If God cares for a sparrow, how much more will He care for those who are "regenerated by the Spirit" and sent out in His name? We are reminded that we do not go in our own strength, but in the authority of the Son of God, who promises that whoever receives us, receives Him.
Bible Verse
Bible Verse
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Prayer
Prayer
Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." As we enter into prayer, let us ask for the holy boldness that comes from knowing we are securely held in the Father’s hand.
Prayer Theme: "Confessing Christ Before Men"
Prayer Theme: "Confessing Christ Before Men"
Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You for the high calling of being Your witnesses. We believe that the Church is the body of Christ, and we thank You for the privilege of participating in Your mission of redemption. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us and gives us the words to speak when we face opposition for our faith.
Lord, I ask for the courage to "take up my cross" and follow You fully today. Forgive me for the times I have stayed silent out of fear or sought the approval of people over Your command. Help me to remember that my worth is not found in how the world receives me, but in the fact that I am known and loved by You. Give me a heart for the "lost sheep" in my own community. May I be wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove as I navigate the challenges of my workplace, my school, and my neighborhood.
We pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who are facing the very persecutions Jesus described in this chapter. Strengthen their faith and be their peace in the midst of the storm. We pray for our local church, that we would be a people who are not afraid to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We ask that through our lives and our words, many would come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, becoming children of Your eternal Kingdom. Amen.
Daily Application Question
Daily Application Question
Jesus told the disciples, "Freely you have received; freely give." What is one "gift" of grace (encouragement, time, resources, or the Gospel itself) that you have received from God that you can freely share with someone else today?
Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew 10
Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew 10
Who were the "Twelve Apostles"? They were a diverse group of men—including fishermen and a tax collector—chosen by Jesus to be the foundation of the Church. The word "apostle" means "one who is sent" with the authority of the sender.
Why did Jesus say He came to bring a "sword" rather than peace? Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but the "sword" refers to the inevitable division that occurs when some choose to follow Him and others do not. The Gospel forces a choice that can sometimes create tension even within families.
What does it mean to "take up your cross"? In the Roman world, a cross was an instrument of execution. To take up one's cross means a daily surrender of our own will, our own comforts, and our own lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for joining us for Matthew 10. May you go out today with the authority of Christ and the peace of the Father, knowing that you are worth more than many sparrows. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the questions of John the Baptist in Matthew Chapter 11.
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