We’ve been watching Christ advance His ministry with sermons, parables, and miracles. He’s gaining momentum, becoming a Tour de Force (see What Do You Know About Parables, Sermon on the Mount 1, 2, 3 and 4, Miracles of Healing and Raising of the Dead, The Pharisees Try to Catch Jesus in a Lie and Is There Nothing Christ Cannot do).

         The Pharisees are beginning to see this ‘Man’ who heals the sick, cures the lame, brings eyesight to the blind and raises the dead, (as well as being an extraordinary spiritual teacher who will not kowtow to them), is a force to be reckoned with.

            Yet, they cannot see the Messiah in Him. But then, neither do most of the Jewish laity. However, Jesus is undeterred from completing His mission.

            The love of the Father and the Son for humankind is so vast, that they will not be thwarted, (short of making the decision for you), in their ground-laying efforts to call you to salvation:

Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” Mt. 9:35 – 38. CSB

         Christ is saying that the world is replete with lost hungry souls. Yet, God is always ready and willing to equip those who are amenable to bringing His love invitation, to His potential children. Indeed, Jesus sets the example by using the power of God to supernaturally endow His apostles, to do that very thing:

Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Mt. 10:1 NLT

            Then, He gives them specific instructions:

“Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel – God’s lost sheep.” Mt. 10:5, 6. NLT

         On the surface, Jesus seems to be offering preferential treatment to the Jews, but nothing could be further from the truth. What we are seeing is one of God’s promises being fulfilled*, (and He fulfills them all), through Christ, to welcome His wayward children:

*” For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has arrived to look after Judah, his flock…From Judah will come the cornerstone…I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the LORD their God, who will hear their cries.” Zech. 10:3, 4 & 6. NLT

“On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem, to wash away sin and impurity.” Zech. 13:1 CSB

            God had promised a Messiah from the tribe of Judah to be His cornerstone of salvation – and He delivered. We are not privy as to why Jehovah choose the Hebrews to be His ‘first children,’ other than perhaps it was a reward for Abraham’s faith and obedience.

            However, once these children were redeemed (accepted Christ as their Messiah), they were instructed by God, to function as a spiritual beacon for all peoples:

…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Pt. 2:9 NLT

            And so, the coming of Christ marked the last chance for Israel to become that beacon…

         Let’s return to Jesus’ instructions for His apostles’ evangelism:

“Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!” Mt. 10:7, 8. NLT

“Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.” Mt. 11 – 13. NLT

            (Being ‘worthy’ refers to having a willingness to receive the Gospel.)

“But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” Mk. 6:11 NLT

            Consider this related wisdom as well:

…don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. Pr. 9:8 NLT

…when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads – I am innocent. From now on I will go and preach to the Gentiles.” Acts 18:6 NLT

         Only the land of Israel was considered ‘holy’ to the Jews. So, when returning from foreign travel, they would brush off the ‘unholy’ dust from their attire. Thus, it begs the question, ‘Is Jesus intimating that those who refuse the Gospel are unholy?’ Assuredly. They are committing that ‘unpardonable sin,’ by rejecting Christ.

            As Jesus continues to prepare His apostles for their holy commission, He warns them of the resistance that they will encounter from the unbelieving Jews:

“When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking – it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Mt. 10:19, 20. NLT

“And you will be hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name, but it is the one who has patiently persevered and endured to the end who will be saved.” Mt. 10:22 AMP

“What I say to you in the dark (privately), tell in the light (publicly); and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops [to many people]. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Mt. 10:27, 28. AMP

         Christ is saying that evangelizing will not be easy, yet He assures us that we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit and promises eternal salvation for those who take a stand for the Gospel. By the way, His command to evangelize applies to everyone:

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” Mt. 10:32, 33. NLT

            Jesus then shifts His focus and reveals His true purpose in this, His first Advent:

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’” Mt. 10:34 – 36. NLT (Jesus is quoting Mic. 7:6).

            This would seem to be in stark opposition to another prophetic quote by Micah as well:

And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world. And he will be the source of peace. Mic. 5:4, 5. NLT

         It is the ‘flock,’ who believe in Him, that will have peace. For those who don’t, Christ has brough a sword, a scalpel if you will, to excise the tumor that consists of those who have entrenched themselves with unbelief. For those people, there will be no peace.

            Christ makes no bones about where our allegiance must lie:

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living, and if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].” Mt. 10:37 – 39. AMP

         Jesus, the Son of God, must reside at the top of the hierarchy of what is important in our lives. We must set our will aside and follow Jehovah’s will through Christ.      

            When we do our best to emulate the Gospel, we’ll discover Christ in eternity as well – as the ‘hope that does not disappoint,’ (Rm. 5:5).

         Christ winds up His instructions to the soon-to-be evangelizing apostles. He leaves no doubt as to Who sent Him, and of the connection that is made when we make Him the Lord of our lives:

“The one who welcomes you welcomes me, and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.” Mt. 10:40 CSB

            Have you welcomed Jesus yet? It’s time…

Goodnight and God Bless.