Matthew
10:1-8
The
prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his
followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out
the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. This is
the list of the twelve he sent:
Simon
(they called him Peter, or “Rock”),
Andrew,
his brother,
James,
Zebedee’s son,
John,
his brother,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew,
the tax man,
James,
son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus,
Simon,
the Canaanite,
Judas
Iscariot (who later turned on him).
Jesus
sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:
“Don’t
begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try
to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people
right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring
health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the
demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
Food
for the soul!
This
passage is special because when we look at the kind of men Jesus chose and used
in those days it gives us hope in these days. If Jesus can use men like these
in the manner that he did, then surely he can use you and me in these days.
With the Twelve, Jesus set a precedent, that we all have a place in his
service.
There
are two facts about these men which are bound to strike us at once.
(i)
They were very ordinary men. They had no wealth; they had no academic
background; they had no social position. They were chosen from the common
people, men who did the ordinary things, men who had no special education, men
who had no social advantages.
With
these men, Jesus set a precedent, of looking, not so much for extraordinary
people, as for ordinary people who can do ordinary things extraordinarily well.
Jesus sees in everybody, not only what that man or woman is, but also what he
can make him or her. Jesus chose these men, not only for what they were, but
also for what they were capable of becoming under his influence and in his
power. Yes, under Jesus you and I can become different and can make a
difference in the world.
(ii)
They were the most extraordinary mixture. There was, for instance, Matthew, the
tax-gatherer. All men would regard Matthew as a traitor that had sold himself
into the hands of his country's masters for gain, the very reverse of a patriot
and a lover of his country. And with Matthew there was Simon the Cananaean.
Luke (Lk.6:16) calls him Simon Zealot. Zealots were the opposite of Matthew; zealots
were fanatic, comparable to today's suicide bombers. If
Simon the Zealot had met Matthew the tax-gatherer anywhere else than in the
company of Jesus, he would have thrown a bomb at him. Here is the tremendous
truth that people who hate each other can learn to live in peace and love each
other when they both love Jesus. Jesus not only brings us together, he also
keeps us together.
The
fact that Jesus was able to use these men with all their weaknesses and
failures lets me know that he can use us too. These men lacked spiritual
understanding. They lacked humility. They lacked faith. They lacked commitment.
They lacked power. These men were always getting into trouble; missing the
point or Christ’s teachings; they were always saying the wrong thing; walking
away from their commitment to Jesus; among other failures and problems. Despite
their weaknesses, the Lord used these men to turn the world upside down for His
glory. If he can use them, surely he can use us too! That ought to give us hope
today!
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