Matthew 10:16-26: “Jesus Begins To Prepare His Disciples For
Life Without Him Teaching Them About Being Gentle Yet Discerning And To Be
Prepared For Persecution”
by
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In this next section of the book of Matthew, we observe
that Jesus is now for the first time beginning to prepare His disciples for
life after He has gone to the cross
1.1.1. Interestingly,
in beginning this teaching He first tells them that they are to be like two
animals who are very different from each other.
He tells them to be:
1.1.1.1.Gentle as a
dove
1.1.1.2.Wise as a
serpent
1.1.2. Jesus begins
to teach them that in the exact same way that men have and will persecute Him,
the will do likewise to all of His disciples
1.1.3. Jesus teaches
them that although they will be persecuted for being His disciples that they
are not to bring unnecessary persecution upon themselves
1.1.4. Jesus
teaches His disciples that if they are persecuted for His sake that the Holy
Spirit will speak through them and be a testimony to the world through them
2.
VS 10:16 - “16 “Behold, I send you
out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and
innocent as doves”” - Jesus
commands His apostles to be as gentle as doves yet as wise as serpents
2.1.
Jesus teaches His apostles here that their ministry is a ministry that
will be conducted about in the ‘midst of wolves’, and it is paradoxical to
think that our loving Heavenly Father who is the ‘Good Shepherd’ should ever
desire to send His sheep into the midst of wolves
2.1.1. It is known that a thousand
sheep are no match for one wolf
2.1.2. As I was preparing for the
study on this verse I had a mental picture come into my mind of Jesus raising
up a great army of commandos that He is going to use to conquer and take over
the world, however as I looked around at this army of Christ’s, I discovered
that each one of them was a sheep. Jesus
had raised up an army of commando sheep
2.1.2.1.This seemed almost comical
to me at the time because sheep are the most defenseless of all creatures
against preditors, not to mention the fact that they have about as much
intelligence as an oyster.
2.2.
I would remind us that it is OK that we are sent out into the midst of
wolves, for it is the Lord who is the One who is sending us
2.2.1. If the Lord is sending us,
He will also protect us and provide all that we need
2.2.2. When we are in the midst of
the battle and trials that we go through it is a tremendous comfort to us to
know that we are where we are because it is the Lord who has sent us
2.2.2.1.We must cling to this
promise, for the Lord will see us through our difficulties
2.2.3. Being helpless sheep being
sent out into this world by Him we can be effective in the battle only because
the Great Shepherd is the One who is going before us and winning the battles
against the wolves of the spirit and material world
2.2.4. One day when each of us who
are one of Christ’s sheep get to that great Sheep Hall of Fame (you know,
heaven), we will be glad that the Lord gave us this huge responsibility of
reaching the world and being a light to them for Him, and for all of eternity
each of us shall carry our medals and awards with us which we have won through
the battles we have fought
2.3.
GENERAL MINISTRY PRINCIPLE #9: As we as Christians go out into this world
and live our lives as testimonies before the Lord, it is very important that we
learn to have a balance of both the gentle nature of the dove along with the
wary and cautious nature of a serpent
2.3.1. As I have looked around in
the world I have noticed that it is often the case with Christians in the world
that we tend to be more like either the gentle and harmless dove, or the wary,
cautious, and vicious serpent, not a combination of the good traits of both
2.3.2. We need to be gentle as a
dove so that we develop that genuine inner goodness and simplicity or innocence
of heart that would not seek to harm or provoke anyone
2.3.2.1.Doves have for their defense
no fangs for biting, hoofs for kicking, nor horn for goring, and in the same
way we Christians are not to try to defend ourselves and go on the attack, but
we must look to the Lord to be our defense
2.3.2.2.In Romans 6:19 the apostle
Paul exhorts us to be wise in what is good (the doing of things that are right
and good before the Lord), but innocent in what is evil (the doing of things
that are sinful and appeal to the desires of our fallen sinful nature)
2.3.2.2.1.We must learn God’s ways so
that we can do what is right in His eyes, and then seek to follow Him walking
righteously as He is righteous
2.3.2.2.2.We must avoid learning the
sinful acts that the people of this world commit, for there is no benefit for
us in learning all of the details of the life of sin which people commit
2.3.3. We need to be shrewd as a
serpent so that we are quick to perceive the wiles of the wolves around us in
this world who would seek to harm us or God’s flock, and by our shrewdness then
we are able to avoid further and undo harm that could be done to us
2.3.3.1.Shrewdness or wisdom is the
only trait of the serpent that we must imitate, for all else that the serpent
stands for is destructive and would not help us as Christ’s ambassodors
2.3.3.2.Satan appeared unto Eve in
the garden as a serpent and because of his craftiness in tempting her she was
much more easily cohersed into sinning
2.3.3.3.Serpents (snakes) are very
quick to hide themselves for as soon as anyone sees or hears of a serpent he
wants to immediately kill it
2.3.3.4.Serpents (snakes) are also
able to escape through the smallest of openings and crevases
2.3.3.4.1.I remember once when I was
about 6 years old that my grandfather took me to a stream in the White Mountains
of Arizona to fish. My grandfather was
on one side of the stream fishing and I was on the other side just kind of
getting into everything that I could get into.
Well, I was playing near this big boulder that had shrubs growing up all
around it, and at one point this fairly small garter or water snake started to
crawl out from under that boulder right towards me. I started yell to my grandfather to come over
because there was a snake. Well, he
reeled in his line, threw his pole down and ran across a tree bridge across the
river and came to where I was. However,
almost as soon as he began to run across that tree bridge the snake crawled
back under that boulder and disappeared.
When my grandfather got to where I was the snake was not there and he
didn’t believe me that I had really seen this snake. He left then and went back across the tree
bridge and began fishing again, and no sooner had he began fishing again this
snake began again crawling out from under this boulder and towards me. Again I yelled and my grandfather came, and
again he didn’t seem to believe my story.
I don’t know if he ever believed me.
Well, this story reminds me of just how serpents can escape quickly
through the smallest of crevases, and how they so quickly discern danger. In the same way, we Christians ought to be
wise in discerning danger, even pray often for the gift of discernment so that
we will not be harmed, and how that it is important for us to learn of the
wiles of our enemy, learn about spiritual warfare. Principles of spiritual warfare are taught in
the Bible (see for instance Ephesians 6), and we would be wise to learn how to
fight this type of warfare and study our enemy.
2.3.3.4.2.It is interesting the way in
which a serpent (snake) escapes danger, for it does not hiss nor does it growl
or bark, rather it just swiftly and
quietly escapes away out of anyone’s sight or notice
2.3.3.4.2.1.This also describes how we
Christians should handle the adversity and attacks which we go through
2.4.
Spurgeon once preached on this verse, and he gave the following
pracitical exhortation based upon being as gentle as a dove and as wise as a
serpent, “Do not court quarrelling and controversy, but avoid all disputing
upon the gospel. Your workmates will
chaff you, and no doubt you will receive many opprobrious epithets, but neither
provoke this treatment nor resent it in any way. Do not cast pearls before swine, and do not
introduce religion at unseasonable times;
hold your principles very firmly, but when you know a man will only
blaspheme if he hears you name the name of Jesus, do not give him the
occasion. Stand up for Jesus when the
time is fit, but do not exercize zeal without knowledge. When a man is half drunk, or in a passion,
leave him to himself, and thus escape many a brawl. At another opportunity, when the occasion is
more favorable, then endeavor to instruct and persuade, but not when failure is
certain. Be very prudent, and hold peace
when silence is better than speech”
2.5.
I watched an actor’s guild interview of Tom Hanks on television a few
months back, and he told the viewers what it was that drew him into playing the
character of Forrest Gump. His response
was that it was because of the fact that Forrest was able to survive anything
that happened to him because of three rules which he was governed by: 1) He did whatever God told him to do, 2) He listened to his mamma, and 3) He
believed whatever his woman said about him.
I realize that his point of view is worldly so stay with me a minute,
for as I thought about what Tom said I thought that really it was the
simplicity and straight-forwardness of Forrest Gump’s character that causes us
to be drawn to him, and that if we Christians would just simply be people who
were straight-forward in telling the people the ‘truth’ as the Lord has shown
us that they would be more apt to be drawn to us and listen to what we have to
say
3.
VS 10:17-22 - “17 “But beware of men;
for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their
synagogues; 18 and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My
sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 “But when they deliver you
up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be
given you in that hour what you are to speak. 20 “For it is not you who speak,
but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 “And brother will
deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up
against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 “And you will be hated
by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who
will be saved”” - Jesus warns
His disciples that they will be delivered up to persecution and this will work
for an opportunity for their testimony
3.1.
We might understand how that the disciples must have thought that now
that they had found the Jewish Messiah in Jesus that since He would soon be
taking His place upon the throne and ruling over the earth that they would
never have anything to fear any more
3.2.
We can see from the gospels the great extent to which Jesus went to
prepare His disciples for the extreme persecution that history records came
upon the church after His death
3.3.
Jesus prepares the diciples for being delivered up to:
3.3.1. The civil authorities in the
courts of the lands
3.3.2. Being scourged with whips in
the synagogues of the Jews
3.3.3. Being brought before
governors and kings
3.4.
Their persecutors:
3.4.1. Men who would bring them
before the civil and religious authorities
3.4.2. ‘All’ - Jesus teaches His disciples here that His
people would be hated by everyone who is in this evil world which is in
rebellion against the Lord
3.4.2.1.Have you noticed that in
this world there is a line that is drawn, and that there are really only two
kinds of people in the world, believers and unbelievers?
3.4.2.1.1.Have you noticed that you
can virtually talk amicably about any subject at all with people, including
often even God, but if the person is not a believer whom you are talking to,
when you mention ‘Jesus’, that is where the discussion ends, for there is where
the dividing line resides
3.4.2.1.2.All peoples, even the
radical Moslems, tend to align together for one cause, they hate Christ and
Christians who stand for Him
3.4.2.1.2.1.You see Jesus called sin
what it was, and He called people to repent of their sins and turn to God, and
He told them that their was only one way to God, and that was through Him, and
this causes people of this world to be convicted of their sins, and thus when
they are told the truth they either turn to Christ and are saved, or they begin
to harden their hearts to the Lord
3.4.2.1.3.Jesus said that it was for
His sake that all people would hate us as Christians
3.4.2.1.4.As we get closer to Christ’s
return this dividing line will just continue to be more and more obvious
3.4.3. Members of ones own family,
including even brothers, fathers, and children
3.4.3.1.The persecutions and
martyrdoms of the church during the first 300 years after Christ’s death reveal
that indeed there were many stories of family members betraying believers to
the authorities
3.4.3.2.This betrayal by family
members happens in the world in all eras of time, including today, and in many
parts of the world a person’s family will disown them if they become a
Christian, or, in some countries, such as Japan, they will go even further and have
a Budhist funeral for the one in their family who converts to
Christianity. In fact, in some places
today such as
3.5.
Jesus teaches His disciples here that they do not need to fret or worry
about what they might say when and if they ever were delivered up to
persecution or martyrdom, for the Lord will give them courage and the very
words to say as a testimony for the Lord
3.5.1. The history of the many
persecutions of the church reveal the incredible courage and profound witness
that the Christian martyrs have had to the lost people of this world
3.5.2. The Holy Spirit will fill us
and use us mightily when we are persecuted for the sake of Christ, and He can
do great and mighty things through us that we would never be able to even
imagine Him doing
3.5.3. I do not believe that Jesus
is saying here that we Christians are never to think about what we might say
were we to be persecuted in some way for our faith, rather I think that the
point Jesus is trying to make is that we should not and do not need to worry
about standing strong for the Lord and having the proper words to say in such a
circumstance, for the Lord will give us the grace that we need to meet each
situation and be a powerful witness for Him
3.6.
The doctrine of ‘The Perseverance Of The Saints’ is also taught here by
Jesus, for He teaches His disciples here that the true Christian is the one who
endures to the end trusting Him for salvation and walking in obedience to Him
3.6.1. If a person is truly saved,
then though he may get off of the path of walking with Christ and backslide for
a time, if he is truly saved he will eventually get right with the Lord and
stay walk faithfully before Him
3.6.2. I believe that this a fruit
and proof of a true salvation experience
4.
VS 10:23 - “23 “But whenever they
persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall
not finish going through the cities of
4.1.
In this verse, Jesus is saying that there is greater good for a Christian
to continue here upon the earth unhindered as a witness than to die as a martyr
unnecessarily
4.1.1. Being a martyr and dying for
Christ when called upon by Him is a great honor and will be greatly used as a
testimony by the Lord in the lives of people, however martyrdom is not intended
by the Lord to be the normal experience for most Christians throughout all of
this church age
4.1.2. God has and will in the
future plan for the lives of some Christians to include martyrdom or extreme
persecution of one form or another, however when as a Christian we are
persecuted by the authorities in a city and we have the chance to escape, we
should take it
4.2.
This phrase ‘until the son of man comes’ has been variously interpreted,
each with its own short-comings:
4.2.1. The Second Coming of Christ
for judgment upon this world
4.2.1.1.This would be an exhortation
to them to continue preaching and going from city to city in
4.2.1.1.1.This view is flawed because
this missionary trip they had just begun was of very short duration as we will
see later , plus it has now been 2,000 years and He has still not returned,
though the apostles died long ago
4.2.2. Christ’s coming in 70A.D.
when
4.2.2.1.This view would have the
disciples continuing preaching until 70AD
4.2.2.1.1.This view is flawed because
most of them died before that date, plus this trip of theirs was of very short
duration as we will see later
4.2.3. Jesus is manifest to the
nation and the world upon the cross of
4.2.3.1.This view is better than the
two previous views because then the apostles would be going from city to city
until the day of His crucifixion
4.2.3.1.1.The problem with this view
is that this is not what happened, for this missionary trip of the apostles was
of very short duration as we will see
4.2.4. Jesus is always coming to
His people and freshly revealing Himself, thus He would come and meet them
4.2.4.1.This view may be the correct
one
4.2.4.1.1.The only potential problem
with this interpretation is that it seems a little strange that Jesus would say
these things to them in this way
5.
VS 10:24-26 - “24 “A disciple is not
above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 “It is enough for the
disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they
have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his
household! 26 “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that
will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known”” - Jesus teaches His disciples here that they
will endure the same types of things that He will endure
5.1.
Jesus humbles His disciples by reminding them here that it is not
intended for them to be greater than He, their Lord
5.2.
In Luke 6:40, Jesus taught His disciples that a pupil will become like
His teacher after being trained
5.2.1. This is the objective of
being one of Jesus’ disciples
5.2.2. This is also the inevitable
result of being a teacher, a leader, or a parent of people, for “like produces
like”
5.3.
Being like Jesus will also cause us to receive the same kind of treatment
by the Lord which He received
5.3.1. In John 15:20, Jesus taught
His disciples that they would receive the same kind of persecution that He
received because they were being raised up to become like Him, “20 “Remember
the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they
persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will
keep yours also””
5.3.1.1.When people don’t listen to
our godly witness and counsel, we Christians should be comforted in the fact
that the people of this world did not follow and obey the teachings of the One who
is the eternal and divine Son of God from all eternity, the One who was the
full embodiment of deity, the full expression of God
5.3.2. We Christians must be sure
that the persecutions which we endure do not come upon us because we are acting
foolishly or sinfully, for sometimes Christians are persecuted by this world
just because they are acting weird or doing something that is morally wrong,
and thus they bring unnecessary persecution upon themselves (though sometimes
I’ve heard Christians call the things they have really brought upon themselves
as being persecutions)
5.3.3. The Jews accused Jesus of
performing His miracles by the power of Beelzebul (Matt. 9:34; 12:24), which is
a word which probably means, “Lord of the flies”, and is another name for satan
the devil, and, Jesus teaches His disciples here to expect that people will
accuse their motives and actions of being wrong or evil, and possibly even from
the pit of hell itself
5.3.3.1.Think about it, if the One
who is totally holy, righteous, and good was persecuted and the people of this
world falsely accused His motives and deeds as being evil and even from the pit
of hell itself, we should not be surprised if we who are very imperfect
representatives of Christ should suffer the same treatment
5.4.
In this verse, Jesus sort of lets the disciples get a glimpse of what
their proper place should and will be before Him for all eternity
5.4.1. As I mentioned before, they
will never be greater than He, for He is the master and they the student, He is
the Lord and they are His servants
5.4.2. He says ‘it is enough’,
meaning ‘it is the goal’ of His discipleship of them that they simply be raised
up to be as much like Him as they can be
5.4.2.1.God is in the process of
making each of us Christians into the image of Jesus, in all of the ways of
holiness and character
5.4.2.2.In Ephesians 4:11-13, Paul
wrote that the ministry of the pastors, leaders, and teachers in the church is
to build up and equip the saints for the work of service and to perfect each
person into the image of Christ, and until that work is completed the ministry
of the church must continue, “11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as
prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the
equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body
of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature
which belongs to the fulness of Christ”
5.5.
In verse 24 here Jesus exhorts His disciples not to fear the persecution
of man because every wrong action and motive done by people will one day be
revealed, and no one will be able to hide the truth about their actions
5.5.1. One night this past week my
son came into my office in the house where I was working on my Bible study notes
for this study in order to say ‘Good Night’ to me. Before I gave him a ‘good night’ hug I asked
him if he had practiced his bass guitar that day, as he is supposed to do every
day, since I had a suspion that he hadn’t.
He looked at me and said, “Yah, dad I practiced”. Sensing that he had just lied to me I stood
up from my desk and looked him in the eye and again asked him the same
question, to which he gave me the same reply.
Finally, I looked directly at him and said, “Son, if you’re lying to me
and to the Lord about this your not going to get away with it!” Then, I waited a few seconds, and then
finally he put his head down on my shoulder and said, “I didn’t dad. I’m sorry…”
5.5.2. Exhorting the Corinthians
against judging one another, in 1 Cor. 4:5, Paul wrote about the fact that on
the future day of judgment that the Lord is going to reveal all of the hidden
secrets of men’s motives, “5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before
the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things
hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each
man’s praise will come to him from God”
5.5.3.
The exhortation by Jesus to His disciples here in this verse basically is
that they are not to worry about being persecuted by the evil people of this
world because one day the Lord is going to reveal the true nature of everyone’s
deeds and recompense appropriately each person for them.