NOTES for Mat 10:1-7
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. |
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; |
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; |
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. |
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: |
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. |
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. |
Hide
The beginning of apostolic preaching is connected with only one, but most important, message: the Kingdom has drawn near. The preaching of the Savior Himself begins with this same proclamation. And this is no surprise: the apostles had to bring the people that very same message that their Teacher was bringing.
The message was precisely the message about the Kingdom that had drawn near. This, in fact, was that very "good news," that very Gospel, which everyone had to hear. For now, however, Jesus sends His disciples only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," to the people of God, who must hear it first, not because of any special privileges, but because God has special plans connected precisely with them. It is no surprise that the Savior gives special attention to the "lost sheep": the Kingdom is open to everyone, including those whose life up to now has not been the best spiritually. Life in the Kingdom is a clean slate from which anyone can begin. What, then, is this life?
The answer to the question is found in the powers Jesus gives the disciples who go out to preach. In essence, He gives them the power to do the very same thing He Himself does. Authority over dark spirits, healing from every disease and from the weakness or "infirmity" so characteristic of fallen humanity and expressed very differently depending on the circumstances: these are manifestations of the Kingdom, of its breath, of its life. For the Kingdom is first of all precisely life, life in all its fullness, in the fullness God intended for His creation from the beginning.
From the beginning, God intended the world to be His Kingdom; on the first day of creation it was exactly that: it was permeated by the light of God's presence, and there was no place at all for darkness in this world. All divisions, all darkness, came later, after the fall. Now, with the coming of the Messiah, the world is once again becoming what God intended it to be, and everyone is given the opportunity to share in this new life and to try himself in it, to try to become part of the new reality God is creating, where, as on the first day, there will be no place for darkness, sickness, or death. Such is the good news that Jesus brings to people together with His disciples.
Readings for 9 July 2025
After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan. Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free. | ||
