Episode 69 Matthew 10 On Prac

Dan: (00:00)
Hi, everyone. And welcome to training for life redeemed. I’m your host, Dan, as always, I’m joined with Dad, we are continuing our series through the book of Matthew. Today. We are up to Matthew chapter 10, where Jesus is gonna send out 12 disciples and they’re gonna become 12 apostles in this process. So that maybe you start there. Can you talk to us a little bit about, yeah. In verse one talks about Jesus calling his disciples to him, but then he sends out and names these 12 apostles. What’s the difference here between the two terms today? People often use them interchangeably.

David: (00:36)
Yeah. So a disciple is somebody who is committed to Jesus as their master teacher, boss. So discipleship begins when you’re baptized into his name and that’s when you make your commitment, on this occasion, Jesus is gonna take 12 out of, we don’t know how many disciples have signed up and he’s gonna select those 12 and send them out on what I would call a prac. So when you train school teachers, you know, you give ’em a few lectures. You give ’em a few hints and then you throw ’em in the deep end and see if they float. and that’s called a prac. in my case, they sent me back to my old high school, four years after I left it, which meant there were a whole bunch of kids there who remembered me as a year 11, 12 student. And, the boss introduced me to the kids and said, hi fellas, this is Mr. Jackson. He’ll have you for the next five weeks. Don’t try anything on him. He already tried it on me, which was an invitation for the kids to give it their best shot.

David: (01:40)
And if you survive that well, then you’ll be a teacher. So in this case, Jesus already spent one round going around the towns and villages of Galilee with these fellows in tow. And they’ve been watching and now he’s gonna say, okay, you’ve seen me do it off You go have a go, you go and do it. So they’re gonna go in pairs around Galilee to various towns and villages. And they’re gonna explain the people, the kingdom of God. So the word for sending out in Greek is apostello and it means to give somebody power of attorney to go and act in your name. So it’s the power we give a foreign ambassador. he acts in, he can sign contracts in the name of the country. and this is a power of attorney. So they’re going, in Jesus’s name to declare the kingdom of God and because they bear his name and they are carrying his authorization. When they say you are healed, you are healed.

Dan: (02:49)
Yeah. I was gonna say, they, they seem to be doing miracles without the holy spirit at this point. And it’s This part of what you just said. There is actually about them having Jesus authority as they come, rather than being, you know, empowered through the holy spirit and he, and this holy spirit being with you.

David: (03:06)
Yeah, I think in the old Testament, you have these occasions when the holy spirit, comes on somebody like Elijah or Elisha. Hmm. And you have that sort of a thing. So I’d, I’d have to say the miracles are the work of God through next to nobodies really. these guys are nothing special. Yep. and they’re trainees like this is first year out, off you go have a go. and they’re effective. So that’d be a bit of a wow moment for a trainee. I would think.

Dan: (03:42)
Yeah. It would’ve been cool for sure. So Dad, these guys go out, but they are told to not go to the Gentiles or to the Samaritans, which, you know, we already know Jesus has visited both of those places already. Yeah. You know, they’re basically say they’re allowed to cross the sea of Galilee to head over to the other side. but they’re, they’re going and they’re preaching the message of the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is, you know, it’s near it’s at hand. However you wanna translate that kind of section. They’re healing, sick. They’re raising the dead. They’re, casting out demons. Now what then happens? Jesus tells them not to take money, not like they’re just gonna be provided for as they go. Like, is he just kind of cuddling them into this role that they’re gonna take over later?

David: (04:30)
Well, I’ll go back to the, that model of resistance training that you taught me. Okay. I’m going to get, I’m gonna challenge your faith by putting some weight on it. and you are gonna have to trust me enough to just go out there and do as you’re told. So, you know, you are used to following me around cooking the breakfast, washing the clothes, listening to the teaching, taking your notes, asking your questions. Now I want you to go out there and you’re not allowed to take anything , you’ve gotta trust me. You’ve gotta trust your heavenly father for everything you need. And you’re gonna go into towns and some will accept. And some won’t the ones that accept will offer you hospitality. The ones that don’t, you need to shake off the dust and go to the next one.

Dan: (05:21)
Yeah. So what’s that about why they shaking the dust off their feet? yeah. The ones that are accepted them, they’re letting their peace rest on the house. What does that really mean?

David: (05:31)
That’s really cool. Isn’t it?

Dan: (05:32)
Yeah. Cause Jesus concludes like in verse 15, it concludes by saying that it’ll be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for the house. Like for the people who reject apostles on their first missionary trip.

David: (05:46)
Yeah. So really this is a, this is a publicity tour. So they’re going out with a big sign that says the kingdom of God has arrived. And then they’re showing them examples of what happens when the kingdom of God arrives. Now the blind can see the lame of leaping around all of that stuff’s happening. So have you got it now, synagogue, number one, the kingdom of God has arrived. As the prophecies are being fulfilled. You need to come and find out about Jesus. Let’s move on to the next town while they’re in town, they have brought nothing with them. So Yahweh’s gonna provide. How’s He gonna do that? through believing people. And if believing people welcome the good news that the kingdom of God has arrived. God’s peace will rest on that house. if they want to be antagonistic, they’re gonna have no peace.

David: (06:38)
they’re enemies. And so you, the shaking off the dust is a way of telling a Jew that he’s not a Jew anymore, that you, you know, Israelites live in the holy land and all the places outside the holy land are unclean, cuz they’re full of unclean people. So when we cross the border from, Syria, back into Israel, we shake off all that dirty Syrian dust before we step into the holy land. So if I go to a town that rejects the gospel, I declare that town to be gentile territory, not the people of God and I shake off their dust and every jew in town’s gonna go, whoa, you just told us, we’re not part of, we’re not God’s people anymore. And these guys are gonna say yes, and that’s gonna start a few arguments

Dan: (07:31)
That as we go through the verses here in you, chapter 10, there seems to be a bit of a switch that happens. Like we hit verse 16, Jesus starts talking about them being sent out as you know, innocent doves amongst wolves, or sheep amongst wolves and doves as well with snakes. But there’s this whole thing of them being flogged in synagogues. They’ve giving account before Kings and governors like, is that happening already? Or like, I know that happens in Acts. Like I know that that happen in the future is Jesus just like talking about, you know, you’re going out now, you know, don’t take anything now, but you know, in the future, this is what’s gonna happen or is this actually happening on this time when they travel out? Cause it’s like, you know, there’s brothers betraying brothers, fathers, you know, there’s this whole, all that stuff is, is in here is a future focused. Is, is it just for these guys right now on this trip? Like

David: (08:23)
They’re, they’re gonna go from synagogue to synagogue. And the rulers of the synagogue have authority to take any Jew who’s outta line and give them 39 strokes of the cane. they can put you out of the synagogue and declare you a non Jew that that’s, that has great power, in that community cuz nobody will sell or buy with you anymore. So you can imagine the family pressure not to cause trouble. and family members who didn’t believe in Jesus and Jesus’ own brothers didn’t believe in Jesus. So I would expect for these guys, some of their family didn’t either. So they’re going to be experiencing this. If you wanna be my disciple, I’m sending you out to get hammered. and if you’re not ready to get hammered, if you don’t trust me enough to do that. And if I’m not worth that to you, well, you know, go home. So he’s picking on 12 guys to go out and here’s your first taste on your own two legs of what it’s gonna look like once I’ve ascended into heaven and you’re off on your own. So let’s do a little training run yeah, they, their families, their friends, this is gonna divide the whole Jewish community in Gale.

Dan: (09:43)
Okay. So it’s really applying to where they are right now. The 12 on their little mission before they come back to

David: (09:49)
and they’re not going to some area or the gen territory because let’s just practise here at home.

Dan: (09:58)
Okay. So then Jesus’s gonna continue this theme of, your father against son and daughters against their mothers and stuff. As we go through this passage, what’s Jesus really getting to, as he flows through the rest of this chapter, really, cuz kind of is weaved through the rest of the chapter to hear that this concept of yeah, they’re just being rivalry and him not coming to a brought peace, but to, you know, he’s, he’s bringing this sense of tension and, and combat. Like it’s not what people think today. They, oh Jesus cater to bring peace. But he seems to be saying he really didn’t.

David: (10:35)
Well, you you’ve gotta think of has been. I liken it to Europe, under Nazi occupation. The world is under Satan’s occupation. When you land on D-Day you are taking back what was yours in the first place you’re taking back stolen property? you’re restoring the rightful ruler. So when they say the kingdom of God has arrived, that’s like marching into a French village, in June of 1944 and saying the allies have landed. you’re gonna get shot at, this is, this is a campaign to bring the rightful king in and the usurper has already tried to kill him from the time he was born. And those who are announcing this kingdom, are gonna cop it. So it, it it’s, there’s a hardening that’s going on in this training prac, they’re gonna have to go out and face this stuff.

David: (11:34)
And I think when you look at it’s a reminder that being born into a Israelite family or being born into a Christian family, doesn’t make you a Christian doesn’t mean you’re saved. So you know, you go home and you say, you know, I’ve become a Christian and all your family say, oh yeah, you become a Christian. We’re all Christians. you know that very well. You know, we’re all Greeks, we’re all Christians, what’s your problem. But then when you go home and you say I’m getting baptized, you know, all the bullets start flying because now you’re saying, and I quote, you’re not Greek anymore or you’re are not Jewish anymore. what are you, you’re abandoning your family and community, to follow this strange fellow Jesus. and that’s, that’s got great divisive effect. We’re calling on people to exercise faith, not just claim some birthright. and that’s a new concept for many

Dan: (12:34)
Well Dad that brings us to the end of this episode. If you enjoy this episode, we would love it. If you could leave us a review, if you have not come and grabbed the study notes or anything that go along with these episodes, please head over to trainingforliferedeemed.com/69. You can access all the resources and stuff that go along with the podcast us there. And of course, make sure you hit the subscribe button, come back and join us again. When we look at Matthew chapter 11, next we are Dad though. Gonna take a break. I believe over the school holidays for a couple of weeks so that we can get caught up on a few things, but we will be back after the school holidays. So make sure you hit the subscribe buttoning. Otherwise you won’t know when we come back.

David: (13:19)
Yep. All good.