Matthew
Chapter 10
The Twelve
Jesus called his Twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the Twelve apostles: first, Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray him.
Mission of the Twelve
Jesus sent these Twelve on a mission with the instructions: “Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town.
Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.
Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
Do not carry any gold, silver, or money in your purses.
Do not bring a travel bag, an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick: workers deserve compensation.
When you arrive in a town or village, seek out a worthy person, and remain there until you leave.
When you enter the house, wish it peace.
If the people are worthy, your peace will rest on them; if they are not, your blessing will come back to you.
And if you are not welcomed, and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town, and shake the dust off your feet.
I assure you, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah will have an easier time on the day of judgment than the people of that town.
Warning of Persecution
See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. You must be as clever as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Be cautious around people, for they will turn you over to their courts and flog you in their synagogues.
You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake as a witness to them and to the pagans.
But when you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it; when the time comes, you will be given what to say.
For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will give his brother over to death, and a father to his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death.
Everyone will hate you because of me, but anyone who stays firm until the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, escape to the next. I assure you, you won’t have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
A student is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.
A student should be content to become like his teacher and the slave like his master. If the head of the household has been called Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!
Exhortation to Courage
So, do not be afraid of them. Nothing hidden will remain secret. Everything concealed will eventually be revealed.
What I tell you in secret, you must speak openly; what you hear in private, proclaim from the rooftops.
Do not fear those who can only kill the body, but cannot harm the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna.
For just a few cents, you can buy two sparrows. Yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing.
As for you, every hair on your head has been counted.
Don’t be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows!
Choice for Jesus
Whoever acknowledges me in front of others, I will acknowledge them before my Father in heaven.
Whoever rejects me in front of others, I will reject them before my Father in heaven.
Radical Discipleship
Don’t think I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Each one will have enemies from their own family.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
Whoever welcomes you, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes him who sent me.
Whoever welcomes a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a just man, because he is a just man, will receive the reward of a just man.
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is my disciple, I assure you, he will not lose his reward.
Commentaries
The Twelve.
Twelve are chosen, like the tribes of Israel (19:28), and now symbolize the universality of the new people of God. The title of apostles, meaning ‘sent ones,’ is hinted at. They are led by Simon, who has a new name in ministry: Peter. They come from diverse backgrounds and mindsets… But amid them is Jesus, the unifying center. To this first missionary team, the Master will deliver his second discourse, focusing on their mission.
Mission of the Twelve.
The message the envoys must share is that of Jesus—the nearness of the kingdom of God (7), which enters history and frees people from all bonds. Like Jesus, his envoys (the apostles) must live a similar itinerant and humble lifestyle. The peace that Matthew describes as part of the kingdom of God involves the need for reconciliation between God and humanity and among men and women; this cannot happen without justice and the removal of all barriers that discriminate, exploit, or oppress.
Warning of Persecution – Exhortation to Courage – Choice for Jesus.
Appearances before courts, floggings, family rifts after the expulsion of the Christian community from Jewish society in the year 70… all this was common during those early days of the Church (cf. the Acts of the Apostles), and it will continue to happen wherever the Good News of Jesus is shared boldly. Although this warns of suffering and opposition, it also offers encouragement and hope. Three times it is repeated that they should not be afraid (26, 28, 31). The Lord is with his people.
Radical Discipleship.
All the powerful groups in Jesus’ time aimed, in one way or another, to dominate. Jesus’ approach is the opposite: to serve, which means to take up the cross and follow him. Jesus defines himself through his complete self-giving. Faithfulness to Jesus must surpass all other loyalties, even family ties, because instead of dividing, it will give true meaning to all other commitments.
Rewards.
The words that close the mission sermon speak of the reward that will be given to all those who welcome Jesus’ messengers. The mission is the task of the entire Christian community, with different charisms but a single mission.