Matthew 10:1 Jesus giving His Power to His Followers. Note: I. The work Christ's followers were to do. They were to do the mysterious work which the Master had done, and to preach as both He and John had preached. They were sent forth to do and to serve, but were done by and served as they went.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:2 Brotherhood in Christ. The world is covered with a network of brotherhoods. The first and simplest relationships run in and out in every direction, and multiply themselves till hardly any man stands entirely alone. This network of brotherhoods, like every evident fact of life, sets us... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:2 A mere list of names! A good deal may be made of a list of names, but it depends on whose names they are. There is a Book which has in it nothing but names. That Book would interest the universe if it were to be opened up and read "the Lamb's Book of Life." We may look on these men I.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:5 The Obscure Apostles. Half of these twelve are never heard of again as doing any work for Christ. Peter and James and John we know; the other James and Judas have possibly left us short letters; Matthew gives us a Gospel; and of all the rest no trace is left. I. The first thought whi... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:7 We learn from this passage how needful it is for us all to remember that the kingdom of God exists now in the world. Consider I. What this remembrance means. The kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, may appear to many a man an obscure conception, a mere way of speaking, one of the o... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:8 The opening of this commission, in a world eaten up by selfishness, proclaimed the advent of a new era, and was the sign of the establishment of the kingdom of God among men. From that time forth there would be a band of men upon earth consecrated to minister to its woes and needs. I.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:12 I. The God of all peace sends peace to all His creatures. As He sends the light, as He sends the air, so He sends peace. And in token that He desires peace for us, He has set apart and empowered and accredited certain men to deliver it. The fact that there is a ministry at this moment... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:23 We have here a precept, and a reason for it. Both are difficult. The precept is unusual, and the reason ambiguous. I. The precept is a precept of prudence. It says, There is a great work before you a work which requires workmen. The labourers are few at the best, and they must not be... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:24 I. Likeness to the teacher in wisdom is the disciple's perfection. "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." "The disciple is not greater than his master." "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master." If that be a true principle, that the best that can... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:26 Jesus Comforting and Warning. Consider: I. What the disciples were not to fear. They were not to fear them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Man's power in God is very great, but out of Him very little. He is not able to kill the soul; he can, however, kill the... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:30 I. Our Saviour's words were evidently intended to convey the general comfort of the truth that His people are exceedingly dear and precious in His sight; that they always live in His thoughts; and that He is interested in, and watches over and superintends, the least possible matter w... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:31 For us there are two things here: human fear, and Christ's Divine dissuasives from it. I. Our fears. Happily they are not, in this country at least, of the kind that beset these first Christians, and especially these first Christian preachers. Our fears are those which may be called n... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:36 "They began to make excuse." There is one excuse by which we either plead the example and authority of our neighbours for doing evil, or for fear of their laughing at us and persecuting us, leave off to do good, and become even ashamed of appearing to care for it. In this state it may... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:37 It is not for a moment to be supposed that Christ speaks in disparagement of the domestic affections. It is a question of priority, it is a question of degree. Who has the first, who has the chief claim? Is the claim of the household or the claim of Christ the stronger? This and passa... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:39 The Partial and the Perfect Self. There is a self-denial which is merely an elaborate and subtle form of self-seeking. The self-sacrifice required of Christians is a _reasonable_service; when we directly aim at doing good to others we indirectly achieve greater good for ourselves tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:41 The Greatest in the Kingdom, and their Reward. I. Observe, first, the three classes of character which are dealt with "prophet," "righteous man," "these little ones." At first sight it looks as if we had here to do with a descending scale, as if we began at the top and went downwards.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 10:42 Good of Little Acts to please God. I. We are apt, as to this life or the life to come, to think of God as dealing with us, in a sort of general way, just as we do, "in a lump," as we speak. We think of getting to heaven in a general way, as something purchased for us (as it indeed is)... [ Continue Reading ]