Matthew 10:40-42

Section 23

JESUS COMMISSIONS TWELVE APOSTLES TO EVANGELIZE GALILEE

V. JESUS REWARDS THOSE WHO WELCOME HIS SERVANTS
TEXT: 10:40-42
A. THE AUTHORITY OF HIS MESSENGERS

40.

He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

B. THE REWARD TO THOSE WHO HELP JESUS-' MESSENGERS

41.

He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42.

And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS

a.

According to Jesus, of what importance to the Galileans were the apostles and the apostles-' word? Is their word of the same degree of importance to us today as then?

b.

What principle do you see behind the expression: He that receives you, receives me, etc.?

c.

Can you provide a reason why Jesus should put so much value upon even the smallest service rendered to the lowliest disciple of His?

d.

Do you see a descending order of importance in the persons mentioned by Jesus: Apostles (you), prophet, righteous man, one of these little ones? If so, what do you think is Jesus-' intention for putting these persons in this descending scale? If you do not see these four persons as a whole group, but as individuals, then what is Jesus-' intentions regarding the importance of each?

e.

I thought we were saved by grace without meriting or earning what is coming to us. How can Jesus here speak of rewards or wages?

f.

Are there messengers of God today, who although not Apostles themselves, yet bring the Apostles-' doctrine and so deserve for their work's sake to be helped? Who are they? How should they be helped?

PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY

But what about those people, those cities and villages, that welcome you and joyfully listen to your message? Those who receive you Apostles, in reality, are accepting me. Consequently, when they accept my message, mission and ministry, in reality they are accepting God's design and purpose. If you receive a prophet of God just because you see him as a man of God, you will receive the same reward a prophet gets. If you welcome and help a good man, because of your love for righteousness, you will receive a reward that goes to a good man. The most insignificant of my men is still my disciple, and whoever gives him just a drink of cool water on a hot day, just because they recognize that he is in my service, I Jesus, appreciate it! And I can tell you, that whoever does even a little thing like that for one of my disciples however lowly, he shall neverand I mean NEVERlose the wage coming to him!

SUMMARY

Jesus promised God's unfailing rewards for all who honor God by accepting and helping His servants, whether that servant be an Apostle, a Prophet, a good man or even the most insignificant of Jesus-' followers.

NOTES

If it be true that Jesus has addressed Himself first to the immediate needs of the Apostles during their early Galilean ministry (Matthew 10:5-15), then to their ministry before the unbelieving Jewish nation and some before the Gentiles (Matthew 10:16-23), then to the disciples-' program and problems of all times, as suggested in the introduction to the chapter, then we should ask the following questions about this section, before proceeding to interpret it:

1.

Is this concluding section intended as a summary conclusion to the last section only, i.e. to that section which immediately precedes it?

2.

Or is this conclusion intended to summarize this whole ordination sermon, hence applicable only to those Apostles thus ordained?

3.

Or is this conclusion a fitting end to the entire discourse, encompassing in its scope both the special, authoritative ministry of the Apostles, as well as the general, day-to-day service for Jesus performed by the most insignificant of His disciples?

This latter view seems most in harmony with the passage itself (Matthew 10:40-42) which pictures three different expressions of Jesus in the world: His Apostles (you, Matthew 10:40), His prophets and righteous men, (Matthew 10:41), and His little ones, disciples (Matthew 10:42). Even if we eliminate the second group for reasons mentioned below, we still retain the two fundamentally separate groups, the divinely-inspired spokesmen and the rest of the Church.

A. THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE (10:40)

Matthew 10:40 He that receiveth you. This is a ray of sunshine after the many stormy warnings of persecution, death and judgment. Jesus ends His discourse on a positive note, not only because it is psychologically sound to do so, but because He knew, and expected the Apostles to know, that there WOULD be people everywhere who DO respond to God's love and accept His messengers. (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:15) What assurance this brings to Apostles and other Christian workers embarking upon world revolution, barely aware of the giant forces that they must meet and defeat! Who would NOT go forth into Galilee, nay, into the whole world, to serve such a far-seeing, thoughtful Master on terms like these?

Receive has a special, triple impact here:

1.

Normal hospitality. (Romans 16:23; Hebrews 13:1-3; Titus 3:12-14; Philemon 1:22) But this meaning rapidly fades into the next for reasons obviously related to our text:

2.

Reception, aid and hospitality because the guest, the person helped, is in the special service of Christ. (Acts 16:15; Romans 16:2; 1 Corinthians 16:10-11; 1 Corinthians 16:15-18; 3 John 1:5-8. Note the antithesis of this reception: Romans 16:17-18; 1 John 5:11.)

3.

Giving heed to the messenger, welcoming him and his message, as it were, God Himself. (Galatians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Considering the progressive degree of openness required by each of the above expressions of hospitality, it would seem that something is here revealed about the wisdom of requiring that the Twelve seek out the most hospitable people in a city as they start to evangelize that area. (See on Matthew 10:11-14) But though the superior psychological preparation in the hearts of generous men is obvious, still how many ungenerous men can also be won, can also be convinced that the Twelve carry God's message and are to be received as God Himself? How long otherwise does it take before such ungenerousness is converted, so that it too opens its heart to anyone who comes truly representing Jesus Christ?

But Jesus-' emphasis here is not so much on the fact that there would be people who accepted the message, as on the high authority invested in His workers:

He that receiveth you, receiveth me.
and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.

There is no escaping the exact antithesis of these words: He who rejects you, rejects me; he who rejects me, rejects God! (Matthew 10:14-15) He who persecutes you, persecutes me! (Acts 22:8) In order better to appreciate this close identification of the workers with their God and King, compare Mark 9:37; Luke 10:16; John 12:44; John 13:20; John 17:18; John 20:21. The principle is this: a man may be a Judas or a Pharisee, but if he speaks the Word of God, we must listen. (Cf. Matthew 23:2-3) We do not refuse the telegram just because the messenger who delivers it has some disgusting habit. God holds men responsible for their attitude toward Him and His Word. He does not ask us what we think of the preachers who bring it. This means that anyone who heard Judas the traitor preachor Peter the denier or Thomas the empiricist or Simon the Nationalist guerilla or Matthew the collaborator with the enemy or John the fishermanany who heard them preach, heard God! (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 1:12) Either the Apostles have the authority claimed here for them, or they are imposters and Jesus is a liar! There is no middle ground, not even an allowance for innocent error. It is, of course, assumed here as proved, that the documents bearing us this information are by the hand of the Apostles themselves and that it is with their affirmations that we have to do.

The very general nature of this declaration, as well as the statements of a similar nature spoken of others than the Apostles (Cf. Matthew 18:5; Luke 9:48), and the previously-noticed general character of the third portion of this discourse, lead us to ask whether this verse even intends to speak of the unique authority of the Twelve. It seems rather to refer to the identification of Jesus-' disciples in general with their Lord. If so, the most common disciple who represents Jesus by preaching the Word reported to us by the Apostles, represents God Almighty! Whereas these latter disciples would not, of course, have the direct inspiration of the Spirit to protect their words or presentation from error, as did the Twelve when they originally revealed the Message, yet the man, who stands up in human society and addresses his fellows in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, insofar as he presents God's message, is to be heeded as if he were God Himself in human dress! (See on Matthew 10:42) This view harmonizes perfectly with the realization that Jesus is not satisfied until He has turned every one of us into another Jesus Christ ministering in His absence in the very place where we live and work and are best known and can bring the claims of God to bear most personally on the lives of OUR contemporaries. He must not accept a kind of conversion that makes a man somehow as morally perfect as Jesus Himself, but good for nothing! This means that our identification with the Lord must produce in us the same sense of mission that urges us to confess Him openly, declare His rule and demand submission to His wise government.

But, someone will object, does not this latter consideration controvert the supposed apostolic authority defended in the paragraph just preceding it? Not at all, since no early disciple or modern Christian would dare claim that authority belonging only to the Apostles, except insofar as the former's life and message perfectly harmonized with that required by the latter, in which case the real norm is the apostolic doctrine and practice that forms the basis of judgment, not any modern application or interpretation of it. Of importance, by contrast, certainly, are the false claims to apostolic authority made by the so-called successors of St. Peter in the Roman papacy or semi-popes in protestant circles or the apostles among the sects, such as the Mormons. Their claims may best be tested against the standard established by the Lord's Apostles in their recorded works collected in the NT. At this point the declaration of the Lord is at its strongest: He that receives you, receives me! This is not merely comforting encouragement to wavering followers, but an iron-fisted challenge of the orthodoxy of anyone who does not recognize the Apostles and all who bring their message!

We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6)

Thus, if we have read this chapter correctly in its larger context of Matthew's book from chapter Matthew 4:23 forward, we see that Matthew is endeavoring to say that Jesus of Nazareth is but the extension of God into human affairs (cf. God with us, Matthew 1:23), the Apostles are but the multiplication of the effectiveness of Jesus as He reaches out into the wider world of men (see on Matthew 9:36; Matthew 10:1), and the humblest Christian is but the resultant outreach of the ministry of the Apostles themselves. (Cf. Ephesians 3:7-10) Thus it is that the Church, even down to her smallest member, is the likeness of God Himself reflected among men! Barclay (Matthew, I, 410) organizes these relationships as four distinct links in the chain of salvation reaching from God down to needy mankind:

1.

God out of whose love the whole process of salvation began.

2.

There is Jesus who brought that message to men.

3.

There is the human messenger, the prophet who speaks, the good man who is an example, the disciple who learns, who in turn all pass on to others the good news which they themselves have received.

4.

There is the believer who welcomes God's men and God's message and who thus finds life to his soul.

B. TWO GENERALLY ADMITTED ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE PRINCIPLE (10:41)

Matthew 10:41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. These are two generally recognized axioms from Jewish life. (See Edersheim, Life, I, 651. Could the reason for this be good examples in Jewish history? cf. 1 Kings 17:9-24; 1 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 4:8-10) The Master used them to reinforce His foregoing declaration that any man who opens his life to the Apostles, by that very act is opening his life to God. As before, so here, the emphasis is not so much on the Apostles or the prophets or the righteous men as on those who receive them in that character.

Receive, as Barclay (Matthew, I, 410) see it, involves providing any kind of help, from even the simplest glass of cold water to a thirsty disciple, to respecting the messenger of his mission from God, as well as everything in between. Jesus is just as much concerned about His support group as He is about His frontline troops. His interest is not only concerned with those non-Christians who sympathize with His people by lending them aid and assistance. He is much more concerned with those unknown disciples of His, who, though not themselves Apostles, prophets or famous righteous men, yet stand solidly behind these great figures in the forefront of the Kingdom. These are people behind the scenes who do everything in their power to make the prophet or righteous man what they are. In the case of each, it may be someone who is never in the public eye at all, but upon whom the prophet is entirely dependent for everyday love, care, sympathy, and help. The righteous man may be what he is, because there is an otherwise unknown person who is daily encouraging him to be good, building up his life. Jesus affirms that these little-known people are figures well-known to God and will share His heavenly acclaim, that approval usually thought reserved only for those better-known public figures, the great saints. Again, Barclay observes so practically:

There is many and many a man who has been a great public figure. whose voice has kindled the hearts of thousands of people,. who has carried an almost intolerable burden of public service and public responsibility, all of whom would have gladly borne witness that they could never have survived the effort and the demands of the task, were it not for the love, care, sympathy and service of someone at home, who was never in the public eye at all, When true greatness is measured up in the sight of God, it will be seen again and again that the man who greatly moved the world was entirely dependent on someone who, as far as the world is concerned, remained unknown. Even the prophet must get his breakfast, and have his clothes attended to; even the prophet must have his home. Let those who have the often thankless task of making a home, cooking meals, washing clothes, shopping for household necessities, caring for children, never think of it as a dreary. weary round; it is God's greatest task; and they will be far more likely to receive the prophet's reward than those whose days were filled with committees and whose homes were comfortless.. The great beauty of this passage is its stress on simple things. The Church and Christ will always need its great orators, its great shining examples of sainthood, its great teachers, whose names are household words; but the Church and Christ will also always need those in whose homes there is hospitality, on whose hands there is all the service which makes a home and in whose hearts there is the caring which is Christian love; and as Mrs. Browning said, All service ranks the same with God.

But in what sense are we to understand prophet or righteous man?

1.

Literally? According to this view, Jesus would be listing, in more or less descending order, the categories of service in the Kingdom: the Apostles themselves (you Matthew 10:40), prophets, then righteous men (Matthew 10:41), and, least of all, the humblest beginner among the disciples of Jesus (Matthew 10:42). If this is Jesus-' intention,. then His argument proceeds from the less to the greater: If God rewards those who assist the service of the (apparently) least disciples, how much more can He be trusted to reward those who help you to whom I entrust this vastly more important ministry and apostle-ship? (See on Matthew 10:15) Though this interpretation is good, it does not depend for its effectiveness upon a four-step descending scale, as the following view, which also includes this application, will show.

2.

Proverbially? It might well be that the prophet and righteous man are merely two designations for two classes of God-fearing people in the OT period which was coming to an end in the days of Jesus. It could be argued that these two classes are totally inclusive and representative of the Hebrew people inasmuch as they speak of (1) those to whom and (2) for whom the Word of God came. (Cf. Matthew 13:17; Matthew 23:29-34, Luke 11:47-51)-' Accordingly, Jesus would be saying, Even as it is commonly believed among us that anyone who opens his house to those whom we regard as great and good men, receives from God a suitable blessing, so I too am putting my humblest disciple on that same level. God will never forget the simplest act of kindness done for MY people in my name! Thus would He put His own people in the same high plane at which they esteemed the great men of the OT. In this sense, then, Jesus would not be talking about prophets or righteous men who would live during the Christian dispensation, since He has used them only as a standard of comparison by which the humble Galilean Apostles could value the importance of their own ministry as well as estimate the high preciousness of their care in the eyes of the Father.

This latter view of the matter is probably to be preferred, since it removes at once the question of what consisted a prophet's or a righteous man's reward, by leaving both in the realm of an illustration that formed the basis of a comparison. Further, if these two illustrations are exactly that, i.e. proverbial, then we need not go into great detail, searching for the explicit applications to NT prophets and righteous men, since whatever it is that was usually presumed that the benefactor of an OT prophet or righteous man would have received, will now fall to those who provide even minimal aid to Jesus-' disciple, so great is His estimate of their importance. But WHY are these humble followers so significant? Because to receive any one of them in their character as disciples of JESUS is to welcome Jesus Himself and, ultimately, God.

McGarvey is right in quoting Alford (Matthew-Mark, 95) to say that in the name of a prophet or in the name of a righteous man is a Hebraism meaning because he is a prophet, righteous man, (See also Edersheim, Life, I, 651) To receive such a person in this character or for this reason is a distinct recognition of his relation to God; and to that extent God is honored by the act, McGarvey sees the antithesis of this phrase as in the name of humanity, or because the recipient is a human being. Many high-minded souls would render service to a Christian, not because of his attachment to Christ, but merely because they would do it to any human in need as a magnanimous humanitarian gesture. In this case the giver has not been moved to give by the intention to honor God, hence are promised no reward. Jesus is not discussing mere humanitarian gestures, but acts of kindness to disciples BECAUSE THEY ARE DISCIPLES OF JESUS. Motive is all-important.

Plumptre (PHC, 243) takes this one step further: In the name of. for the sake of that which the name connotesthe prophet's work as a messenger of God, the righteousness of which the living righteous man is the concrete example. In a very real sense these two qualities were going to be fused into one person as each of the Apostles would soon literally become God's prophets and righteous men. And those who helped them for what they were, would receive suitable rewards.

He shall receive a prophet's reward. a righteous man's reward. Regardless of whether we understand this verse literally or proverbially, it is essential that we understand the teaching on rewards (misthòs) propounded here and in the following verse. (See the Special Study Introductory to the Sermon on the Mount, Vol. I, 198-201: The Reasonableness of the Redeemer's Rewards for Righteousness, since Jesus-' meaning in this section is to be harmonized with His views expressed elsewhere.) The problem concerns the degree of strictness with which we interpret reward, since our eternal salvation is not a question of reward or salary, but of grace. This dilemma is so acute that Lenski (Matthew, 421) decides:

This misthòs was always one of pure grace, beyond any merit of their own, as generous as the great Lord God whom they served.

McGarvey (Matthew-Mark, 95) agrees: that the reward, whatever is it. (is) not synonymous with final salvation; for while it is true that in heaven we will have full reward for all the good we do on earth, we will have infinitely more than this, and our admission into heaven is a matter of grace, not of reward. So then the promise of the text does not imply the salvation of all that receive a prophet, etc., but simply that he shall be rewarded. If he be a pardoned man, he may receive his reward in heaven; if not, he will receive it only on earth.

There are several facts to notice about this reward:

1.

Jesus does NOT say precisely what the reward will be. In general, it would be the reward of (worthy of, or coming to) a prophet, a righteous man.

2.

Nor does He explain where it will be given, so it could be received many times and long before the judgment, as well as at that time.

3.

Its very character must be harmonized with other clear revelation about the nature of God's blessings.

With these facts in mind, it is well to realize that many people would not recognize God's reward on earth if He handed it to them, just because it would be something they would not even consider to be a reward. Ewen's discussion (PHC, 262. 263) is worthy of repetition here:

Two questions suggest themselves to the thoughtful reader of these words: 1. What is a prophet'S, a righteous man's reward? 2. No matter what the reward is, is it quite fair and equitable that a man who merely receives a prophet or a righteous man; who, that is, gives shelter and hospitality to them because they are what they are, should get the same reward which those men themselves get? If a man may get a prophet's reward by merely being hospitable to either of them, what is the good of being a prophet or a righteous man?

I.

The Master does not here tell us what is the. reward. Yet here must lie the key that will open for us the mystery.

A.

Did they know already?

B.

Or did the Master tell them before this what it was?

C.

Or were they left to learn the nature and extent of it gradually by the teaching of experience, which, through the help of the Holy Spirit was to develop in them the power of spiritual apprehension and understandingwas to bring all things again to their remembrance, and help them to interpret His teaching aright?

1.

I think we must accept this latter as the correct assumption,

2.

Our Lord had taught the nature of the. reward before this, as after it, but I fear we cannot credit the disciples at this period with having fully grasped it.

3.

They partook too largely of the spirit of their race and of their times to rise so early as this to the loftier conception of Christ's kingdom and of the rewards it conferred on those who were of it.

II.

The whole tenor of our Lord's teaching was to bring out in regard to this matter that a man's wealth lay in himself, not in his belongings, not in his surroundings. the prophet's gifts and the righteous man's character.

A.

The true reward of the prophet, the only one that really enriches him, is the growing power of seeing more deeply into the things of God, and the growing power of revealing these more and more clearly to men.

B.

The true reward of the righteous man is his becoming more righteous still, his finding virtuous principles within him growing stronger, the vicious in their presence becoming weaker, his finding the path of duty before him growing clearer and clearer, and himself more able to walk in it without stumbling.

С

The reward of the one is the growing strength of his character, that of the other the increasing fitness for his office.

III.

It is not hard to see why the man who receives the prophet in the name of a prophet, and the righteous man in the name of a righteous man should receive their rewardthe same reward as they do.

A.

Observe that in the one case the man receives the prophet in the name of a prophet.

1.

He receives him because he knows him to be a prophet.

2.

This indicates that the man esteems the prophet for the sake of his office, that his sympathy is with him, and that he is interested in his work.

3.

He rejoices to hail this stranger, and gladly offers him hospitality, because he is of a kindred spirit to himself.

4.

And what follows? Their intercourse brings to the host the prophet's reward. The host is enriched in his prophetic gifts by his guest's conversation, and truly receives the prophet's reward, shares with him and through him that enlargement of mind and that penetrating spiritual vision which are the richest fruits of his prophetic labors, as well as the power of clothing his thoughts in more accurate and impressive speech.

B.

The other case is similar to this. The righteous man is received in the name of a righteous man; that is, because he is a righteous man. The man who thus receives him has himself the cause of righteousness at heart, and his ready hospitality brings to his table, to his heart, one whose words and example stimulate all his own virtuous aspirations; evoke and strengthen everything that is noble and good in him; bring him, in fact, the reward of the righteous man.

While it is not necessary so drastically to limit the blessings the man of God brings to the home and life of his host, yet Ewen does point out a psychological receptivity that leaves a man open to all that God has to offer, from the best of this earth to the finest eternity God can imagine. Jesus is talking in general terms as He pronounces this blessing upon those whose hearts make them willing to receive the Christians. Hence He does not spell out in detail whether the individual, whose heart was once sufficiently open to God's representatives, would remain so long enough to lay claim to the reward. It is a matter of sad history that many whose lives were once open to the Lord, change their minds, cut the Creator out of their career and ultimately despise the reward He has been trying to offer them, because it was not suited to their perverted tastes or desires.

Plummer (Matthew, 158) is right in observing that the reward is not offered as a motive for action; the motive in each case is love and reverence for the prophet, or righteous man, or disciple, and therefore for Him whose servant he is. This is obvious from the consideration that this promise would not have been heard at all by those who would have helped the Apostles originally, hence could not have moved them to act from selfish or calculating motives. This being true, the promise is to be interpreted as furnishing assurance to the Apostles that God would reward those who received and helped them. In this sense, it furnishes motivation for the Apostles to trust God to supply their needs on this journey,

C. A SPECIAL APPLICATION (10:42)

Matthew 10:42 Jesus makes particular use of the foregoing illustrative standard in a startling way: If you think the prophets and righteous men were important, I tell you that even the most seemingly inconsequential help provided one of these little ones, will be immediately noticed and remembered by God! Who is one of these little ones?

1.

Edersheim (Life, I, 652) sees in the term a Jewish technical term for those who were still learning the elements of knowledge, and would by and by grow into -disciples.-'

2.

Plummer (Matthew, 158), on the other hand, thinks:

That little one was a Rabbinical expression for a disciple, is doubtful. Here it seems to mean that the disciples were people of whom the world would not take much account. In comparison with the Prophets and saints of the OT. they would seem to be very insignificant. And their mission was to be short, probably only a few weeks; so they would have no great opportunity of making a name for themselves. It is possible that everywhere (Matthew 18:6; Matthew 18:10; Matthew 18:14; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2) one of these little ones means one of my disciples.

3.

Lenski (Matthew, 423) sees the term as relative to other disciples:

Some of the disciples will not be prominent, even as far as faith and works of faith are concerned. Yet they are disciples, and whoever renders them the least service in connection with their discipleship, recognizing that they are believers in Jesus although among the very least, shall have his reward.

Whether taken in comparison with the Teacher, the great of the world or with other disciples, one of these little ones is still among Jesus-' brethren (cf. Matthew 25:37; Matthew 25:40), and whatever is done for them is done to Him!

A cup of cold water, while it may seem like so small a service to render a tired man on a hot day, yet was most significant because those who gave it to help a Christian were thereby honoring his Lord. Some, knowing that the man was a disciple of Jesus, rather than offering even this small service would rather spit on the ground in disgust, refusing to give the time of day to one of those renegades.

Why did the Lord choose this simple example of useful service? He is using an argument proceeding from the least to the greatest, i.e. almost any help is more than this, yet this too is noticed and rewarded by God. How much more, then, anything greater!. Lenski (Matthew, 423) has it: It is not the magnitude of the service that determines the size of the reward, but the motive and its appreciation by the Lord. Consider, by contrast, the sad case of the Pharisees (Matthew 6:2) who sought to gain great reward with God and the praise of men by giving public alms. Whereas Jesus declared them already paid in full (they have their reward), hence can expect no more, the Savior here affirms that even a cup of cold water given to an otherwise unknown and quite insignificant disciple of Jesus holds great and imperishable reward!

Verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward. Besides introducing this sentence in His solemn style of emphatic affirmation, the Lord uses most emphatic Greek (in no wise, ou mç) to indicate that it is not possible to fail to be rewarded for even this simple act motivated by love and appreciation for Jesus. Anything done for the Master is never insignificant or forgotten by God (Hebrews 6:10; 1 Corinthians 15:58), however remote the benefactor may seem to be from the right group, the right religious connections or background. (Cf. Mark 9:38-41!) The Father has no fear, such as we do, that His rewards might go to the wrong people, since He knows that the wrong people would not think of His gifts, His salary, His rewards as being worth much to them. More than one wise man has pointed out that even Heaven itself, to an unregenerate, would be worse than Hell. God's richest rewards can be lavished on the unwilling in this life and still be turned down with the whine: But I expected something elseI don-'t want that! So what is wrong with letting this magnanimous promise of Jesus have its widest application possible, including even many non-Christians? Like King Midas of old, the wicked can turn one of God's finest rewards into a curse upon themselves within five minutes when they get their hands on it, if they even cared that much about it. God's gifts are for people who appreciate spiritual rewards. From this realization comes three impressive conclusions:

1.

Here is motive for profound confidence in the providence of God, for who could seriously wonder about the care of a God who takes special note of simple gifts like a cup of cold water only? If He is so concerned with elementary service or help such as this when rendered to His people, could He somehow miss their need for food, clothing, shelter and other needs?

2.

Here is motive for deep reverence for God: He knows the hearts not only of those who give because the recipient is a disciple, but He reads the heart of the disciple as well!

3.

Here is motive for deep gratitude to God for His magnanimous mercy: He leaves His rewards lying around for anyone to claim, saint and sinner alike. His goodness, even to those who do not appreciate it, surpasses our understanding, even if not our gratitude, (Cf. Romans 2:4)

FACT QUESTIONS

1.

Explain how anyone who accepted the message and ministry of the Apostles, was at the same time accepting the will and mercy of God.

2.

Explain the meaning of the expression; in the name of as used in this text.

3.

What, exactly, is the reward coming to anyone who helps a prophet, righteous man or little one among Jesus -disciples?

4.

State the declarations in this section that emphasize Jesus-' authority.

5.

What two special lessons about God arise out of the declaration that whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose his reward?

6.

What is the use Jesus makes of the observation that anyone who receives a prophet or righteous man because they are such, will receive a reward commensurate to that of those whom they help? What literary form does this observation take?. What is Jesus-' purpose for bringing these two figures into His discourse?

7.

How is it possible for Jesus to promise rewards from God to just anyone who helps one of His disciples, and, at the same time, have no fear that unworthy people will be blessed wrongly? What is there about the rewards of God that cause them to go unclaimed by people who have earned them?

8.

Who is one of these little ones?

Section 23
JESUS COMMISSIONS TWELVE APOSTLES TO EVANGELIZE GALILEE

VI. THE TWELVE APOSTLES DEPART TO EVANGELIZE (Mark 6:12-13; Luke 9:6)

Mark 6:12-13

Luke 9:6

And they went out and preached that men should repent.

And they departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS

a.

Discuss miracles: What various kinds of miracles did Jesus work?

b.

Why were miracles wrought? There were several purposes.

c.

Under what circumstances was Jesus willing or unwilling to perform them?

d.

Discuss Jesus-' ability or inability to work them at any time or place. Discuss the disciples-' limitation in working miracles.

e.

What conditions did Jesus require before He worked a miracle? Did He always require such conditions?

f.

How did the apostles acquire miracle-working power? When did they receive the Holy Spirit?

g.

What miracles did the apostles work (before the cross) and what means did they use?

PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY

So the disciples scattered all over Galilee, going from village to village, telling the good news and urging men to turn from their sins back to God. They cast out many demons and healed sick people everywhere anointing them with olive oil.

SUMMARY

Village after village felt the increasing influence of Jesus-' ministry now as six evangelistic teams plus Jesus Himself evangelized. In effect, the Apostles became just that many more Jesus Christs calling Galilee to repentance, proving the authority of their message by giving that supernatural evidence that only God's messengers could give.

NOTES

THE TRIAL FLIGHT A GREAT SUCCESS

Whatever negative effect may have been made upon the Apostles by the ominous warnings and shocking statements in their ordination sermon, Mark paints their courage in bold letters: They went out and preached. ! The Lord's frank message, though not promising very much from a human viewpoint, did not deter any of the Apostles from fulfilling the challenge they had taken up. (It was greed, or perhaps a mistaken nationalism, but not fear, that caused Judas Iscariot to turn traitor.) Positively, these words girded the Apostles for vigorous action, stirred them to attack, and equipped them to reach all the objectives Jesus had outlined. This they did during their first mission in Galilee. And they kept going. And the Church of Jesus Christ today is irrefutable evidence that they were so prepared. Is not the Church, despite all her faults, living proof, not only of God's blessing upon her, but also the concrete demonstration that these Twelve believed, worked, sorrowed, courageously endured and magnificently produced? Even still more amazing is the observation that after the post-ascension prayer meeting (Acts 1:13-14), we never hear of more than half of them by name again. But that these men labored, the entire Church's existence is eloquent testimony. The immediateness of their victory stands out in sharp relief against their apparent total lack of qualifications. Barker (As Matthew Saw the Master, 34, 35) sensed this:

What hopeless nobodies the twelve disciples were! They were the least promising material Jesus could have picked. Everything was stacked against their ever accomplishing anything. A roll call of nonentities, this aggregation was hardly the type anyone would depend upon, especially for such serious responsibilities as God demands. Among them there was little prestige, wealth, power or education.

So it was Jesus that made the difference. They KNEW no message, no lordship, no power, no direction but His. Bruce (Training, 99) explains:

The disciples could do no more than proclaim the fact that the kingdom was at hand, and bid men everywhere repent, by way of preparation for its advent. This was really all they knew themselves. They did not as yet understand, in the least degree, the doctrine of the cross; they did not even know the nature of the Kingdom. They had, indeed, heard their Master discourse profoundly thereon, but they had not comprehended His words. Their ideas respecting the coming kingdom were nearly as crude and carnal as were those of other Jews, who looked for the restoration of Israel's political independence and temporal prosperity as in the glorious days of old. In one point only were they in advance of current notions: they had learned from John and from Jesus that repentance was necessary in order to citizenship in this kingdom.. Far from wondering, therefore, that the preaching program of the disciples was so limited, we are rather tempted to wonder how Christ could trust them to open their mouths at all, even on the one topic of the kingdom.

At this point it is a proper question whether the Apostles understood even this message of Jesus just preached (Matthew 10:1 to Matthew 11:1). If their prejudices were very deep-rooted, regarding the nature of the Kingdom and of the Messiahship of Jesus, how could they have grasped the full import of their own ordination sermon? It may well be that they did not comprehend it perfectly before the facts or the experiences alluded to in the message were fulfilled, even as a prophecy is somewhat unclear prior to its undoubted fulfilment. Bruce (Training, 115) shows his usual, sensitive comprehension when he notes:

It was a rare, unexampled discourse, strange to the ears of us moderns, who can hardly imagine such stern requirements being seriously made, not to say exactly compiled with.. It is a mountain at which we gaze in wonder from a position far below, hardly dreaming of climbing to its summit. Some noble ones, however, have made the arduous ascent; and among these the first place of honor must be assigned to the chosen companions of Jesus.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. (Mark 6:13). healing everywhere. (Luke 9:6) Does miracle-working power always depend upon the obvious presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to the extent that people may conclude that miracles are a necessary demonstration of the Holy Spirit's presence? No, because the Apostles obviously worked miracles before the official giving of the Holy Spirit. This mission occurred six months at least before Jesus-' declaration regarding the Spirit's influence and power in the life of the believer. (Cf. John 7:38-39) Jesus-' authority and power was, of course, that of the Holy Spirit in Him, but in the total absence of any reference to the influence or presence of the Holy Spirit at this point, and in agreement with a specific declaration that Jesus conferred power upon His men (Matthew 10:1), we must conclude that the power exercised by the Apostles is Jesus-' personal working in them. Bruce (Training, 99) agrees:

All the miracles wrought by the twelve were really wrought by Jesus Himself, their sole function consisting in making a believing use of His name. This seems to be perfectly understood by all; for the works done by the apostles did not lead the people of Galilee to wonder who they were, but only who and what He was in whose name all these things were done.

Mark 6:14: King Herod heard of it; for Jesus-' name had become known. See also Matthew 14:1 and Luke 9:7.

Did the Apostles work miracles after this mission and before Pentecost? Apparently not when they were with Jesus. Peter walked on water, but Jesus was present. Peter fished up a fish with a coin in its mouth, but though Jesus was absent, this was His miracle, not Peter'S. Later, the Seventy worked signs and wonders upon commission from Jesus, while away from Him. So also the unknown miracle worker (Mark 9:38-40). The fact that they did no more than this seems to indicate that they

1.

lacked occasion to work miracles,

a.

either because Jesus was physically present with them,

b.

or because they were not sent on other missions than those mentioned:

2.

or else, when Jesus was absent, they themselves lacked the necessary faith. (Cf. Matthew 17:19-20)

They anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. What does oil have to do with the Apostles-' miracles of healing?

1.

Some suggest that the oil was curative, used as medicine. (Cf. Luke 10:34) But this is not a likely interpretation here, since the purpose of the act of healing was to identify the Apostles as messengers of God, supernaturally accredited by the miracles. The supernaturalness of the healing would certainly be discounted if the oil used were thought, by those upon who it were used, to be common medicine.

2. Oil was also in personal body comfort, much as hair oils, bath oils, hand and face creams are used today. (Cf. 2 Samuel 12:20; Matthew 6:16-17; Luke 7:46) Why would this be significant here? If we assume that the sick person had let these comforts go during the course of his illness, then for him to permit himself to be anointed with oil preparatory to going back to normal life, as if the miracle were already worked, this would be a challenge to his faith in the power of the Apostles to heal him. Seeing the sick person's faith thus demonstrated in his willingness to be anointed, the Apostles then healed them supernaturally with no recourse or connection with the oil. Note that Mark seems to separate the two actions: (1) they anointed with oil. and then they (2) healed them, a fact which agrees with this latter conclusion.

Even if the anointing with oil should be seen as a mechanical method more directly connected with the healing than is suggested in this second interpretation, nevertheless the justification for their use of such a method is found in the fact that Jesus Himself used several different methods, probably to show clearly that the power is not in the method, but in the Lord Himself. (Cf. John 9:6-7; Mark 8:22-25; Luke 17:14, etc.)

On the general subject of anointing with oil done by Christians later (James 5:14-16), there remains the problem of application: whether James-' exhortation speaks to all ages of the Church, or only to first-century churches that had miracle-working elders, or whether ANY faithful person should anoint the sick with oil, praying with faith and so expect God's miraculous healing. (On the general problem of miracles, of which anointing the sick with oil is but one illustration, see the Special Study on the Miracles, included at the conclusion of chapter nine.)

What was the effect of this mission? For final notes on this evangelistic tour, see on Matthew 14:1; Matthew 14:13. Bruce (Training, 101) astutely observes that in quality the results of the mission appear to have been much less satisfactory than in their extent. He goes on to point out that shortly after this mission in Galilee, Galileans themselves left Christ almost in a body,

scandalized by His mysterious doctrine. Those who did this were for the most part, just the men who had listened to the twelve while they preached repentance, Such an issue to a benevolent undertaking must have been deeply disappointing to the heart of Jesus. Yet it is remarkable that the comparative abortiveness of the first evangelistic movement did not prevent Him from repeating the experiment some time after on a still more extensive scale. (Luke 10:1)

What is the effect of this message and this mission on us? Lewis and Booth (PHC, 258, 259) would have us note:

1.

The points of resemblance between us and them, In their measure all true disciples are in a similar position with these. They have the same Master above them, the same deposit entrusted to them, the same duty in regard to it, the same choice and the same difficulties before them, the same assurances to support them..

(To this, Barclay [Matthew, I, 367] would add: They were very ordinary men.. Jesus is looking, not so much for extraordinary men, as for ordinary men who can do ordinary things extraordinarily well.. [As a group] they were the most extraordinary mixture.)

2.

The points of difference. When the Apostles thus went forth to their work with their lives in their hands, they went forth to a forlorn hope in the eyes of the world. We in our day and in this respect, are not called to the same. We have the benefit of both their example and experience, and that of the generations like them till now. All the greater, therefore, would be our disgrace if we were to hang back. Every disciple is not expected to lead like these first; but no disciple can expect to be called a disciple if he does not follow when led.

FACT QUESTIONS

1.

Is there any evidence in this section or any hint in Matthew 10 regarding the length of this ministry performed by the Apostles in Galilee?

2.

What is the significance of the mention of the Apostles-' authority over unclean spirits? (According to Matthew 10:1; Matthew 10:8; Mark 6:7; Mark 6:13; Luke 9:1)

3.

What is the special evidence of Jesus-' divine nature and authority revealed in this little section?

4.

What is the purpose for the anointing with oil in relation to healing of the sick? What other NT passages speak of anointing with oil?

5.

What was the obvious source of the Apostles-' miracle-working power? Who gave them this power?

6.

Did Judas Iscariot work miracles? Did Peter?, What does your answer to these questions reveal about the nature of miracle workers in general, who do real miracles but whose life is all but perfect? Does the fact that a man works miracles indicate that God approves of his message and his life? How do you distinguish between those miracle workers sent by God and those miracle workers who will one day be rejected by Jesus at the great judgment? (See Matthew 7:21-23)

7.

Did the Apostles work any miracles after this mission in Galilee during the ministry of Jesus before He ascended to heaven? If so, when?

8.

Does miracle-working power depend upon the special baptism of the Holy Spirit in the life of the miracle worker? That is, are miracles necessarily a special demonstration of the presence and working of God's Holy Spirit?

9.

Summarize what the Apostles actually accomplished during this evangelistic tour.

10.

What does the fact, that Jesus empowered such men as Judas and Peter to work miracles and preach the Gospel, tell us about His confidence (1) in the message He would have them preach; (2) in the men themselves? That is, what do we learn about Jesus from the fact that He was willing to entrust such men with such a message?