Day 286: Matthew 10-12

(The previous post covered Jesus completing His direct teaching through principles in Matthew 7. In the subsequent chapters, Jesus performed spiritual warfare on demons, the weather, and through healing people. His fame grew.)

Matthew 10
¹ And he called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.

(Jesus gave His Disciples "authority" to cast out evil spirits and to heal. This authority was the Holy Spirit. The Disciples were given the Holy Spirit before Pentecost. This included Judas who eventually would betray Christ.)

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 Thaddaeus;
⁴ Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

(The Twelve Disciples. In this commentary, we will use the word "Disciples" to refer to the twelve after they were commissioned and "disciples" to refer to everyone else who followed Jesus.)

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans:
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.

(Jesus sent the Disciples out to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." Notice, verse 7 made it clear that the kingdom of heaven is here on earth.)

⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.
⁹ Get you no gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses;
¹⁰ no wallet for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

(The Disciples went out intentionally lacking things of this world. They would have needed faith before going out, and continued to need faith, that their physical needs would be provided for. In the Bible, the people who were able to do spiritual warfare did not have plentiful physical resources.)

¹¹ And into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter, search out who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go forth.
¹² And as ye enter into the house, salute it.
¹³ And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
¹⁴ And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet.

(Dust represented flesh.)

¹⁵ Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
¹⁶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

(The Disciples were warned that they would be as sheep among wolves.)

¹⁷ But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you;
¹⁸ yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak.
²⁰ For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

(The Holy Spirit that was given to them (verse 1) would speak through them.)

²¹ And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.
²² And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

(Notice, relatives would be working against each other because of Jesus. The Disciples would be hated of men because of Jesus' name sake.)

²³ But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
²⁴ A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord.

(A disciple/student ought to respect his teacher and recognize that they cannot out grow their teacher. This is why it is always important for a person to have someone in their life that is more spiritually mature than them. This will ensure they always have someone to help them grow.)

²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household!
²⁶ Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
²⁷ What I tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim upon the house-tops.
²⁸ And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

(The Disciples were to speak the things Jesus taught them to the multitudes and to fear God and not man.)

²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father:
³⁰ but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
³¹ Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
³² Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
³³ But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
³⁴ Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

(Jesus did not come for peace but for division. Jesus' teachings and actions would divide the sheep from the wolves.)

³⁵ For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law:
³⁶ and a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
³⁷ He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

(Those who love men more than Jesus are not worthy of Jesus.)

³⁸ And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.
³⁹ He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

(There is a cost to being a disciple of Jesus: your very life. When we lose our physical life (by giving it to God) we will find our spiritual life (through God) in eternity.)

⁴⁰ He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
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.

(In verse 42, Jesus was referring to His Disciples when He said "little ones" because they were teenagers.)




Matthew 11
¹ And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities.
² Now when John heard in the prison the works of the Christ, he sent by his disciples
³ and said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?

(In prison, John (through his disciples) asked Jesus if He was the one that cometh: the Messiah. John the Baptist knew that Jesus was the Messiah. John was at Jesus' baptism. Why would John ask this? According to Zechariah 9:11, the Messiah would set prisoners free. John wanted to know if Jesus was going to help him get out of prison, and he was asking this "in code." Jesus and John the Baptist were both Rabbis and Rabbis taught and communicated through stories and asking questions.)

⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see:
⁵ the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them.
⁶ And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.

(Jesus gave a list of things He would do without listing freeing prisoners. Jesus was telling John, in code, that He was not going to be set free. Actually, verse 6 was Jesus telling John that he would be blessed.)

⁷ And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind?
⁸ But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in king's houses.
⁹ But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
¹⁰ This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.
¹¹ Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

(John the Baptist is the greatest of those born of women but those who are "little" in the kingdom of heaven will be greater than him. Remember, the kingdom of heaven is now. Those who can humble themselves even more than John the Baptist can be greater than him.)

¹² And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.

(This oft misunderstood verse can be interpreted as: "...the kingdom of heaven is pressed upon by people trying to seize it and the energetic people take it by seizing it.")

¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
¹⁴ And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come.

(Jesus confirmed that John the Baptist was the spiritual Elijah to come that was prophesied about in Malachi 3.)

¹⁵ He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
¹⁶ But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, who call unto their fellows
¹⁷ and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.
¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon.
¹⁹ The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom is justified by her works.

(This passage showed Jesus using the principle of non-contradiction: John came neither eating nor drinking and he was reviled. Jesus came eating and drinking and He was reviled. It did not matter what John and Jesus did, there was nothing they could do to be accepted because the people of that time contradicted themselves. "Wisdom is justified by her works": Wisdom is making profitable decisions. This was a causality verse. Wisdom's works are the effects of profitable decisions.)

²⁰ Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.
²¹ Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
²² But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
²³ And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day.
²⁴ But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

(Jesus predicted judgment on these unbelieving cities. Jesus also stated the judgment would be more and less tolerable. This passage showed us that cities would be judged, and the judgment would be to a greater or lesser degree as a result of Justice.)

²⁵ At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes:

(The things Jesus spoke (truth) were hidden from the wise and understanding. However, what Jesus was talking about were those who professed to be wise: the proud. Only those who are humble (babes) will see the truth Jesus spoke.)

²⁶ yea, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight.
²⁷ All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him.
²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

(Christ was/is humble.)

³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

(Christ was showing us He will give rest to our souls. Christ's "yoke is easy." We must only empty ourselves and let the Holy Spirit flow through. Rest meant to "cease from the occupation of being a first cause." This meant allowing the Holy Spirit to be the first cause by directing our actions. This definition of rest was critical in the next story.)

(Some scholars see this chapter as the end of Jesus' Year of Popularity and see the next chapter as the beginning of Jesus' Year of Opposition.)




Matthew 12
¹ At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat.
² But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.

(The Pharisees saw Jesus' Disciples plucking and eating corn on the Sabbath and they questioned Him regarding the Sabbath laws.)

³ But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him;
⁴ how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests?
⁵ Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?

(Jesus asked them if they had read about David and how he and his men ate the priest showbread (1 Samuel 21) and how the priests themselves "profane the Sabbath" and are guiltless. Jesus made two points:
-First, David did something worse than these Disciples and the Pharisees not only did not declare David a sinner, they glorified David.
-Second, if the definition of "rest" on the Sabbath was to do no work, then the priests would profane the Sabbath.

Actually, the Law stated that for six days people can be the first cause (direct their own actions) as long as they did not break the Law. On the seventh day, they had to rest: cease from their occupation of being a first cause. The people could only do what the Law told them to do. The priests were told to be about God's business, so they were "working" but they were "resting" because they allowed God to direct their actions. So, the Pharisees of Jesus' time did not have the correct Doctrine concerning the Sabbath or what God meant by the term "rest. Do Christians, especially leaders, understand this today?)

⁶ But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.

(Jesus was saying that He was directing the Disciples' actions, so the Disciples were also "resting" and working, because Jesus was the Son of God. Verse 6 was Jesus indirectly stating He was the Son of God.)

⁷ But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
⁸ For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.

(The Sabbath was for God to direct our actions. This meant the cause behind these actions on the Sabbath were what ought to be the focus. Why David and Jesus' Disciples collected food on the Sabbath was what mattered.)

⁹ And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue:
¹⁰ and behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him.

(The Pharisees were attempting to accuse Jesus so they asked Him if healing was lawful on the Sabbath. Notice, the reason why the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus was Jesus taught them correctly about the Sabbath. This response showed Jesus' explanation was correct and the Pharisees' pride was hurt.)

¹¹ And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
¹² How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day.

(Jesus' answer went back to the cause. It was lawful to "do good" on the Sabbath day. God would direct us to do good because God alone is good.)

¹³ Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, as the other.

(Immediately after this Jesus healed a man by making a statement where the object of the healing was the subject of the statement.)

¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

(The Pharisees were counseling together as to how to destroy Jesus because Jesus had done good. First they tried to trap Jesus because He taught them. Then they tried to destroy Jesus because He did good.)

¹⁵ And Jesus perceiving it withdrew from thence: and many followed him; and he healed them all,

(Jesus realized His interactions with the Pharisees were making the Pharisees worse, so He withdrew from them. Great multitudes continued to follow Jesus and He continued to heal them all.)

¹⁶ and charged them that they should not make him known:
¹⁷ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
¹⁸ Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, And he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles.
¹⁹ He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; Neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets.
²⁰ A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgment unto victory.

(This was from Isaiah 42:1-3.)

²¹ And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.

(Gentiles will trust Christ.)

²² Then was brought unto him one possessed with a demon, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the dumb man spake and saw.
²³ And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Can this be the son of David?
²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.

(The multitudes were wondering if Jesus was the Messiah (son of David). Notice, the Pharisees were not present, they heard about it. When the Pharisees heard, they accused Jesus of casting out devils by the power of Beelzebub.)

²⁵ And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
²⁶ and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?

(Christ used the principle of non-contradiction to show the Pharisees that what they were accusing Him of was Satan casting out Satan which would make Satan's kingdom fall.)

²⁷ And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

(Jesus then asked what was the reason His casting demons out would be by Beelzebub, but their casting out would be by a different method.)

²⁸ But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.

(Jesus posed this option as an if/then: if Jesus cast out the demons by the Holy Spirit, then the kingdom of God was present through Jesus, making Him the Son of God.)

²⁹ Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
³⁰ He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

(Those who are not with Jesus are against Jesus.)

³¹ Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
³² And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.

(Blasphemy ("speak against") against the Holy Spirit is not to be forgiven. The context here explained this as intentionally attributing a work of the Holy Spirit to Satan or his demons. The example in this verse was Jesus casting demons out by the Holy Spirit being attributed to the enemy. Also, the word for "speak" when it referred to the Holy Spirit was eipon/epo which referred to "rhema": the revelatory spoken word without cause. If a person spoke a word out of "understanding" (lego) then it was an error and didn't apply. However, if a person spoke a word that was of themselves without cause (reason/understanding), then it was divination because the person themselves was attempting to be the source, and if it was wrong and blasphemed the Holy Spirit then it was unforgivable. People who can't give a reason (a why) for what they speak are attempting to be the source and when it is wrong this is divination.)

³³ Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.

(Causality: "The tree (cause) is known by its fruit (effect)." Throughout this chapter, Jesus demonstrated the Pharisees were contradictory. In this verse, Jesus wanted the Pharisees to state their will and stop being contradictory.)

³⁴ Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
³⁵ The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
³⁶ And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
³⁷ For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

(We will be judged according to our works (including words) and will give an account of our lives in the day of judgment. The word "word" in verse 36 was rhema - "the revelatory and powerful word without precedent that brings salvation when it comes from God." Above, we saw when people speak words without precedent, they are attempting to be the source, to be God. Everyone will have to give an account of the words they speak that do not have a precedent. Again, this was the same application in verse 32 relative to speaking a word against the Holy Spirit. For verse 37, if someone speaks a wrong word based on understanding, this was logos. For example, teaching about the Holy Spirit incorrectly because you have interpreted a Bible passage wrong is not rhema. The source was the Bible and you would have erred in your understanding. However, teaching something wrong about the Holy Spirit based not on the Bible, but on something you believe is rhema. This wrong doing will have to be paid for in the day of judgment, unless the person responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and confessed and repented. Jesus' point here was the Pharisees were not confessing and repenting so they would have to pay for this in the day of judgment.)

³⁸ Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee.

(Notice, we have seen several examples in the Book of Matthew where people first had faith, then they saw a miracle. Faith believes in something you cannot see either because it is invisible or has not happened yet. The Pharisees wanted to first see a sign so they could then have faith. This was the opposite of faith. Faith is the cause and miracles are the effect.)

³⁹ But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet:
⁴⁰ for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

(Jesus stated "evil and adulterous" people seek after a sign, after effects. These people were looking for a sign as a cause. Throughout Jesus' time on earth, the miracles He did were in response (as an effect) of a need that was presented to Him and not as a cause. Jesus did not initiate "healing services" or "spiritual warfare services" or "miracle services." He responded to needs. Jesus said the only sign these people would get, the only sign that did not require people to have faith in order to see, would be Jesus' death.)

⁴¹ The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

(Jesus tied together the sign that did require faith to Jonah's experience, and then used that to talk about how the city of Nineveh had repented and would be able to judge Jesus' current generation. This also was a continuation of the theme from Matthew 11:20-24 concerning cities being judged.)

⁴² The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

(The theme continued. "The queen of the south" was the "Queen of Sheba" from 1 Kings 10.)

⁴³ But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not.

(The unclean spirit walks around passing through waterless places (remember the demons in the swine from Matthew 8:31?) and seeking rest, not having to be a first cause.)

⁴⁴ Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
⁴⁵ Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.

(If repair did not happen, this man ended up seven times worse off than before the unclean spirit was cast out. Jesus was telling the Pharisees they were seven times worse off since the beginning of His interactions with Him.)

⁴⁶ While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.
⁴⁷ And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee.
⁴⁸ But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
⁴⁹ And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren!
⁵⁰ For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

(Whoever does the Will of God is Jesus' brother, sister, and mother. Jesus just gave His definition for family. What's your's?)

(This post covered the growth in Jesus' fame and that the Pharisees grew worse during each interaction with Jesus. If Jesus continued these interactions after having stated this, it would be Jesus' fault for the state of the Pharisees. Jesus needed to come up with a different way to interact with the Pharisees instead of directly through principles.)

Day 287