Lesson 10 – The King’s Power Delegated

Read Matthew 10 – www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.10

In this chapter we discover how the King not only had power over disease and evil, but how He gave that power to those who followed Him. In lesson 4 we saw how Jesus’ selection of people was a test of His leadership. Now we see how He goes about training His followers He had chosen. The 12 are named here so there is no question about who received His authority.

Beginning in verse 7 we read His mission instructions to His disciples. In verses 7 and 8 we see first the purpose of their mission – they were to proclaim the kingdom of heaven. To validate their claim they would be able to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons. These were exactly the same signs Jesus had been performing in His own ministry, and He was expanding His ministry by giving His authority to His men.


But the next set of instructions, beginning in verse 9, are a bit different than perhaps you and I would have given. Jesus told them they were not to take money, or extra clothes, or even food for themselves to eat. They were to rely entirely on the hospitality of those to whom their message was given. Please understand that such hospitality was a part of God’s instructions to His people, beginning in the first books of the Bible. A stranger in town was to be given hospitality by anyone they met. But Jesus didn’t say they were to stay with just anyone; in verse 11 He says they are to stay with people who are worthy, people who are of good reputation. Why would Jesus do this? He didn’t want His message to be tainted with an association with people of poor reputation.

Their return for the hospitality given to them was to be their blessing on that family. If the people of the town accepted their message they were also to be blessed, but if they rejected the message the disciples were to shake the dust of that town from their feet. That town would be judged by God.

The rest of this chapter outlines both God’s judgment and God’s blessings on people, depending on whether they accept Jesus’ message. It also gives the disciples the promise that God will take care of them as they do what He asks of them.

These verses also show the consequences of choices. For the disciples and anybody else who accepted Jesus’ message, He promised that their journey would not be without problems but it would be with great blessing for obedience. For all who rejected His message, judgment would be certain.

*What is God asking of you?
*What conditions are you asking of God before you are willing to obey?