Behold I Am Sending You Out
Matthew 10:16-23 (AMP)
16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.
17 Be on guard against men [whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God]; for they will deliver you up to councils and flog you in their synagogues,
18 And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to bear testimony before them and to the Gentiles (the nations).
19 But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you are to speak; for what you are to say will be given you in that very hour and moment,
20 For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will take a stand against their parents and will have them put to death.
22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved [from spiritual disease and death in the world to come].
23 When they persecute you in one town [that is, pursue you in a manner that would injure you and cause you to suffer because of your belief], flee to another town; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
All who go ‘out’ to spread the Gospel message are always going out as sheep. Jesus’ disciples know one thing for certain: love for Christ, and love for others is the whole and complete motivation for what they do. People that are motivated by love are harmless to others. They can not be offensive. They must treat those they go to with care, and compassion. Even without bringing the Gospel message with you, someone who goes into the world motivated by love is easy prey for those looking for easy targets. When you add to your motivation, the Gospel message of Christ, there are many who will stop at nothing to cause you to fail at what you want to do. Jesus knows that the world is cruel, cold and dangerous. You will be as sheep among wolves because you are going out in a spirit of love, compassion and mercy into a world that sees those traits as signs of weakness.
He says to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Serpents are known to be cautious when danger approaches. They are swift to retreat. Jesus says we must go out as He would go out: harmless, but full of caution, watching every step, prepared to retreat swiftly if we are threatened.
Matthew 10:17-18 (AMP)
17 Be on guard against men [whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God]; for they will deliver you up to councils and flog you in their synagogues,
18 And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to bear testimony before them and to the Gentiles (the nations).
Be on guard against men. What men? Those whose very nature is to be in opposition against God. In other words, the unsaved and the lost of the world. Some just don’t want to hear the words of God, but there are many who despise God and anything having to do with Him. They will be a danger to the children of God, even to the point of persecuting them and killing them.
Jesus’ disciples should be prepared to give a witness concerning the name of Christ. This is exactly why He will not prevent these things from happening: because every time you are brought before the authorities for being a believer, it is a wonderful opportunity for you to present the Gospel.
Matthew 10:19 (AMP)
19 But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you are to speak; for what you are to say will be given you in that very hour and moment,
Jesus wants his disciples to have faith, and trust in Him. If He desired men that were good speakers, He would have gone to the Pharisees or other Priests and Rabbis to deliver the Gospel message. But he chose poor, uneducated men for the job. And if that is whom Jesus chose, then they were the best people to do the job. Sometimes men with lofty educations and positions become unteachable; they believe that they have the answers, or perhaps know better how to present the message.
Matthew 10:20 (AMP)
20 For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Jesus wants people that will rely on the Holy Spirit to do His work. And much of the time, those are people just like you and me. We must rely on Him for the words. A University education is of little use to Jesus if it gets in the way of His message. His first choice is the uneducated of the world or those willing to use their education to serve Him.
Matthew 10:21-23 (AMP)
21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will take a stand against their parents and will have them put to death.
22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved [from spiritual disease and death in the world to come].
23 When they persecute you in one town [that is, pursue you in a manner that would injure you and cause you to suffer because of your belief], flee to another town; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Why do we still persist in wondering why people do not ‘like’ us? Jesus makes it pretty clear that we may not win any popularity contests: “you will be hated for my names’ sake”. What is so hard to understand in that statement? You know why we, in the United States, have such a problem connecting with that idea? Because we still live in a country that tolerates Christians. There are many places around the world where people know just exactly what Jesus is saying here and they have no problem believing or understanding it. The Islam faith is one example. Daughters have been given up to be stoned to death for their participation with Christians. Brothers give up brothers. Children give up their parents.
The things that Christians have to suffer here for Christ are laughable compared to what others around the world are willing to go through for their love of Jesus. We need to be what Jesus wants us to be. Whatever that is and wherever that takes us, and whatever happens to us.
Matthew 10:26 (AMP)
26 So have no fear of them; for nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, or kept secret that will not become known.
Matthew 10:28 (AMP)
28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).
So then, Jesus tells us, have no fear for all of the evil works of men, and all of the righteous works of the children of God will soon be revealed. Justice will be served. The evil will not walk away free. And the righteous of God will not be persecuted for nothing.
The body is a temporary thing. And, on top of that, the one we have now is diseased and broken. Don’t fear those that can destroy a thing of such little worth. If you are going to be in fear of anyone, let it be God, who has the destiny of your everlasting life in His hands.
Finally, this thought: don’t deceive yourself; there are only two forces in this world that can be served; God, or no God. To say you are a Christian is not good enough. To come to church is not good enough. To read your Bible is not good enough. Good enough is being what Jesus wants you to be: a true disciple. Looking and acting like Him.
Behold, He sends you…are you going?
Prayer
