Matthew Chapter 10
Being Sent
Chapter 10 started with Jesus’ calling of the twelve disciples, each of them carefully chosen and each of their names meticulously listed out. After calling them, Jesus sent the disciples out.
Today, as followers of Christ, we are also “saved and called according to [God’s] purpose” (2 Tim 1:9).
Where was Jesus sending them to?
“Do not go into the way of the gentiles… but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”
This was the first thing Jesus commanded the twelve to do when He sent them out.
When we are commissioned to preach the gospel, our first instinct might be to go out into the streets or HDB units and preach to the strangers who might not have heard the gospel.
However, Jesus tells us not to do so. Rather, go first to the “lost sheep” who once belonged to “the house of Israel”.
Undeniably, the “house of Israel” might refer to the Israelites.
However, it could also refer to the lost sheep who have wandered away from the church today. We have to go out there and bring these lost sheep back to the fold because we know that the devil, who is a roaring lion, is seeking whoever he could devour (1 Peter 5:8).
If we do not reach out to the lost sheep, they will not have a chance with the lion.
Besides starting the work of salvation from within the fold and those around us, “do not go into the way of the gentiles” also reminds us to not go back to the old, gentile ways.
When we were chosen and called by God, when we were saved and subsequently sent out to do the work of God, we should never go back to our old ways.
Those who were sent out must have been ready, just as today, we will only send out workers who are spiritually ready to do the work of God.
However, even these spiritually matured workers should take caution to never walk in the same path as the gentiles. The Bible tells us that: “we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:3).
We have done “enough” of these gentile deeds and we cannot afford to continue doing them. As bearers of the gospel, this is a caution that the bible gives us, especially since we are sent out “as sheep in the midst of wolves”.
The danger is real because we are in their midst and their influence might be very subtle.
Nevertheless, we know that wherever He sends us, the Almighty God will also be there with us.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
(Num 6:24-26).
