Transcript

Matthew 10:9-13 · NOBA @ Noon

Canon Justin Murff: Matthew chapter ten thirteen Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals, or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it, and if the house is worthy, let your Peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. The Gospel of the Lord. Jesus is sending out his twelve apostles on their first mission. After giving them authority over unclean spirits and diseases, he provides very specific instructions for their mission journey ahead. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. These instructions are startling in their minimalism. Go out. But take with you no money, no supplies, no extra clothing, not even a spare pair of sandals or a good walking staff. The disciples are to travel utterly and completely dependent upon God for their provision through the hospitality of those who receive them. This wasn't irresponsible, it was intentional. Jesus was teaching his followers that kingdom ministry doesn't depend on financial resources or material preparation from an earthly sense. The power that would work through them didn't come from their pocketbook, but it came from the Lord. The laborer deserves his food. Jesus affirms that those who devote themselves to gospel ministry should be supported by those who benefit from their work. The apostles weren't to feel like beggars. They brought something of supreme value, and material support was appropriate reciprocity. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who's worthy in it. And stay there until you depart. The instruction to identify a worthy host suggests seeking those already prepared by God, those with hearts open towards the coming kingdom. Staying in one place prevented any appearance of seeking better accommodations. As you enter the house, greet it, and if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. The greeting was more than just a social courtesy. It was a pronouncement of peace, shalom in its fullest sense. If received by a worthy household, that peace would rest upon them as a blessing, but if rejected, the peace would return back to the one offering it. Traveling preachers and teachers were common in the times of the early church, and these principles guided both how missionaries should conduct themselves and how the church, the body of Christ, should receive them. The worthy, unworthy distinction was wasn't about moral perfection, but about the receptivity to the message of the Lord. Worthy households were those prepared by God to receive his messengers. This text challenges our own reliance on material resources in general. Not all of us may be in full time ministry, and in fact most of us aren't, but it's easy to assume that our effective work requires substantial budgets. Jesus sent out his disciples with nothing. Demonstrating that the power of the gospel doesn't depend on human economy or our man-made resources alone. This text also affirms the principle of mutual support between those who minister and those whom they serve. The laborer deserves his food. This is a great practical teaching for anybody, regardless of their vocation. The worker is worth their wage. Those who benefit from any type of work have a responsibility to provide material support for it. The peace pronouncement reminds us that we carry something real to offer. When we share the gospel, we're not merely exchanging information, but we're extending a blessing. And that blessing lands differently dependent on the receptivity of the hearer. Today, consider our own resource dependent. Are we relying solely on our own gifts, talents, and abilities, or do we realize that everything we have is a gift from God, and we have a responsibility to steward it? Remember both peace and provision are truly gifts from the Lord.