Matthew_10

Scripture

Matthew 10:6-8⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.  Freely you have received; freely give.

Observation

But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: God’s intention was to reach the whole world, but beginning with Israel. There was certainly enough work to do among the lost sheep of the house of Israel to keep the twelve busy until God directly commanded them to expand their ministry.…

1. Who were the lost sheep of Israel? In a sense, all of them were. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6). Yet in another sense, there were also lost sheepthat were abused and neglected by their spiritual shepherds, the scribes, priests, and Pharisees. This is the sense of Jeremiah 50:6: My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray.
2. Because so many were so spiritually neglected, Jesus sent these apostles out. “The beginnings of the mission to the neglected ‘lost’ sheep of Israel may be found in the Capernaum feast (Matthew 9:10). As time went on Jesus felt increasingly the pressure of the problem and the need for extended effort.” (Bruce)

…(7-8a) What they are to do: go out preaching and healing.“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.”

1. As you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand”: Earlier (Matthew 4:17) we were told that Jesus’ message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The disciples brought the same message Jesus preached, simply bringing it over a much broader area than Jesus could just by Himself….
2. There is no mention of them preachingin the synagogues, only being scourged in them (Matthew 10:17). This was a house-to-house, open field, street preaching ministry.
3. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons: The disciples both had a message to preach and a power to display. In this, they were truly followers of their Master.
4. The authority for these disciples to raise the deadis remarkable; yet the later fulfillment of it was recorded in both Acts 9 and 20, and there were no doubt other unrecorded instances. We have no evidence that either such a thing was common, or that this authority has been permanently withdrawn. It is wise for Christians today to both believe in God’s power to do such miracles through His people, and to not be too quick to believe unsubstantiated reports of such miracles.

Excerpt from Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Matthew 10https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/matthew-10/

Understanding

Two things that struck me as I read this morning… God’s love is big and wide and to be shared with all; even so, sometimes he desires our focus to be specific.While the ultimate mission as Christ followers is to multiply Christ followers without discrimination (ie there is not one person that God does not want to have relationship with, so we should share His message and love with all those we can), there are times where God calls out – or lays upon our hearts – a specific person or group of people.  Here it was Israel. The kingdom of heaven is still near for those who believe and, as a result, God’s power is still present among us…meaning miracles still happen.As we prepare to send another group to India, it’s with anticipation of wonders being done and a knowing that God will work in and through them and that MIRACLES will happen.  I can’t wait to hear the stories of how God moves.  But those stories are not just for Bible times or for faraway lands or for mountain top experiences; God’s kingdom is alive in us, meaning we can live with an expectancy to see God move in our everyday. 

Life Application

Who is your/my Israel?  Who has God laid upon your/my heart to minister to? Do you/I believe that we serve a God of wonders and miracles?  How might my life look different if we took a bold step forward in that belief?God, I love the way you stir my heart, the way you lay upon my heart people, places, causes.  While I CANNOT wait to go home, I love the space and time I’ve had while away on travels…always reminded that you are not in a building or a place, but everywhere around me – regardless of city, state, country.  May I walk with a boldness, knowing that “wonders are still what you do.”  Guide my steps, show me your heart for those I meet and continue to stir my heart and embolden my steps towards the people and places you’ve called me to.  In your name I pray, Amen.PS Check out this song…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLkHygFqQno

Rei 

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Matthew__9

Scripture:  Matthew 9:2-3  And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”  And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” Observation-What does it say?  After the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus perform a series of miraculous healings.  And He heals people who were marginalized in the Jewish society: a leper, the son of a Roman soldier, and others who would have been quickly forgotten.  Word of these healings spread, making it harder and harder to get to Jesus. Where people once would have seen Jesus pass by in the street, there are now multitudes gathered around him.   The story of Jesus healing the paralytic is paralleled in Mark 2:3-12 and Luke 5:18-26.  While seeking a physical healing, Jesus addresses a completely different issue, our sin. Juxtaposing this, the scribes and Pharisees present question his authority to forgive sins.  In looking at the two sides, those seeking Jesus and His healing, in comparison to those looking to keep to tradition and keep Jesus quiet, we see a difference in what needs to happen in our lives in order to find the forgiveness of our sins.  Simply, we need to accept God’s forgiveness, which can only be found through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Understanding-What does it mean?  A few years back, I went over the handlebars while riding my dirtbike, breaking my ankle in the process.  Luckily, my friend was right behind me. I was in the practice of going out alone and rarely had anyone with me.  In finding me down on the ground, my buddy asked me what I wanted to do and the only thing I wanted was to get to the hospital.  He rode his dirtbike about four miles to his truck, loaded his bike, and then drove up the trail to pick me up. In the process, the ramp used to load the motorcycles into the truck fell out of the truck.  When he got to where I was, he didn’t waste time going back to get the ramp, but used every ounce of muscle he had to load my dirtbike in the truck without any help. He then drove me to the hospital without any questions. In versions of this story offered in Mark and Luke, we see some pretty dedicated friends.  Jesus was in a house, and the crowd was deep around him. Seeing that they couldn’t walk in the front door, this group of buddies goes extreme.  They hoist a paralyzed man (read dead-weight) on to the roof of the house (and there were no elevators back then). Once there, they bust through the roof to lower the bed down to Jesus.  You have to imagine that they busted a whole in the roof that was probably four feet wide and four feet long, and it wasn’t their house. Talk about some explaining to do. Two things we can learn from this.  First, we need to actively be seeking Jesus.  Earlier in Matthew, Jesus tells us we will find Him when we seek Him (7:7-12).  Secondly, faith takes community. In Proverbs 27:17, we are told to sharpen each other like iron sharpens iron.  In Hebrews 10:24 and 1 Thesalonians 5:11, we are told to encourage each other into faith. Galatians 6:2, we are told to bear each others burdens.  Essentially, we can’t do this alone. Life Application  Jesus, in a world that is increasingly private and afraid of intervening, help me to have the courage to intervene when I see a friend who needs help.  Help me to encourage those without faith. And when I need the strength of others, give me the courage and trust to reach out. Even though the vulnerability can bring me fear, I know your love casts out fear.   -Tyler Galloway

Psalm _86

Scripture  Psalm 86:15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Observation  Psalm 86 - a prayer of David.  Understanding  The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love! Psalm 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 145:8  The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Jonah 4:2  ...for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.

The Lord, Yahweh, said this about himself when he met Moses on the mountain in all his POWER and MIGHT! These are the words he chose to identify himself.

 

Exodus 34:6  The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” Application  But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. When I think of all the craziness in my life, I think on this…

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

 When I seek forgiveness of my sins, my daily failures and shortcomings, I think on this…

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

 When I try to comprehend how I can heal from tragedy and trauma, I think on this…

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

 When I am filled with anger, rage, and sadness toward the people that have hurt me, I think on this…

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

 Deborah Lee