Matthew Chapter 10 flows directly out of the end of Matthew Ch9.

Jesus had looked at the crowds with compassion because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He told His disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Now, in Matthew 10, Jesus sends the twelve.

They are not self-appointed.

They are called, named, authorized, and sent by Christ.

That matters for the whole chapter. The mission belongs to Him. The authority belongs to Him. The message belongs to Him. And the suffering that comes with the mission is not a surprise to Him.

Jesus Sends the Twelve

Matthew names the twelve apostles: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who would betray Him.

That last detail is sobering.

Judas is listed among the twelve. He is sent out with the others. He is close to holy things, close to the teaching, close to the miracles, close to the visible mission.

But closeness is not the same as saving faith.

That is a warning we have seen before, especially in John Ch6, where Judas is outwardly near Jesus but does not truly belong to Him.

Jesus sends the twelve first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This does not mean the Gentiles will never be included. Matthew has already shown Gentile faith in Matthew Ch8, when the centurion believed Jesus could heal by His word. Later, Jesus will command His disciples to make disciples of all nations.

But here, at this stage in redemptive history, the mission begins with Israel.

They are to proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

They are to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons.

In Matthew 8 and 9, Jesus showed authority over sickness, uncleanness, death, and demons. Now He gives His apostles authority to act under Him.

They are not the source of the power.

Christ is.

Freely You Received, Freely Give

Jesus tells them, “You received without paying; give without pay.”

The kingdom message is not merchandise.

The apostles are not to turn mercy into a business. They are not to use the power of Christ for personal gain. They have received from Him, and they are to give as servants of His mercy.

Jesus also tells them not to take gold, silver, a bag, extra tunics, sandals, or a staff. This was a specific instruction for this particular mission. The point is dependence. They are to trust the Lord’s provision as they go.

When they enter a town, they are to find out who is worthy and stay there. If the house receives them, peace comes upon it. If it does not, their peace returns to them.

If a town refuses them, they are to shake off the dust from their feet.

That is serious.

Rejecting the message is not a small thing because the message is not merely human opinion. To reject Christ’s messengers is to reject the King who sent them.

This fits with the warning of Matthew Ch7. The way is narrow, and hearing Jesus’ words without receiving them is dangerous.

Sheep Among Wolves

Then Jesus says something very honest:

“I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.”

He does not hide the cost.

He does not promise that obedience will make the world applaud them.

He tells them to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

That balance matters.

Christians should not be foolish, naïve, or careless. Jesus tells His people to be wise. But they also must not become deceitful, cruel, or corrupt. They must remain innocent.

Wisdom without innocence becomes manipulation.

Innocence without wisdom becomes recklessness.

Jesus calls His disciples to both.

He warns them that they will be delivered over to courts, flogged in synagogues, and dragged before governors and kings for His sake. But even this suffering will become a witness.

That does not make suffering pleasant.

But it means suffering is not meaningless.

When they are brought before rulers, they are not to be anxious about what they will say. The Spirit of their Father will speak through them.

From a Christian Reformed lens, this is not a promise that believers never need preparation, thought, or study. It is a promise that Christ will not abandon His witnesses. The mission is carried by divine grace.

The disciples are weak sheep.

But they belong to the Shepherd.

Hated for Christ’s Name

Jesus continues with hard words.

Brother will deliver brother over to death. A father will deliver his child. Children will rise against parents. The disciples will be hated by all for His name’s sake.

This is not soft religion.

Jesus is telling the truth.

The kingdom brings peace with God, but it also creates division with those who reject Christ. Loyalty to Jesus may cost approval, comfort, family peace, and even life.

This connects with Matthew Ch5, where Jesus said blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Persecution does not mean God has lost control. It often means the kingdom of Christ is colliding with the kingdoms of this world.

Jesus says the one who endures to the end will be saved.

That does not mean we save ourselves by our endurance. Salvation is by grace. But true faith perseveres because God preserves His people.

The same Christ who sends His disciples also keeps His disciples.

Do Not Fear Them

Jesus then says that a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

If they called the master of the house Beelzebul, they will also speak evil against His household.

This connects with Mark Ch3, where Jesus is accused of working by demonic power. If people treated Jesus that way, His disciples should not be shocked when they are slandered too.

But Jesus says, “Have no fear of them.”

That is repeated through the chapter.

Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

This is not saying earthly suffering does not hurt. It does hurt. Death is real. Persecution is real.

But human enemies are not ultimate.

God is ultimate.

And the same God who is to be feared also cares for His people.

Jesus says two sparrows are sold for a penny, yet not one falls to the ground apart from the Father. Even the hairs of our head are numbered.

That connects beautifully with Matthew Ch6, where Jesus taught that the Father sees, knows, and provides.

The point is not that disciples will avoid suffering.

The point is that they are never forgotten in suffering.

The Father’s care reaches even the smallest details.

Confessing Christ Before Men

Jesus then says that everyone who acknowledges Him before men, He will also acknowledge before His Father in heaven. But whoever denies Him before men, He will also deny before His Father.

That is sobering.

Christian faith is not meant to remain hidden forever.

There may be wisdom in how and when we speak, but there is no true Christianity that is ashamed of Christ as Lord.

Jesus does not call His disciples to be loud for the sake of being loud. He calls them to confess Him faithfully.

That confession may cost them.

But Christ’s acknowledgment before the Father is worth more than the approval of the world.

Not Peace, but a Sword

Jesus then says He did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

That can sound strange because Scripture also teaches that Jesus brings peace. He brings peace with God. He reconciles sinners to the Father. He makes peace by the blood of His cross.

But here He is speaking about the division His coming brings in a fallen world.

Christ divides because people respond differently to Him.

Some receive Him.

Some reject Him.

Even families may be divided over Him.

Jesus says whoever loves father or mother more than Him is not worthy of Him. Whoever loves son or daughter more than Him is not worthy of Him. Whoever does not take his cross and follow Him is not worthy of Him.

This is not Jesus minimizing family. Scripture commands us to honor father and mother. Family is a gift.

But family is not God.

Christ must be supreme.

To take up the cross means dying to self-rule and following Jesus even when it costs. We do not earn salvation by carrying a cross. Christ saves by His cross. But those who are saved by Christ follow Him as Lord.

Whoever finds his life will lose it.

Whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it.

That is the great reversal.

Receiving Christ’s Messengers

The chapter ends with encouragement.

Whoever receives the apostles receives Christ, and whoever receives Christ receives the Father who sent Him.

Even a cup of cold water given to one of these little ones because he is a disciple will not lose its reward.

That is beautiful.

The chapter has spoken about persecution, hatred, family division, fear, and the cross. But it ends by showing that the smallest faithful act done for Christ matters.

The Lord sees.

The Lord remembers.

A cup of cold water is not forgotten.

The Message of Matthew Chapter 10

Matthew Chapter 10 shows that the mission of Christ is both merciful and costly.

Jesus sends the twelve because the crowds are harassed and helpless.

He gives authority.

He commands them to proclaim the kingdom.

He tells them to depend on God.

He warns them about rejection and persecution.

He tells them not to fear men.

He reminds them that the Father sees even the sparrow fall.

He calls them to confess Him.

He demands supreme love.

And He promises that even the smallest act of faithfulness is not forgotten.

From a Christian Reformed lens, this chapter humbles us. The mission is not built on human strength. The disciples are sheep among wolves. They need the authority of Christ, the provision of the Father, and the help of the Spirit.

But it also strengthens us.

Christ does not send His people blindly.

He tells them the truth.

The world may hate them.

Families may divide.

Enemies may threaten.

But the Father knows every hair on their head.

The same Jesus who sends them also keeps them.

Matthew 10 teaches us that following Christ is not safe in the worldly sense.

But it is secure.

Because the one who loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it.