12-11-2021, 05:24 PM
Jesus taught about the Kingdom via many parables. His primary effort was to get people thinking that the Kingdom was a living thing in itself. You'll never really understand it with your mind; it's a miracle. You can't hide it. The Kingdom grows massively from nothing and changes everything it touches. It will always sweep in people who don't belong, but you can't easily get rid of them without uprooting the lives of those who do belong. Yet it remains a treasure of life. Whether you are looking for it or not, it's worth everything you have when you find it.
A visit to His home town proved the modern proverb that familiarity breeds contempt. He taught in the synagogue there, and everyone had by now heard of the miracles and His preaching to countless thousands. Yet, they thought they knew Him simply because they had watched Him grow up. He came from a household that was nothing special. They weren't prepared for how God does things, and ignored the prophecies that the Messiah would be just an ordinary guy and no one special. They were looking at things from the human angle, not from the miraculous power of God to use anything or anyone He wishes. It was the one place Jesus never performed more than a tiny few miracles.
While the chronology of Jesus' Galilean ministry is fuzzy at times, we believe this is the point where Jesus commissioned the Twelve Disciples to carry His authority on a preaching tour. The overall purpose remained the same: restore the Covenant. It was common for rabbis and preachers to wander the Jewish lands and preach in the synagogues. Failing that, they would preach in the public open space in any village or town. The Messianic Promises were a common theme for these preachers, so for this dozen to proclaim they operated in the name of Jesus and perform the same miracles was going to open doors in most places. It was customary for someone in each place to receive these preachers and host them, and Jesus' instructions rely on that.
The disciples are named in pairs, so it's safe to assume they traveled that way. The whole chapter outlines what Jesus told them to expect on this preaching tour. This was a Covenant mission, so they should avoid Gentile and Samaritan populations. The focus of their message was the same thing John the Baptist had preached, that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. They were to heal and deliver those who had any need for it. The Twelve would have most likely thought they were canvassing political support for Jesus to declare Himself Messiah and take over the government. So, the instructions were to counter that notion. This is about souls.
They were supposed to go in faith, trusting the Lord to move people to support their needs. This was a Covenant obligation upon the nation. If they got a good reception, bless them ritually and trust the Lord to honor it. If they got a bad reception, then perform the ritual of foot dust and know that the Father would honor that, as well. Sodom and Gomorrah was the model for that. Don't waste time trying to change anyone's mind; it's too late for that.
But they should expect the same kind of hassles Jesus faced already. This was a conquest of hearts, not of military power. Be very cynical about people's motives and be ready to tolerate hostility without responding in kind. God would be keeping track. Sometimes they'll face legal challenges; don't get too hung up on that. Don't get all riled up that anyone would reject their Master. God has authority over their courts. Some of these people are real cutthroats behind their facades. Don't be surprised at their moral depravity. Just stay on track with the mission and God will handle the rest.
They should not hesitate to flee one town for the next. Verse 23 comes off a little cryptic and is often misunderstood. Keep in mind that He was sending them down into Judea without going there Himself just yet. The mention of avoiding Samaritan towns would have been unnecessary if they were staying in Galilee. There weren't going to have time to visit every town in Jewish lands before Jesus planned to come down to Judea Himself, so having to flee from one town to the next was not a problem. Wherever they don't go will get the message some other way. The Twelve shouldn't feel obliged to try too hard with any audience, but just move through rather quickly. The following verses are in the same vein: don't dawdle. Declare the message and don't worry about the reception, because hostility is expected.
Jesus uses a lot of symbolic language to get the Twelve to understand the nature of their mission among the Jewish people. The Father is watching and keeping close track of their work. This is not the time to get bogged down in debates and trying to prove the message, as if they could convince anyone of truth not already in their hearts. The old order is being translated into a new order. The kind of stuff the Father tolerated in the past must come to an end. The people should be polarized rather quickly between those who would stay under the Covenant as it transitioned into a new thing, versus those who never understood the Covenant in the first place.
Thus, this wasn't a matter of being born a Jew. Blood ties will mean nothing in the Kingdom of Heaven. It's all about moral and spiritual ties. It's only natural that households and all other social and political entities should fracture over this message. Whatever grain was ripe would be harvested immediately. There wasn't much time for taking it slow and easy.
All too soon Jesus was going to confront the earthly powers holding the Covenant people hostage.
A visit to His home town proved the modern proverb that familiarity breeds contempt. He taught in the synagogue there, and everyone had by now heard of the miracles and His preaching to countless thousands. Yet, they thought they knew Him simply because they had watched Him grow up. He came from a household that was nothing special. They weren't prepared for how God does things, and ignored the prophecies that the Messiah would be just an ordinary guy and no one special. They were looking at things from the human angle, not from the miraculous power of God to use anything or anyone He wishes. It was the one place Jesus never performed more than a tiny few miracles.
While the chronology of Jesus' Galilean ministry is fuzzy at times, we believe this is the point where Jesus commissioned the Twelve Disciples to carry His authority on a preaching tour. The overall purpose remained the same: restore the Covenant. It was common for rabbis and preachers to wander the Jewish lands and preach in the synagogues. Failing that, they would preach in the public open space in any village or town. The Messianic Promises were a common theme for these preachers, so for this dozen to proclaim they operated in the name of Jesus and perform the same miracles was going to open doors in most places. It was customary for someone in each place to receive these preachers and host them, and Jesus' instructions rely on that.
The disciples are named in pairs, so it's safe to assume they traveled that way. The whole chapter outlines what Jesus told them to expect on this preaching tour. This was a Covenant mission, so they should avoid Gentile and Samaritan populations. The focus of their message was the same thing John the Baptist had preached, that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. They were to heal and deliver those who had any need for it. The Twelve would have most likely thought they were canvassing political support for Jesus to declare Himself Messiah and take over the government. So, the instructions were to counter that notion. This is about souls.
They were supposed to go in faith, trusting the Lord to move people to support their needs. This was a Covenant obligation upon the nation. If they got a good reception, bless them ritually and trust the Lord to honor it. If they got a bad reception, then perform the ritual of foot dust and know that the Father would honor that, as well. Sodom and Gomorrah was the model for that. Don't waste time trying to change anyone's mind; it's too late for that.
But they should expect the same kind of hassles Jesus faced already. This was a conquest of hearts, not of military power. Be very cynical about people's motives and be ready to tolerate hostility without responding in kind. God would be keeping track. Sometimes they'll face legal challenges; don't get too hung up on that. Don't get all riled up that anyone would reject their Master. God has authority over their courts. Some of these people are real cutthroats behind their facades. Don't be surprised at their moral depravity. Just stay on track with the mission and God will handle the rest.
They should not hesitate to flee one town for the next. Verse 23 comes off a little cryptic and is often misunderstood. Keep in mind that He was sending them down into Judea without going there Himself just yet. The mention of avoiding Samaritan towns would have been unnecessary if they were staying in Galilee. There weren't going to have time to visit every town in Jewish lands before Jesus planned to come down to Judea Himself, so having to flee from one town to the next was not a problem. Wherever they don't go will get the message some other way. The Twelve shouldn't feel obliged to try too hard with any audience, but just move through rather quickly. The following verses are in the same vein: don't dawdle. Declare the message and don't worry about the reception, because hostility is expected.
Jesus uses a lot of symbolic language to get the Twelve to understand the nature of their mission among the Jewish people. The Father is watching and keeping close track of their work. This is not the time to get bogged down in debates and trying to prove the message, as if they could convince anyone of truth not already in their hearts. The old order is being translated into a new order. The kind of stuff the Father tolerated in the past must come to an end. The people should be polarized rather quickly between those who would stay under the Covenant as it transitioned into a new thing, versus those who never understood the Covenant in the first place.
Thus, this wasn't a matter of being born a Jew. Blood ties will mean nothing in the Kingdom of Heaven. It's all about moral and spiritual ties. It's only natural that households and all other social and political entities should fracture over this message. Whatever grain was ripe would be harvested immediately. There wasn't much time for taking it slow and easy.
All too soon Jesus was going to confront the earthly powers holding the Covenant people hostage.