Week 20 Day 1

April 11, 2022

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples

Scripture: Matthew 10:1-15, Mark 6b-13, Luke 9:1-6 (NIV)

Matthew 10:1-15
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Mark 6:6b-13
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Luke 9:1-6
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

Devotional

First, we need to remember who the twelve disciples were. They were a ragtag collection of men that included several fishermen, a pro-Roman tax collector, an anti-Roman zealot and a greedy thief. Jesus had noted that the people of Israel were like sheep without a shepherd (see Week 18, Day 5). Now he looked at this unlikely team of disparate parts and told them that they were the shepherds so desperately needed.

Jesus gave them power and authority over demons, unclean spirits, diseases and sicknesses, telling them to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons” (Matthew 10:8). How overwhelming.

Jesus was the miracle worker, not them! Now Jesus was transferring His power and authority to them. And they were to go to the “lost sheep” of Israel, those already under the control of the neglectful political and spiritual leaders in power. How intimidating.

Further, they were to take nothing. No money. No bag. No change of clothes. They were to be completely dependent upon God to lead them to people who would welcome them into their homes and provide for them. How unnerving.

Each of these men had heard Jesus’ call to “Follow Me.” Now they were hearing His call to “Go for Me.” It’s one thing to be a passive recipient; it’s another to be an active participant. Jesus is looking for people who will face the overwhelming, intimidating, unnerving request of Jesus to receive His power and authority and take it to the “lost sheep” of their culture.

Will you receive that commissioning?

Poem

From Audience To Stage

We first meet up with Jesus
To watch the things He does
We listen to His teachings
We marvel at His power
We lean in close, we root Him on
As miracles appear
We bring our friends along to watch
We marvel and we cheer
It's safe there in the audience
Just sitting in the chair
We rifle through the playbill scenes--
A distant love affair

But then one day our name is called
Audition on the stage
We're given lines of Gospel truth
The people to engage
We're stripped of everyday attire
New robes, costumes are given
Authority now in our mouth
And power sent from heaven
Our props are few, the cast is small
The stage's scene is set
The cue to make our part to shine:
To give more than we get

Once solo act, Jesus now stands
Director off the stage
His monologue now is our script
His conduct now our gauge
There'll be some scenes of happy dance
Some music and some joy
There'll be some moments filled with awe
Some new skills we'll employ
But tragedy will also come
Rejection, suff'ring, pain
But in the end, after the bow
The show will play again

For new folks in the audience
Will come, replace the cast
New ways to say the ancient script
The Message unabashed
New feet will walk onto the stage
New voices join the singing
New longing ears will hear the hope
The troupe will then be bringing
The spotlights shine, the mics recharged
New sets come into view
But in the end the story--same
Leaves audience renewed