St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 26a, Heavenly Protection not Fear.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Confidence in divine protection) Part 1.  

Christ has been telling his disciples about the enemy that they will face in the previous verses.  He has told them that a disciple is not above his teacher indicating that they will face disciples of evil and not the teacher.  For no disciple is above his teacher.  A disciple only strives to be like his teacher.  In the case of disciples of evil, they strive to do greater evil than their teacher.  So they willingly serve their master seeking to win his favor by doing evil to mankind.  

Christ has trained his disciples for their solo journey.  He has given them the tools that they will need to do battle with the enemy they will face.  He has given them a battle cry to find the one that is worthy.  He has strengthened them mentally and spiritually through the training of the mind and the heart in preparation for the coming of the Spirit of the Father who will give them words of wisdom to speak on their behave when they face the governors and kings possessed by the evil one.  He now gives them the confidence in their battles by telling them,  "Therefore do not be afraid of them."

He tells his disciples this to build up their confidence in the protection that they have from their heavenly father.  He wants them to be assured that they have nothing to fear.  He wants them to know that they are of greater value than anything on earth and will be protected.  Sure they will face demons.  Sure they will see all kinds of deformities in the bodies of men.  Sure they will come in contact with all kinds of illnesses and diseases.  Sure they will hear the lamentations of the bereft in the loss of their loved ones.  But he assures them that they are divinely protected above all other things.

This is a clear message for us today.  Do not be afraid of them.  Do not fear.  Do not allow yourself to open the door to anxiety and allow it to enter your heart.  For you are protected.  You are watched over.  You are secure in the hands of your heavenly father if you are a disciple of Christ.  For there is the decision that must be made.  Either you follow Christ or you follow the evil one, whether you accept it or not.  Most would criticize this statement by saying that they do not believe in Christ and the message of the kingdom.  But they will not say that they do not believe in the evil one.  So one must make a decision.  Ignorance and failure to do so does not excuse that the decision has been made for you. For if you do not choose the one then the other is your decision.  Therefore, make the decision and know where you stand.  Are you afraid of them?

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse:25b, Teacher, Pupil relationship.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Disciple not above his teacher) Part 3.   

Christ has told his disciples that no pupil is above his teacher.  He has said this to illistrate to his disciples the structure of pupil teacher relationship.  If the pupil is below his teacher and the students of the evil one are who they encounter in their solo journey then they should not worry.  They should not be afraid.  For the disciple is not above his teacher and the servant is not above his master.   The servants of Beelzebub, want to serve their master so they seek to do greater evil.  They seek to kill, to destroy, and to sactter.  But the students are not their masters only like him.

Christ tells his disciples,  "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household!"   If the master of the household is evil, how much more can the servants of the houshold be.  The servants are not above the master.  Even though they are evil, having been trained or taken on the mindset of the master, they are not above him.  They are like him but not above him.  And the same is true of the disciples.  They are not above their teacher who is Christ, even though they strive to be like him in all ways.  Christ wants his disciples to know who they are facing and how they are to defeat them.  Their battle will not be with the master but with the disciples of the evil one.

They have been trained in preparation for thier journey into the towns and villages.  They have been trained to do battle with the dark forces that have taken over the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  They will encounter evil.  They will encounter darkness.  They will cast out demons.  They will evict evil spirits.  They will cause death to abandon its claim.  They will heal the sick.  But of all the things that they do, they will face only the disciples of the evil master.  And all are servants of the master and not above him but only like him in evil. 

So today, we the disciples of Christ, seek to be like him.  We seek to cast out demons.  We seek to heal the sick.  We seek to cause the lame to walk and the blind to see, based upon the powers that Christ will give us through the Holy Spirit.  We become followers of Christ.  If you do not follow Christ you follow the evil one.  If you do not follow Christ you are a disciple of the devil.  There is no middle ground. 

We are led to believe that we are independent agents.  We live in this world and we seek to be the best that we can be.  We live our lives according to the principals and morals handed down to us by our society.  IF we do not follow the commandments given by Christ then we follow the commandments of the devil.  Those commandments may not be evident to us because they are hidden.  They are disguised to prevent us from knowing that they are evil.  They are hidden in the way we live, the way we speak, the way we think, and the things that we do in the name of our independence.  Society tells us that we can live a life of luxury and passion.  We can have it and eat it at the same time.  There are no boundaries.  Go for it.  Do what you feel.  Be all that you can be.  These are the slogans that we live by.  And they are the slogans that lead us to become disciples of evil.  Are you a follower of Christ or a follower of the devil?  If you are not one then you are the other. 

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse:24, Teacher, Pupil relationship.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Disciple not above his teacher) Part 1.  

We begin our new paragraph with the relationship between pupil and teacher, between servant and master.  Christ tells his disciples,  "No disciple is above his teacher."   Christ has given his disciples great training.  He has taught them many things about doing battle with the dark forces that they will face.  And his disciples have become great learners in absorbing that information and putting it to practice.  They now see the authority that Christ has given to them.  They are aware of the great power that he has assigned to them for this solo journey that they will make to preach the message of the kingdom to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

Christ gives them this last bit of information so that they will come to know who they are.  A disciple is a pupil, a follower, a person who adheres to the teachings of the teacher.  The meaning of the word disciple is one who holds to the teachings of his instructor.  To call oneself a disciple of a teacher means that one comes to believe in, one holds to, to accept the teachings of the teacher.  If one thinks that the teachings are not acceptable then one does not hold to those teachings and does not consider himself/herself a disciple.  Christ makes this profound statement here to demonstrate to his disciples that they are pupils if they are accepting of his teachings.  They are followers if they hold to the doctrines that he has given them.  And that simple fact puts them under his teachings, not above the teacher.

When a follower does not accept the teachings of the teacher he puts himself above the teacher in believing that the teachings are in error, incorrect, wrong, without merit.  Yet to be a disciple means that one puts oneself under the teachings of a teacher, one accepts the principles taught by the teacher, one comes under the teacher.  Therefore a pupil is not above his teacher, a disciple is not above his instructor, a follower is not above the one that he follows.  If you call yourself a disciple then you adhere to the teachings of the teacher and you are under the instructor.  Christ further illustrates his meaning by stating,  "Nor is the servant above his master."   

With this statement he makes the same profound point that if one is a servant then one is below his master and not above him.  It seems an obvious statement.  But if we think about the consequences of the statement we can find clarity.  If there is to be a servant, one who is to serve, then there must be a master, one to whom the servant serves.  There must be one above to whom the servant serves.   If the disciples, who are pupils of the teacher, are to serve the people then they must serve at the request of one greater than themselves.  Just as there is a pupil/teacher relationship there is also a servant/master relationship.  One is above the other and the other is below the one. 

These are the roles that the person who calls himself a disciple accepts and holds to.  The position of serving is a position of great humility.  One can accept the position of serving but that aspect of serving being below a master comes as a shock today.  In our times of political and social, and religious freedoms and liberties, one would with difficulty find oneself accepting of a master/servant position.  And yet one does not exist without the other.  If one is to serve, one is a servant.  And being a servant one has a master that one comes under.  No one wants to be a servant lorded over by a master.  The idea brings to mind bondage.  Yet Christ came to earth to serve.  He was born that he may serve all men.  He gave his life for this service.  And his father in heaven was his master whom he accepted as being under.  Can we as servants and followers of Christ accept his teaching that, "No disciple is above his teacher, nor is the servant above his master."

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 20, The Enemy and his Tricks.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 7.  

Christ now unveils the ultimate bombshell to his disciples.  He is training them for warfare with the spiritual enemies that they will face in their solo journey preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  He has instructed them to not become anxious about what they will say or how they will say it when they are delivered up to the enemy.  They will face the enemy in the kings and the governors that they will be brought before.  For the enemy is the spiritual evil that has occupied the men of power in the towns and villages of the lost sheep.  The evil one has conquered these peoples and occupied their towns and villages.  Now Christ is sending out his warriors to do battle with these evil spirits to cast them out and deliver the lost sheep back to the Lord.

Christ warns his disciples that they will be delivered up to kings and governors.  He tells them who they will face.  And he shows them that even in the face of the enemy they should not be anxious or allow fear to rule them.  They should not think about what they are to say in their defense.  They should only close the door to anxiety, keep their minds clear, keep their hearts steady and calm their spirits so that the Holy Spirit will come to them.  For the enemy will try to rattle them.  The enemy will try to confuse them.  The enemy will seek to open the door of fear in them so that they can have access to their minds and read their hearts.  But Christ tells to them to not be anxious, for what they will speak to the enemy will be given to them in the hour.  What they will say will come to them through their spirits.  What will be spoken will be given to them from the spirit of the Father.  Christ tells them,  "For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks through you."  

Christ now reveals to his disciples that they are to be spokesmenn for the Spirit of God the Father.  This will be their weapon to defeat the enemy.  The enemy will not be able to defeat them.  The enemy will not see the weapon that they are carrying.  The enemy will not know what hit them.  They have brought the weapon into their midst not knowing that it is a weapon but thinking that they have captured lambs.  Christ has told his disciples that he was sending them like sheep amongst wolves.  But now he reveals to them that they are lions in sheep's clothing, carrying the voice of God with them.

This is an awesome example for us today.  Christ tells his disciples and also tells us today, through the writings of St Matthew, that we are not to worry about what to speak or how we should speak when facing the enemy.  We are only to remain calm and to not allow anxiety to enter into our hearts and minds.  By doing this and staying focused on his words we can open ourselves up to the Spirit of our Father to speak on our behalf.  What a wonderful gift.  What a wonderful weapon in our arsenal, to be able to deal with whatever we face in our daily lives.  Do not be anxious.  Do not allow fear to come in.  For the Spirit of the Lord will speak for us and through us to the enemy.  Are you ready to allow the Spirit of God to speak through you to your enemies?    
 

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 17, The Enemy

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 3.  

Christ continues to give instructions to his disciples about the enemy.  He has given them instructions on who they will face, ravenous wolves.  He has told them how they should conduct themselves, with the wisdom of serpents and guileless as doves.  Now he gives them a forwarning.  He tells them to, "Beware of men."   Men are not who they appear to be.  He tells them, "They will deliver you up to councils, and scourge you in their synagogues."  Christ is telling his disciples that men will betray you.  The disciples are going to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  They are going amongst their own people.  They are proclaiming the good news to the lost sheep.  And yet they are to beware of the men they meet.

Christ gives these instructions because he wants his disciples to be prepared for what they are going to meet.  They do not know the hearts and minds of men.  They do not know what is said behind closed doors.  They do not see the evil that men do.  So he is providing them with instructions that are vital to their survival on their solo journey.  For we are spiritual creatures in a physical body and are influenced by the evil one who wants to maintain power over the lost sheep.  So he inhabits the minds and bodies of men influencing them to do evil.  Through his control, men will betray their mothers.  Through his control, men will kill their brothers.  Through his control, men will lust after their sisters.  And they will do anything to maintain the power that they have acquired.

So Christ wants his disciples to beware.  He wants them to be wise as serpents and guileless as doves.  He wants them to know that they are going into the midst of wolves.  He wants them to be prepared.  The battle is a spiritual battle fought in the physical realm.  The spoils are the souls of men.  And the disciples will have a taste of their future calling.  They will become generals fighting the battle after Christ has returned to the kingdom with his father.  They will train the future solders, and captains, and lieutenants of tomorrow.  So they must lead the way.  They must learn from the master all that is necessary to be successful in this war.  It is through their learnings and teachings from the master, written in this training manual that we survive today.

The war continues.  The enemy has taken over the world and exerted his influence over the lives of men of power, the captains of industry, the rulers of advertisement.  Their payment to participate in the battle with the evil one is paper money whose value provides them with the passions of their heart.  And the children of God live in a sea of passion, a sea selfishness, a sea of lust, and all manner of evil.  We must not take in the fumes of darkness.  The temptations are present all around in our everyday lives. 

Put on your gas masks that you may not die.  Put on your protective suits that you may not be contaminated with the toxins of evil.  Guard your eyes and put on your eye gargles that they may not be filled with the lusts of this world.  Cover your ears with the muffles of spiritual soundness that you may not hear the blasphemy of the dead.  But above all remember Christ's words and carry them with you daily.  For they are your protection.  They are your shield.  They are your weapons of war to do battle with the enemy.   Beware of the council of men for they will deliver you up to be scourged.  Are you ready for battle?  Are you ready for the war?  Prepare yourself!!!

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 16a, The Enemy

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 1.  

Christ now instructs his disciples about the enemy that they will face.  He tells them that he is sending them into the midst of the enemy clothed as sheep.  He tells them that they will be in the midst of wolves.  He wants them to know who they will face.  Christ says to his disciples,  "Behold, I am sending you forth like sheep in the midst of wolves."   He wants his disciples to appear as sheep to the enemy.  He wants them to be disguised as timid.  He wants them to appear as prey to the wolves that they will encounter in the villages and towns they will travel on their solo journey.

The lines are drawn and the battle is set.  The disciples have had their training and instructions on the enemy.  Christ knows that the evil one has taken over the towns and villages.  He knows that the enemy is well entrenched in the people.  And he knows the type of enemy that his disciples will face.  So he tells them how the battle will begin and how they will encounter the enemy.  A sheep is like dinner to wolves.  And to have one enter into their den is like heaven sent.  It's like the poor animal got lost and just wondered into their midst, onto their plate for dinner.  Seeing this the wolves will be watering at the mouth ready to tear the sheep apart.  But little do they know that beneath the wool of the sheep is a lion waiting to devour them, to scatter them, and put them to the test.

So Christ has given his disciples instructions on what to wear, what to take with them and what not to take.  He tells his disciples go barefoot into the den of the wolves.  They will not see them coming and they will not suspect the outcome.  He has told them that wherever they go, preach the kingdom of heaven.  To the wolves everyone who claims to be spiritual is no match for them.  For they have tricks to deal with the local priests and rabbis.  They know how to take care of that type of person.  They know what to do to turn them around.  They know that the local preacher has no power compared to what they have done to others in the past. 

So the wolves of the towns and villages see a rabbi coming.  They see a preacher coming.  They see a fool coming into their midst and they are laughing among themselves because they will be able to deal with this person.  Little do the wolves know that the disciples have the power of Christ with them.  Little do the wolves know that Christ has given them the power to cast out the wolves.  He has given them the power to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cure the lame.  So they are in for a surprise.  Christ has given them the power to bring hope back to the people, which is what the wolves do not want to happen.

So, we see this battle beginning to unfold.  We see the tactics that will be used by the disciples and we come to know the ravenous behavior of the enemy that they will face.  Christ wants to give you power to face the enemy.  He wants to give us, the power to cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lame.  He wants to prepare you to be a warrior for him, to fight today's enemy.  The task is not easy.  The reward is great and the victory is yours.  Come, gather up the words of Christ and make them your stronghold.  Feed upon his power and prepare for battle with the wolves of today who would steal, kill, and destroy the children of the kingdom.  Are you ready to join the team of the elite?  Are you ready to accept your orders for battle in the army of Christ???  Come!!!   Join the team!!!

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 14, The Instructions

Our paragraph topic is: (Instructions to the Twelve) Part 6.

Christ continues with his instructions to his disciples.  He has already told them how to find the one that is worthy in a village or town.  He has given them a challenge call to determine who is worthy, who claims to be worthy, and also to bring forth the demons who would stop this call to worthiness.  In part 5, we talked about the call for peace when a disciple enters a home.  If the peace that is given when saying, “Peace be upon this house,” comes back to the disciple then the house is not worthy.  But if the peace remains in the house then the disciple is to stay there until he leaves. 

Christ now instructs his disciples how to deal with those who do not accept them or listen to their words.  He tells his disciples,  And whoever does not receive you or listen to your words–go forth outside the house or town, and shake off the dust from your feet.   These instructions are instructions of condemnation for the house or village or town that does not heed the words of the disciples.  Christ has given the disciples a weapon to deal with those who will not accept the message of the kingdom of heaven.  He has given the disciples a marker to place in the villages and towns.  The disciples were the advance recon team that warned the people of the coming of the kingdom of heaven.  They were the to give notice to the people to change their ways.  And for those who did not, for those who heeded the ways of the devil, they were to be marked for destruction. 

Kick the dust off your feet.  Leave behind the marker of destruction.  Give fair warning.  But also give love to those who will listen.  Freely give what you have freely received.  Let them know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and all they have to do is seek it.  All they have to do is reach out to it.  All they had to do is accept the word that was being brought to them by the disciples.  For the demons will be working their magic in the villages and towns.  They have made their strongholds within the villages and towns of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  They were in power.  But Christ, has given the disciples the power to battle for the people.  Christ has given them training and instructions of warfare.  And he sent them forward on their solo journey to do battle.

Christ knew the outcome of the battles that the disciples would face.  He knew the obstacles that would be thrown in their way.  He knew the tricks and traps that the demons would play.  So he gave his disciples weapons and instruments also.  We too are in a spiritual battle today.  We too fight against the forces of darkness.  We are in the world but the world should not be in us.  We live in the realm of darkness.  We work in the environs of evil.  We play in the playgrounds of the forces that would destroy us physically and drag us to hell spiritually. 

Just like Christ gave his disciples instructions then, those same instructions apply today.  Shake off the dust from the towns that you enter.  Shake off the dust from the clubs, the bars, the restaurants, etc, that are dens of evil.  Shake off the dust from the homes, and parties, and lust gatherings, and spring breaks, and all manner of evil events that are not worthy.  Deliver the message of love and peace to the gentiles and the lost.  But do not tarry, least you are caught up in the traps and snares of evil.  Rest in the place of safety.  Seek renewal in the house of the Lord.  Strengthen your soul in the Holy  Spirit and let him be your guide in everyday life.  Renew your spirit daily through prayer and fasting and walk in the spirit of the Lord.  Are you ready to do battle?  Are you equipped with the weapons of war given by Christ?  Come!!  Train with the master that you may be successful in the world.

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 11, The Instructions

Our paragraph topic is:  (Instructions to the Twelve) Part 4.  

Christ continues to prepare his disciples for their solo journey.  He has told them where to go.  He has told them who to seek.  He has told them what they are to proclaim.  He has told them how to dress, what to wear, what to carry with them, and what not to carry.  The disciples are to become laborers.  They are to be worthy of their calling and the work they are to perform.  Their work must be deserving of their pay.  Now as he gathers them around, he gives them instructions for the battles they are to face.  He tells them what their first encounter will be.

Christ began his  mission of preaching and teaching with miracles.  He cast out demons, healed the sick and cured the lame.  The words of his ministry spread like wildfire throughout all of Syria.  Large crowds followed him from Galilee and Decapolis, and Jerusalem and Judea and even from beyond the Jordan.  His fame preceded him.  The people had heard of him, and the spiritual world of demons knew about him.  They heard the word of his fame and the battle was being prepared for his coming.  It was a time of war and Christ was the great warrior who conquered all the territories that he entered.  There was no stopping the onslaught of his ministry.  

Now the disciples were being prepared to enter the battle with the spiritual world.  They are given powers to fight the demons.  They are given powers to cure the sick and heal the lame, cleanse the lepers.  They are given powers to push back the forces of darkness and to bring light into the lives of the people.  But the demons do not give up.  Christ instructs his disciples to enter a village or a town and to, "Inquire who in it is worthy."   They are to inquire amongst the people of the village who they thought was holy and spiritually worthy in their town. 

What would this do?  The village or town would spread the word, saying to each other, "There is a man in town seeking the one who is worthy."  Every person who thought that they were worthy would come forth.  Every person who had claims on being worthy would appear.  And those who had authority would appear out of curiosity.  The town would become a buzz with the talk of who is worthy.  And the demon possessed people would also appear to put down this talk of being worthy because it is contrary to their cause.  Finally the true person who is worthy would appear, to reveal himself or herself to the disciple, to receive his blessing.  So Christ gave his disciples a challenge call to bring forth the true person that was holy and worthy, and also to bring forth the evil ones.

Christ gives his disciples a challenge call to bring forth the worthy in the villages and towns they are to visit.  What a wonderful example he has given, even to us, today.  When we enter a new job, who do we align ourselves with?  When we enter a new town, a new community, a new school, who do we seek?  Do we seek the one that is worthy or do we seek the one that is popular?  Do we seek the one that is most talked about or the one that is least talked about?  In our social environment, in our work environment, even in our church environment, we are challenged to fit in.  Those who are there before us, will challenge us.  They will play games with us.  They will trick us.  They will seek us out, to determine where we will fit into the social order.  How do we, as people of the faith of Christ, align ourselves with others in preparation for the battle?  Do we seek or inquire who is worthy or do we just fit into the world???