OCTOBER 31

Sending Out Apostles

After his second rejection in his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus gains renewed encouragement as he is met by crowds in other parts of Galilee. Keenly aware of their need for spiritual guidance, Jesus calls for those who are willing to work among the multitudes for the sake of his kingdom. The time is especially appropriate, then, for sending out the 12 apos­tles on a special mission of teaching and performing miracles with, the power he gives them. He warns them that they, like all who would work in the Lord's name, will be persecuted and will face the need for sacrifice.

Perhaps for that reason, or perhaps to provide a stronger witness of his messiahship, Jesus sends the apostles out in pairs. Interestingly, Jesus does not appear to place particular emphasis on organization, methods of evangelism, or academic religious training. The 12 apostles are mostly of simple education, but the power of Christ is with them.

As the apostles are away carrying out their mission, Jesus will hear that John the Baptist has been put to death by Herod.

 

 

NEED FOR WORKERS. Mt. 9:35-38 [Mk. 6:6b]

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

 

APOSTLES GIVEN POWER TO HEAL Mt. 10:1-4,  Mk. 6:7 [Lk. 9:1,2].

Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two... Mt and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

 

 

APOSTLES INSTRUCTED. Mt. 10:5-15, [  Mk. 6:8-11, Lk 9:3-5]

 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, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy/ drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.

 

"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his 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, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

 

APOSTLES WARNED. Mt. 10:16-33

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

 

"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

 

"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his mas­ter. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub/ how much more the members of his household!

 

"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny/? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

 

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

 

CONFLICT AND SACRIFICE. Mt.10: 34-39

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

" 'a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'^

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

 

RECEIVING APOSTLES. Mt. 10:40-42

"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

 

APOSTLES IN ACTION. Mt. 11:1, Lk 9:6 [  Mk. 6:12,13]

Mt After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. Lk So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.

 

HEROD CURIOUS ABOUT JESUS. Mk. 6:14-16 Lk. 9:7-9 Mt. 14:1,2 [mt.14:1,2]

Mk King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."

Others said, "He is Elijah."

And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."

But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!" Lk. . ."I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see him.

 

DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. Mt.14:3-12a ,Mk. 6:17-29   

 Mk For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protect­ed him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled /'; yet he liked to listen to him.

 

Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?"

"The head of John the Baptist," she answered.

At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

 

The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an execu­tioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. Mt John's disciples came and took his body and buried it.

 

APOSTLES' RETURN AND REPORT. Mt.6:30-33 , Lk9:10,11a, Jn 6:1 [mt 14:12b,13]

"'When the apostles returned, they    reported to Jesus what they had done. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them,     "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

So they went away by themselves in a boat... 'n to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),  Mkto a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.