Matthew 10:1-4

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

Here they are, the motley crew Jesus called to be with Him. There are three sets of brothers, fishermen, a tax collector, two men who were called the "sons of thunder" and a radical zealot. All of these men had been rabbinical rejects, not selected by any rabbi to continue in religious education and therefore sent back home to take up the profession of their families. And now, these men have been personally selected to follow in the steps of Rabbi Jesus. These men give each of us hope!

This chapter gives us some terrific insight into the beginnings of the Jesus movement. This summoning triggers a line in my thinking. "Leaders are not made or born, but summoned." Jesus summoned these unlikely men into leadership that would change the world! Note what happened a few years later, when a couple of these leaders were on their own.

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. Acts 4:13-14

NOTE 4 things. 1-These men were unlikely people-uneducated and untrained. 2-These men were unusually amazing and attractive to the people. 3-These men had been hanging out with Jesus and it was noticeable. 4-These men were instrumental (used by God) in bringing about supernatural healing.

The fact that the lame man was really healed shut the mouths of their potential critics. I call this the "lame man principle". I'm learning that the most important evidence that draws people to consider Jesus has to do with the "lame men" in my life. Who are the broken, hurting, addicted and damaged people in my life that I have been summoned by Jesus to touch with His healing? And where are they? How are they doing? Do others see their healing? In other words, the only really important thing in life is how I get out of the way and introduce others to Jesus.

But enough about me. Where are the "lame men" in your life? How is it going?

Matthew 9:36-38

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, ``The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 ``Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.''

This is one of the most powerful and insightful statements Jesus ever made. It is challenging to me! Jesus wants us to allow Him to lead out, especially when it comes to fulfilling the primary mission of spreading the message of the kingdom.

Check out the words of Oswald Chambers on this matter as it relates to a "missionary": 'The key to the missionary's difficult task is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work- that is, not work as the word is commonly used today, which often results in the shifting of our focus away from God. The key to the missionary's difficult task is also not the key of common sense, nor is it the key of medicine, civilization, education, or even evangelization. The key is in following the Master's orders- the key is prayer.

"Pray the Lord of the harvest." In the natural realm, prayer is not practical but absurd. We have to realize that prayer is foolish from the commonsense point of view.

From Jesus' perspective, there are no nations, but only the world. How many of us pray without regard to the persons, but with regard to only one Person- Jesus? He owns the harvest that is produced through distress and through conviction of sin. This is the harvest for which we have to pray that laborers be sent out to reap. We stay busy at work, while people all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap even one of them, but simply waste our Lord's time in over-energized activities and programs. Suppose a crisis were to come into your father's or your brother's life- are you there as a laborer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? Is your response, "Oh, but I have a special work to do!" No 'believer' has a special work to do. A 'believer' is called to be Jesus Christ's own, "a servant [who] is not greater than his master" ( John 13:16 ), and someone who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls us to no special work- He calls us to Himself. "Pray the Lord of the harvest," and He will engineer your circumstances to send you out as His laborer.'

So our primary responsibility is to pray-to be fully aware and to follow the direction of Jesus-to get our orders from Him. This is what it means to trust Him.

Matthew 9:27-35

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, ``Have mercy on us, Son of David!'' 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said* to them, ``Do you believe that I am able to do this?'' They said* to Him, ``Yes, Lord.'' 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, ``It shall be done to you according to your faith.'' 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: ``See that no one knows about this!'' 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

32 As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. 33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, ``Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.'' 34 But the Pharisees were saying, ``He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.''

35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Each incident offers an additional picture of faith, simple, yet real faith-personal trust in Jesus and what He can do.

TWO BLIND MEN. It's interesting to note that these blind men came to Jesus with an obvious request-to be able to see again! Jesus directly asks them if they really believe He is able to make them see. As soon as He got their answer, He immediately touched their eyes saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith."

I wonder how much of our blindness has to do with our lack of belief-faith and trust. I must admit that I have not been one who ruthlessly trusts in Jesus. My spiritual stance has been to trust Jesus and do all I can do to make things happen. We are learning-slowly-to trust Jesus with everything. I want to be able to see again. How about you?

A MUTE MAN-DEMON-POSSESSED. Then a mute man (caused that way by demonic oppression) was brought to Jesus. Jesus immediately went to work and healed the man so that he could talk again.

There are two definite responses regarding this particular miracle. 1. Never seen anything like this before. They were amazed!

2. His power is from the ruler of the demons. They were annoyed!

This is one of the 3 miracles the Jewish people had always believed the Messiah would be able to perform when He showed up. The 3 miracles were: 1-The healing of a leper. 2-The healing of a man born blind. 3-The healing of a man who was not able to hear and speak.

To be amazed by this miracle was to be receptive to the possibility that Jesus might indeed be the Messiah. To be annoyed by this miracle was to be threatened by the possibility that this radical Jesus might indeed be the Messiah.

What if Jesus were to do something outside your box of expectations? How might you respond? Would you be threatened or would you simply trust Him.

Matthew 9:18-26

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

18 While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, ``My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.'' 19 Jesus got up and began to follow him and so did His disciples.

20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21 for she was saying to herself, ``If I only touch His garment, I will get well.'' 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, ``Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.'' At once, the woman was made well.

23 When Jesus came into the official's house and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He said, ``Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.'' And they began laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 This news spread throughout all that land.

The 2 settings here set up an interesting comparison: Jairus' daughter was religious! The woman with a hemorrhage was non-religious!

So, the call of Matthew, who was one of the "sinners" who didn't observe the Torah, a dying girl and an unclean woman. Unclean. Everyday was a painful day for her. Every day her life was hemorrhaging away. Menstruation is a monthly cycle every woman is well acquainted with. For many women, this is a very discomforting and painful time. For this anonymous woman, her flow of blood was continuous. It had been one, long, 12 year period - and still counting. Every year, every month, every week, hour, minute and second, life was flowing out of this woman.

The medical society had failed her. Over the years, the woman had been to every clinic and hospital in the area. No success. Doctor after doctor had failed. Every day her condition worsened. She was at the point of no return. Frustrated and depressed, she was ready to give up on life.

Even her church had failed her. Adding insult to injury, the woman not only had a physical problem. She also had a major spiritual problem. From Leviticus 15:25, the Hebrew Law was very emphatic: "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness; she shall be unclean."

Every menstruating woman could hear those condemning words ringing in their ears, "Unclean! Unclean! Unclean!" The woman's menstrual condition shut her off from the worship of God, and even from the fellowship of her friends - ostracized - segregated - an outcast from both her social and her religious community for fear of defiling others with her uncleanness.

Both the woman and the girl were in pain. One had paper thin faith-faith out of others need (Jairus for his daughter). One had great faith out of personal need.

The woman was 12 years being unclean. 12 years of disappointment. 12 years of being left out-could not participate. 12 years of being rejected-unaccepted. 12 years of feeling like a nobody! Have you ever experienced similar pain? She saw Jesus as the only answer to her problem. How about you?

Jesus shows Himself to be the physician and healer of the unacceptable, the sick and the dead. She came to THE JESUS! a. Jesus' presence/touch healed her b. Jesus made her clean c. Jesus made her a participant again d. Jesus gave her peace e. Jesus made her feel special-didn't leave her in the crowd! Jesus didn't let the woman remain as part of the faceless crowd, so He identified her! He said, 'Be continually healed!' To the only person he ever called 'daughter' he granted continuing health!

WHEN YOU'RE DOWN TO NOTHING, IT MEANS THAT GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING, BUT YOU MUST SEEK HIM WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT! YOU SEEK HIM BY GOING STRAIGHT TO THE ANSWER--JESUS!

Matthew 9:14-17

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

4 Then the disciples of John came* to Him, asking, ``Why, do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?'' 15 And Jesus said to them, ``The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast. 16 ``But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment and a worse tear results. 17 ``Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins and both are preserved.''

Why do your disciples act differently than what we have been taught? The primary difference between that of the disciples of John and the Pharisees and the followers of Jesus.

Jesus makes it clear that those who follow Him are very different from all of the other "religious" people. Those who follow Jesus will be drinking a new wine-Jesus. And what is the new wineskin Jesus is referring to? One of my brothers pointed out that the new wineskins are those of us who believe in Jesus. Jesus is the new wine and we are the wineskins! I like this BIG TIME! We are empowered and filled with only the new wine-Jesus!

We are the containers of the new wine. He will work in and through us! We are NEW wineskins, not old wineskins that have been patched up! It's OK to be so different from the other spiritual profiling. We contain the new wine-JESUS-and this new wine is the only real significance we have!

So, we're back to square one. It's Jesus plus nothing!