Arrrgggg!     How did I get behind again!?!

Matthew 10.    Thursday, January 22

So, here are the names of the 12 disciples (I'll bet you can't name them from memory)
1.  Peter  2.  Andrew  3.  Peter  4. John   5. Phillip  6.Bartholomew  7.  Thomas  8.  Matthew  9. James  10.  Thaddaeus  11. Simon the Zealot  12. Judas

Here's the thing:  Who is Bartholomew?  What have you ever read about Thaddaeus or Simon the Zealot?   I know more about dysfunctional Judas than I do about these other guys!    You could make a case for the idea that these 12 men are among the most important in history...and we don't know anything about some of them.   It just goes to show you that the Bible tells us everything we need in order to accept Christ, and find our way back home to heaven....but it doesn't tell us everything.   There's just too much information to share it all.   So we're reading the highlights and critical parts of the plan of salvation.      I want to remember these names so when I bump into these guys in heaven I don't embarrass myself by not knowing who they are.   There's so much of the story we don't know!   Think of all the stories that we will hear in heaven from people like Thaddaeus, wonderful things that we never knew before.   Whenever stories are told there is a great deal of laughing, and smiling and joking around.  I love that.   I am hoping that in heaven I can listen to and maybe even share a few stories.    Can you imagine walking up to Jesus and saying "Jesus, Thaddaeus was just telling me about the time that you bumped into _________ and they spilled their coffee all over themselves"  Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!      Heaven is going to be great!

Anyway....let's get back to being serious for a minute:
Jesus sends the 12 only to Israel.  This is important...Israel is first.  They have a right, a privilege really, that is not afforded to anyone else.  The Messiah comes from their bloodline.   Can there be a higher honor?   So they are the first to receive the message and the opportunity to repent.  It doesn't make them better than anyone else, just favored in this case.   God doesn't love them more than you.

When the disciples went out, they took nothing with them.  They were anticipating that people would welcome them in.   When Jesus speaks to the disciples at the last supper, He changes the way they are to prepare.   From now on, they are to take some supplies with them.   I think it's an indicator of how difficult sharing the message is going to become.   What was once accepted will now be rejected.

The Lord also says that He is going to allow them to be arrested and brought into court...for the sole purpose of witnessing to the people there.   It's good for us to remember that sometimes the Lord allows bad things to happen to us so that we will be in a place to witness to others.   The next time you are in the hospital remember that.   The next time your car breaks down in a strange place, remember that.

It's interesting that Jesus says in verse 23 "you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."   I mean, we finished sharing the message in all the cities of Israel thousands of years ago.   I should say that we shared the message in every city in Israel.....actually, we really aren't finished.    So, if this statement was meant to say "you will always be at this task of sharing until I return" it is true.   If it meant "I'll be back before you get through the cities one time" it could be referring to the resurrection of Christ.   The message wasn't shared with everyone before Christ "came back" from the dead.    I suspect that it's the first idea.

Where Jesus is telling some people to keep what He has done a secret, here He is telling the disciples to "shout it from the rooftops" and not to worry about the consequences of their sharing.   He is saying that nothing bad will happen to them apart from His will...He will take care of them no matter what.   So....don't be afraid.   Don't be afraid to share, to be arrested, or to be persecuted.

I think of verse 32 quite often.  If we don't conquer our fear of sharing our faith, we send the message to the Lord that we are ashamed of telling others about Him.   If God believes that we are ashamed of Him, then He will not stand up for us on Judgement day.   Whatever else you do....don't EVER tell the Lord that you don't accept Him, or believe in Him.   To do so is cut yourself off from the only known way into heaven.   If you don't accept Christ, then He doesn't accept you....and that means no heaven.

vs 40  I think what God is telling us here is that he will lavishly reward anyone who helps others because of their faith.   I receive the reward of the prophet.....just for housing the prophet!   If I were the prophet I would be saying "hey, that doesn't seem fair..."  but the prophet is more humble and wise than that.  He knows that there is no shortage of reward for anyone who serves Jesus.    There is plenty to go around, and God is willing to lavishly pour it out on us.

Haven't you been blessed?   Hasn't God filled your cup to overflowing?   Don't you have far more than you deserve?   What a phenomenal privilege we have to serve Jesus Christ!

Praise the Lord!


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