Read Matthew
10
Jesus had
taught much that was new to the disciples.
They had a lot to digest. They
had a lot to think upon. Their minds
were surely being worked harder than ever before.
They surely
had asked their Teacher and Master about many things that seemed to run counter
to ancient teachings, at least the interpretations of those teachings given by
the Scribes and Pharisees.
Once Jesus
started preaching in parables on a regular basis, the disciples would have many
more questions. There was lecture. There was discussion. Now was the time for application.
Long ago, I
learned a basic training and educational format. I’m sure there are fancier names now, but in
my time, it was Lecture, Discussion, and Application. LDA was the model.
It seemed
that Jesus liked that model as well. The
time had come for application. The
disciples would be sent to the Lost Sheep of Israel. They were not be given graduate work
yet. No gentiles and no Samaritans would
be in their marching orders, though if they were taken before leaders of these
groups, the Holy Spirit would be with them and give them words to say.
Who was
sent? The answer to this question is also the answer to who were the 12? Remember Matthew
10:2.
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 were
the 12. We don’t get scripture for the
calling of some of these, but they were following Jesus and under the yoke of
this divine Rabbi nonetheless.
This was the
starting line-up. It even included Judas
who would later betray him. Now was the
time for application.
Amen.
