Matthew shifts his focus to the how people respond to Jesus. Most reject him. Even John the Baptist becomes confused, because Jesus is not acting like the Messiah he expected.
Jesus ends this discourse by telling the Twelve their role is like the prophets. They are standing in the place of Jesus. How people respond to the apostles reveals how they respond to Jesus.
Ultimately Jesus’ role is to bring peace and restoration to the earth, but not yet. Now he came to bring a sword because his message requires a choice and that choice divides even families. To follow Jesus, you must be willing to live with that rejection and hostility, even if it means losing your closest family members or your very life.
All of us face the question: What am I going to believe so much that it changes the way I think, respond and make choices? I make those decisions based on what or who I fear most. Jesus says the wisest choice is to fear God.
Matthew 10:23 is one of the most difficult verses in the New Testament. It raises many eschatological problems. This podcast provides an overview of the options and issues.
On this journey, Jesus deliberately makes his apostles dependent on the hospitality of the children of Israel by instructing them not to take provisions. The apostles might expect they are launching a victory tour, but they will learn first-hand how the children of Israel will reject the Messiah.
Matthew presents this initial sending of the Twelve as a first step toward their ultimate global mission. Even though they are to stay in Jewish territory on this journey, ultimately, Jesus is going to send them to the world.
In these last two miracles, Matthew foreshadows the growing conflict with the Pharisees. While the crowds are excited and amazed, the Pharisees reject Jesus as working with the devil. Ultimately the unbelief of the Jewish leadership will be a crucial part of the story.
In the raising of Jairus’s daughter, we learn that death should no longer command fear and power over us, because we follow a savior with authority over death.
Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” In a metaphorical way, he asks it still. You can try to touch his robe and then run away. But if you do, you’re missing the greatest gift of all: salvation.
In these stories, Jesus challenges the religious culture and practices of the Pharisees, not the Old Testament. His understanding is so fundamentally incompatible with the Pharisees that if he tried to reform their their views, he would only destroy them.
Jesus sat and ate among the tax collectors with the message, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand and that is a message we do well to share. The most loving thing we can do is to help people deal with their real problem.