Matthew 10:9-15 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their 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, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”
In today’s focus we see part of Jesus’s instructions to the twelve disciples as they were sent out to the communities of Israel to preach the Good News “that the kingdom of heaven is come near.” They were given exceptional power by Jesus. Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. (10:1) Up to this time, the disciples were not given such power, but this special dispensation of authority over the evil world and its sicknesses was given to them at this time. The disciples had such power that they could bless a community that received them or curse a city that refused to accept their message. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. They also could bless a house or not bless a house, depending on how that household accepted them as messengers of Jesus. 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. This all reveals the tremendous power of the Spirit in lives that are committed to Christ. Of course, these disciples and the seventy-two who later received the same commission from Jesus to go out to the lost sheep of Israel had not as yet received the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit always abides in a clean vessel, washed by the blood of the Lamb. But in these two situations, Jesus gave them the authority to have power over the spirits of the kingdom of death. Demons were subject to their words and intentions. After Jesus’ resurrection, He explicitly tells his followers to wait until they receive the Spirit’s infilling in their lives. They were not to do anything with the lost sheep of Israel until the Spirit fell upon them. They tarried in Jerusalem, expecting something to happen to them, not really knowing what Jesus was talking about, until the reality of the Spirit came upon them, identified by their physical senses as a huge sound like a mighty rushing wind and images of fire alighting on the believers. Interesting to note, their physical senses were involved in this new experience, so none of them could doubt the reality of this event. Most of our experiences with the Spirit of God are spiritual, internal, not physical in nature. We see in the above focus, that Jesus tells the disciples that households and communities who do not receive them will face retribution, but even the retribution is not quickly evident. Jesus promises that judgment will fall on them. Something eventually will happen to them in this world, not just in a spiritual sense. What mighty power He gave to his disciples as they were sent out. Jesus is the creator of all things. He can accomplish what He desires: now He gave his disciples this power to determine what would happen to households or communities that would not accept their message of deliverance. People could not simply reject the message of Jesus without someday paying a price.
Sometimes we Christians do not really believe that our prayers are heard or even honored. Often we counsel God how to deal with a circumstance. If we know of individuals who are depressed, we tell God to send something in their lives that will help them with their depression. If we know of someone who has lost a job, we tell God to provide employment quickly. If a sickness has fallen on someone, we instruct God on how to best deal with the person. Of course, none of this is bad if our focus is based on faith rather than a demand to have our way. But sometimes as sensitive people with a love for others, we try to tell God how to deal with situations rather than praying according to his will. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives. (James 4:2-3) While He may or may not appreciate our counsel, his eyes extend far beyond ours. He knows the beginning and end of all situations and his love for others is many times greater than ours. Keep on praying as you desire, but understand as in this focus, when God is in you, He can determine the destiny of any situation with a few words or activity on your part. If the home is deserving, LET YOUR PEACE REST ON IT; if it is not, LET YOU PEACE RETURN TO YOU. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, LEAVE THE HOME OR TOWN and SHAKE THE DUST OFF your feet. Then how should we pray? We should pray often and with reliance on the Holy Spirit. Paul prayed constantly. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17) To not pray or give thanks to God is quenching the Holy Spirit. We are tying his hands by not bringing people to the Lord. There should be hundreds of people that we bring before the Lord. However, if we have to spend time counseling God about how to deal with these people and their circumstances, we will only bring a few to the Lord daily, for that kind of prayer takes a lot of time, and most of you around this breakfast table are busy people, overwhelmed by tasks or circumstances in your own lives. Look at our focus. Does Jesus tell them to spend a lot of time counseling God on how to deal with these households or communities? No, He just tells them to open the door for God to deal with them. He did not tell them that they might as well not ask God for anything about these communities, for God will do what He wants with them regardless of their wishes and perspective. No, the disciples were heavily involved with determining the destiny of these people to whom they were ministering God’s message. God gave them this power through the commission Jesus gave them.
We do know God hears us because we are children of the Living God. His love and presence is always with us. As children, we seek his will for He is our Abba Father. Paul tells us to pray often and not to be afraid to bring every request we have to the Lord. We are to be in a constant mode of interaction with our Father God through the Holy Spirit who abides deeply within us. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:4-6) We are to present our requests to God by faith with an alert mind. We are not like the heathens or false religions that just go through a process of perfunctory prayers without a concentrated, active focus on the individuals we are petitioning for to God. When we pray, we do not know how God will intervene in their lives, but we pray for God to bless them in the way He desires. We open the door for God to deal with people, to bring them closer to their heavenly Father. How many words should we use in our prayers for God to be involved with the people that we love? Sometimes we pray many words along with fasting involved if it is a major concern as when Paul and Barnabas were sent out to minister to the Gentiles. But usually, a simple prayer for God to bless brings him into people’s lives. We are priests in the household of the Lord, and we wait upon him for direction and leading in what we do. In the Old Testament we see Melchizedek bless Abraham with but a few words, but powerful. God honored Melchizedek’s blessing. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” (Genesis 14:18-20) God honors our prayers if we pray with alertness and faith. He will be in the households of those we ask God to bless. You can bless a household today as you drive down the road or as you are doing the laundry. Petition God today for others. There are hundreds of people in your lives that need God’s intervention. Do not quench the Holy Spirit. Do not hold up his work in the world. You are the priests: you are the ones that God has given powerful authority to change the world. Open up your mouths, let your peace rest on others. This past Sunday in our online church service, we sang a song called, The Blessing. This beautifully anointed song reminds us all that God has blessed us, and our children and their children to a thousand generations should the Lord delay his coming. Isaiah speaks of this blessing. And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Isaiah 59:21) Take every opportunity you have to bless others. Love, Dad and Mom
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