I Sent Out the Twelve

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

September 26, 2019

I Sent Out the Twelve

Page 120-122

Matthew 10:1a, 5-11:1; Mark 6:6b-13; Luke 9:1-6

The disciples are given the title apostle as Jesus sent them out on their missionary journey. The word apostle means the ‘one who is sent.’ All of the followers of Christ are apostles, in that we all have been commissioned by Christ to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Jesus puts much emphasis on the apostles proclaiming the Good News of God’s Kingdom to those who want to hear. They are not trying to manipulate or intimidate their listeners. They are to trust in the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts of those they will encounter.

Portions of today’s reading seem to suggest there is only one opportunity to receive the Good News and that there is harsh judgment of those communities and people who do not welcome the apostles and their message. However, to reach that conclusion you have to discard just about everything you have learned from Jesus thus far. I hear Jesus using a bit of hyperbole in making two points. First, when we are engaged in sharing the Good News, we are engaged in something that is vitally important. Second, to reject the faithful witness of the Good News is a dire loss, a most regrettable missing of the treasure of living in the Kingdom of God.

We have already learned that the values of the Kingdom of God are altogether different than the ways of the world. In the conclusion of Jesus’ discourse, he makes it abundantly clear that those who follow the ways of the Kingdom of God will face serious persecution. Jesus said his followers would be singled out, harassed, ostracized and cut off from their families and society. This prophecy was fulfilled in the first century and is still being fulfilled throughout the world in the twenty-first century.

My Takeaway: Revelation 19 teaches us that the Christian witness for God in times of persecution is the most powerful witness for God in the world. The faithfulness of God’s people in standing firm on the Word of God is crucial to the defeat of the forces of evil. The followers of Christ have been commissioned to speak God’s Word and God’s truth into this present darkness. We are called to remain diligent in our responsibility to honor God as we wait for Christ to come in final victory.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2019 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.