NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TEN

Part I (Con’t)

Verse 5: Jesus sent His twelve disciples out with these instructions: “Don’t go to the non-Jewish people. And don’t go into any town where the Samaritans live.

Why did Jesus forbid them to evangelize the half-Jewish Samaritans and non-Jewish Gentiles? Simply put, it was not yet their time. His disciples had not been trained to go to people who knew little or nothing about the Jewish faith or how to practice it. Jesus came to fulfill the promise of God to Abraham’s descendants. To have sent His disciples to the Gentiles at this point in time would have been similar to Sarah’s attempt to bring about God’s promise of a son by having Abraham father a child with her maid Hagar.

Furthermore, it would be only after the majority of the Jewish leaders and the children of Israel rejected Him that the door would open to the half-Jews and non-Jews. That’s why Paul of Tarsus was chosen for that task. As Jesus said before, the Jewish people were seen as sheep without a shepherd. This was not a novel thought. The young writer of Psalm 119 even identified with this, “I have wandered away like a lost sheep. Come and find me. I am your servant, and I have not forgotten your commands.”¹ And Isaiah saw it in the mission of the Messiah, “We had all wandered away like sheep. We had gone our own way. And yet the Lord put all our guilt on Him.”² So the lost sheep of Israel were His first concern.

As to the half-Jews living in Samaria, they were partly as Gentiles: “Said Rabbi Eleazar, ‘The concluding passage of the Mishnah speaks only of Gentiles, but not of Samaritans one way or the other’.”³ How did they become that way, neither accepted by the Gentiles or the Jews?⁴

SAMARITANS: Upon the separation of Israel and Judah after the split in the kingdom of Solomon, the ancient city of Shechem, which had been from the first so intimately connected with the history of Israel, became naturally the religious center of the Northern Kingdom. The political capital, however, was transferred by Omri to his newly built city of Samaria about 883 B.C., and the Israelitish kingdom continued to exist there until it fell before Assyria. In the fourth year of Hezekiah “Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, came up against Samaria, and besieged it. And at the end of three years they took it” (II Kings xviii. 9). The inhabitants were deported to various parts of Assyria and to “the cities of the Medes”; and colonists were sent in to take their place. The colonists were soon after troubled by lions, which they regarded as a divine visitation due to their ignorance of the “manner of the god of the land.” At their request an Israelitish priest was sent to them, who settled at Beth-el (II Kings xvii. 28), with the result that a mixed form of religion was established, partly Israelitish and partly idolatrous”. They also intermarried and thus became a mixed form of Judaism. Thus, since there were not pure Jews, they were treated as second class citizens of Israel.⁵

But it does not appear that Jesus forbid their access to the Gospel because of racial bias, but to fulfill the promise to the descendants of Abraham that they would be given the second covenant first. As Jerome puts it: “This passage is not contrary to the command given later: ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ The former command was given before the resurrection and the latter after the resurrection. It was necessary to announce Christ’s first coming to the Jews, lest they have a good excuse for saying that the Lord rejected them because He had sent the apostles to the Gentiles and the Samaritans.”⁶

The message our Lord gave His disciples would not have been understood by the half-Jews or non-Jews. The gospel that would eventually be preached to them was that the Son of God died on a cross for their souls so that they could have eternal life. But to the Jews Jesus wanted them to hear the message of the kingdom of heaven. Some may ask, what is the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. First of all, we find both in the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father, who is in heaven…Your kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven.”

In Jewish literature we find the words “heaven” and “God” used interchangeably. So the point of the disciple’s mission was to announce that God’s kingdom in heaven was coming to earth. Israel no long had an earthly king such as David or Solomon, so now it was time for David’s promised Son to take charge and rule. So they were to obey Him and follow His teachings.⁷ But no matter how much He tried to explain it, they still did not understand that it was not of this earth.⁸

Some scholars believe that the reason He said this kingdom was near, was because it could not be initiated until the Son of Man the prophet, died as the Lamb of God, so that He could become the risen Savior in order to serve as the LORD of Lords and King of kings. Other scholars think this was a reference to our Lord’s actual return to rule and reign as king. But to say that such a future event was near would be false advertising, even in Jesus’ day. To make their announcement of the kingdom and its eminent appearance, Jesus authorized them to show the power of God on earth as being resident in His Son, because it was His Son who was sending them out. And this was to be done freely because the disciples had received His authority to do so freely.

This was important because in the Old Testament, Syrian General Naaman tried to pay for his healing.⁹ This was how wise men and magicians made their living in those days. And to prevent his disciples from bartering to pay for their food and accommodations, He sent them out without any money, change of clothes, extra shoes or their walking sticks. He wanted those who received them to be aware that these men will have nothing to subsist on unless they are willing to give. This certainly set the model for evangelism that even the apostles followed, especially Paul.

Verses 6-8: But go to the people of Israel. They are like sheep that are lost. As you go, tell them this: ‘God’s kingdom is now very near.’ Heal the sick. Bring the dead back to life. Heal the people who have leprosy. And force demons out of people. I give you these powers freely, so help others freely.”

The real key to this commission is the last part. Here Jesus draws the same distinction that the Jews did when sending out teachers who might require to be paid. They taught: “If it is local custom for a teacher of young children to take payment, he should be paid. The father is obligated to pay for his instruction until he can read the entire written Torah. In a place where it is customary to receive a wage for teaching the written Torah, one is permitted to do so. However, it is forbidden to take a wage for teaching the verbal traditions, as [implied by Deuteronomy 4:5]: ‘Behold, I have taught you laws and statutes, as God commanded me.’ Our Sages teach that Moses was implying: Just as I learned at no cost, so, too, have you been taught from me at no cost. Teach the coming generations in a like manner. Teach them at no cost as you have learned from me”.¹⁰

Pope Gregory the Great, considered by reformers such as John Calvin as the last of the true spiritual leaders of the Catholic church, made this comment on why the Jews were put first in receiving the gospel. He writes: “Isn’t it clear to all, dearly beloved, that our Redeemer came into the world for the salvation of the Gentiles? Yet when we behold Samaritans called daily to the faith, what did He mean when He sent his disciples to preach and said, ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’? He wished that the proclamation be offered first to the Jews alone. Then it would be offered to the Gentiles. This conclusion we draw from the actual outcome of history. When the former were called but refused to be converted, the holy preachers would turn to the calling of the Gentiles as outsiders. So what happened to the Jews by way of example proved to be an increase of grace for the Gentiles. For there were at that time some from among the Jews who were to be called and some from among the Gentiles who were not to be called.”¹¹

Therefore we can say, as Gregory did, history teaches us why the Jews were first and the Gentiles last. But there are other factors to consider: First, there is no evidence that any of these whom our Lord sent out spoke the languages of the Gentiles, nor were they accustomed to their ways. Furthermore, they were still very much restricted by the law which forbid such contact. Also, God’s promise to Abraham was first to his physical offspring and then would be extended to his spiritual descendants. As any father here on earth knows, that before you go out to help feed the hungry in your town or city, you feed your own children at home first.

Furthermore, as Chrysostom points out, the message carried by the disciples of Jesus was based upon the coming kingdom of heaven, something the Gentiles knew nothing of.¹² And added to that was the fact that such miracles as they were commissioned to perform, would have easily been attributed by the Gentiles to their heathen gods, and that was something our heavenly Father did not want until these Gentiles first learned about His Son and the plan of salvation He came to institute for all mankind. At this time there was no written version of the Gospel, so all they had to share was the verbal message given to them by Jesus.

Early Church Bishop Hilary had this to add to the gift of power received by these disciples as they went out to represent the Messiah to the Jews who would believe. He says: “All the power possessed by the Lord is bestowed upon the apostles! Those who were prefigured in the image and likeness of God in Adam have now received the perfect image and likeness of Christ. They have been given powers in no way different from those of the Lord. Those once earthbound now become heaven-centered. They will proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, that the image and likeness of God are now appropriated in the company of truth, so that all the holy ones who have been made heirs of heaven may reign with the Lord. Let them cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out devils. Whatever impairment Adam’s body had incurred from being goaded on by Satan, let the apostles wipe away through their sharing in the Lord’s power. And that they may fully obtain the likeness of God according to the prophecy in Genesis,¹³ they are ordered to give freely what they freely have received. Thus a gift freely bestowed should be freely dispensed.”¹⁴

Verse 9: Don’t carry any money with you—gold or silver or copper.

Such restrictions were not new to the Jews. They were already applied as a sign of reverence and respect: “A man should not enter the Temple Mount with his staff or while wearing his shoes or with his money belt or with dusty feet, nor should he make it a short cut, and spitting on it is forbidden and from wearing shoes, for even though he shows no disrespect by wearing shoes it is still prohibited; certainly spitting, which is disrespectful, is prohibited.”¹⁵ Since Jesus knew this custom, He did not want His disciples to be looked upon with disrespect because they came dressed in their finest with large purses full of gold and silver shekels.

Yet in addition to this, scholars believe that Jesus was also teaching His disciples two lessons here. First, not to become known as preachers of the gospel for money sake. This is what many of the Rabbis did, asking payment for any wisdom or teaching they dispensed. That way no one would be able to say they paid for their salvation. And second, to learn that God would bless their efforts with monetary support in His own way. After all, the Jews were taught to pay their tithes to support the Temple ministry, so this was to be passed on later as God’s way of supporting the Church as it spread throughout the world. We see how this dependency on God to supply their needs was carried over into other areas.

Verse 10: Don’t carry a bag. Take only the clothes and sandals you are wearing. And don’t take a walking stick. A worker should be given what he needs.

The Jews had exact descriptions of things that people wore and when there were or were not permissible. The word used here for “bag” was clearly described by Jewish sages: “Different rules apply when, by contrast, vessels that are made primarily to serve as a receptacle, e.g., a drinking pouch or a satchel”.¹⁶ It was often attached to a strap that also served as a belt for their garments. But I’m sure Jesus had reasons other than abiding by customs and manners when it came to these items. It was a test to see if they could survive on faith alone. It was also based upon another custom that was seen in every vineyard and on every farm: The owner did not send out the workers without giving them the tools they needed. Also, while working the vineyards and farmlands, workers were allowed to take from the crops they harvested sufficient sustenance to keep them going.

Chrysostom said it this way: “By saying ‘the laborer deserves his food,’ Jesus is not implying that every door will be opened to you. Rather, this saying requires great prudence. It will profit you both with respect to your reputation and for meeting your needs. His meaning is that you will be given food in due season insofar as you are worthy of it. And you will be worthy of it if you ask for nothing beyond mere necessities.”¹⁷

Even though this commission was to the disciples following Jesus at that time, it applies to His disciples today. To be preoccupied with subsistence is to lose sight of one’s subscription. How can we fulfill verses 7 & 8 if we place them out of sequence. Lord help those who prefer receiving earthly riches for their labors, instead of doing them for the Master’s sake, honor and glory, and letting Him meet their needs according the riches in Christ Jesus.¹⁸