Thy Strong Word — Matthew 10:1-15. Unbelievable mercy to unbelievable sinners: Jesus prepares the sent.

Rev. Dave Hinz of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sauk Rapids, MN joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Matthew 10:1-15.

The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. King Jesus has set aside an exclusive group, that, by all worldly standards, do not seem to be “worthy” of such a calling. By His grace He gives the 12 His authority, not their own. The sent ones would see persecution,, but they will see where God will bring His peace. Instead of dwelling on the lack of reception of God’s Word, Jesus tells them to simply move on because it is He that they deny and not us. “Lord God, as Your kingdom has come, prepare us to serve and proclaim the excellencies of Christ who has called us into Your marvelous Light. Open our eyes to see those opportunities to serve for the sake of Your glory. Amen”

Thy Strong Word reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is hosted by Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN, and graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

Matthew 10:1-15

The Twelve Apostles

10 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ²The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;^[a] ⁴Simon the Zealot,^[b] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

⁵These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’^[c] ⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,^[d] cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. ⁹Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, ¹⁰no bag for your journey, or two tunics^[e] or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹²As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

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Footnotes

Matthew 10:3 Some manuscripts Lebbaeus, or Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus
Matthew 10:4 Greek kananaios, meaning zealot
Matthew 10:7 Or The kingdom of heaven has come near
Matthew 10:8 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
Matthew 10:10 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin

Rev. Brady Finnern

Rev. Brady Finnern, host of Thy Strong Word. is an expert in all things Minnesota, including hiking the great mountains of the 5th flattest state in the Union and making his own maple syrup. Although chow mein, fried ice cream, and Peanut Persian donuts with maple frosting are at the top of his foodie list, his prized possessions include his gas station refillable fountain soda cup (which, he says, the savings will pay for college for his 4 kids). Pastor Finnern's Divine Call is as President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and in addition he also enjoys traveling, coaching track, and movie nights with his wife and kids that may or may not include Shawshank Redemption or any of the Thriller movies. When he's not singing his favorite hymns or listening to his favorite metal music, you might find him working out or taking naps. (Probably naps.)