Matthew 10:16–25
Jesus wants people who will be strong when times are hard
Jesus described hard things that would happen. They would happen to those who were real *disciples
Hard things will happen to those who are real disciples. Jesus made this clear. This is not the usual way to win disciples. Some people would expect to have an easy time. But Jesus did not want *disciples who were like this. He wanted those who would be strong. When people opposed him, they would stay with him.
The people were like sheep (Matthew 9:36). They were always in danger. This was because they had enemies. Their enemies were like wolves (wild dogs). They were ready to attack. They wanted to kill the sheep. (Read Matthew 10:16–17.)
Three different groups that were like wolves (wild dogs)
- False religion. Some people have always been against the real religion of Jesus. This was especially true of false Christians. Here, Jesus was speaking about the local synagogues. (These were the Jews ‘special buildings in which they worshipped God.) There were also Jewish councils (groups of important men who meet together to discuss and decide events) that were in the regions. Jesus was speaking about them too. (Read Matthew 10:17.) This was the first problem that the disciples had. The book of Acts showed this.
- The state. (Note: This referred to the leaders of the state.) Here, there were Roman rulers. (These were people from the capital city of Rome. They ruled many countries.) There were local kings too. Jesus mentioned them in Matthew 10:18. But, again, his words had more meaning. The state often wanted to rule people’s consciences. It hated those who claimed to have a greater authority. In the OT, the *prophets were always in danger. This was because they declared God’s words to kings and rulers.
- The family. The worst trouble is often in the family. Sometimes, there can even be murder. (Read Matthew 10:21.)
Jesus told his disciples that people would hate them. This was because they were following him. (Read Matthew 10:22.) In some way, this happens to all real disciples. People who refuse to follow Jesus often hate him. So, they will often hate Jesus’ workers too. (Read Matthew 10:24–25.)
Jesus’ disciples would have many difficulties. They would want to know how they could deal with them. Jesus answered this with an example. (Read Matthew 10:16.) To the Jews, a snake was a sign. It was a sign of someone who was clever and wise. So, the disciples must be careful. They must be wise in all their actions. They must notice things that were round them. They must not trust people too much. They must be careful how they behaved. People who were not Christians would want them to fail. So, they should speak and act wisely. Even today, disciples must not deserve the things that people say against them.
Jesus used another example. He said that they must be ‘as innocent as doves’. (A dove is a bird.) This was a popular word picture then. So, *Jews would understand it.
Jesus had one other important thing to say here. It was this. *Disciples must not choose to suffer if it was not necessary. People might not accept them in one place. Then they must just go somewhere else. (Read Matthew 10:23.) If they stayed, they would suffer. But it would be unnecessary to suffer like this. To have courage does not mean to be foolish.
Jesus promised to help. (Read Matthew 10:19–20.) His promise is for us too. He does not promise to save us from troubles. He does not promise to make things easier. The first Christians did not ask for these things. They were not afraid of what they would suffer. They were afraid that they would not be able to speak about Jesus. They did not want to spoil the message about trust in Jesus. So, Jesus promised to tell them what to say. Jesus suffered. Real disciples will suffer too. Only then can they share in Jesus’ glory. Some *disciples try to avoid hard things in the Christian life. If they do, Jesus will refuse to share the rewards of the battle with them.
Questions
- Do people oppose you because you are a Christian? In what ways do these verses encourage you? You may suffer because you are a Christian. When you suffer, you may accept it in a Christian way. Think about these last two sentences. What is the difference between them?
- Some people describe the church as an army. Its members are like soldiers. They choose to join. Nobody forces them to join. But some of these soldiers run away at the first difficulty. Is this like your church? If so, what could you do about it?
- People say that they will kill Christians today. In which countries does this happen? Pray for these people.