The great commission….
How is it that these three little words are so often ignored and yet so prominently spoken when the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples. This is especially interesting as in Matthew 28, we see they were also sent out to make/train up other disciples to Christ. This leads to my next post… What does it mean to be disciple to Christ?
A couple things I find so wonderful in these verses. First, the instruction is to heal the sick, not to teach them to heal themselves, not to pray for them and hope that they will receive, but to heal them… This is so very encouraging that this is possible. Jesus equipped the with the power and ability to accomplish just this.
They were to give what they had been given… This really encourages me as I know that I know that I know that I know that God’s Good plan for my life is to lavish me with every good thing… Oh how I long to enter into that Holy flow.
We have little splash pad next to our house.. and part of it is this bucket. The bucket slowly fills with water… at some point getting so full that it hits a pivot point and dumps the water on whatever happens to find itself underneath at that time. Oh to be such a bucket for all the things of God, to continually be filled and to continuously pour out the good things He is forever filling me up with.
Matthew 10:5-14 (ESV)
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And 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.”
Matthew 28:16-20
“16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Luke 9:1-3 (ESV)
“9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”
Luke 10:8-12 (ESV)
“8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”
Healing and Discipleship 