The Way - Day 242 (Matthew 10)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
Matthew 10:1-42
It is in these verses that we find the record of Jesus choosing His twelve disciples who would assist Him in spreading the message of hope through a relationship with God (10:1-4). Then, Jesus gives some specific instructions to His newly chosen disciples. These commands were as follows: deliver the message of hope to the Jewish people (10:5-8), trust God to provide for your needs (10:9-15), and be prepared for opposition to the message you are spreading (10:16-42). Jesus spends the majority of His time preparing them for the persecution that would soon face them. I find this interesting because Jesus wanted them to be aware that following Him would never be easy. He warned them that there would be false teachers who would accuse them of spreading an erroneous message, but they were to be wise yet harmless (10:16). He also told them not to worry about how they would respond to their false accusers, but that God would speak through them (10:20). However, Jesus also alerted them to the fact that their own family and friends may disown them (10:32-37). What Jesus was trying to explain is that there is a high cost for following Him. He is asking them to be willing to give up their life for His sake in order that the Gospel might be proclaimed. Jesus promises that a person who finds his life will lose it, but a disciple who loses his life will ultimately find it (10:39). Although many people will never give up their physical life through death, we should be willing to surrender our life to be used by God for His purposes. Paul puts it like this...present your bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Have I put my own desires and passions to death so that I might live my life for God?

Dear God, I surrender my life to You so that it can be used to bring attention to You.